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We do our best to meet the needs of businesses, consumers, viewers and listeners. However, sometimes things can go wrong - or we can fall short of our own standards.

We have published a number of guidelines setting how people or organisations can complain about Ofcom’s work in specific areas. If one of these areas is relevant to your complaint, please follow the guidelines below:

• Handling of Standards and Complaints Cases
• Handling of Fairness and Privacy Complaints
• Procedure for statutory sanctions in content cases
• Guidelines for the handling of competition complaints, and complaints and disputes about breaches of conditions imposed under the EU Directives

Ofcom consultations

If you have a complaint about our consultation process, please read our guidelines on Ofcom consultation which include details of how to complain to our Consultation Champion

Please note that the Consultation Champion will investigate complaints about how Ofcom has managed a particular consultation - for example, whether we have allowed enough time for people to respond - but not the substance of policy proposals. If you have a concern about specific Ofcom proposals, please respond to the consultation to contact the policy team directly.

Executive Committee

If you normally deal with a particular person or team at Ofcom, please contact them directly to discuss your concerns. They will often be in the best position to understand your situation and give you a quick explanation as to what has happened. However, if you do not receive a satisfactory answer, please ask for your complaint to be reviewed by a member of the Executive Committee other than Ed Richards, our Chief Executive Officer.

If you are still not satisfied with your response from the relevant senior manager, please write to our Chief Executive, Ed Richards. He will call for a full report to see whether you have received fair treatment. We will treat your complaint in confidence and will investigate it carefully as quickly as possible. Every effort will be made to send a full and clear reply within 10 working days of your complaint being received by the Chief Executive. If we cannot investigate your complaint fully within that time, we will let you know and keep you informed of progress.

If you remain dissatisfied, you may refer your complaint to the Chairman of the Ofcom Board. Please contact the office of the Secretary to the Corporation Graham Howell (graham.howell@ofcom.org.uk) who will refer your complaint to the Chairman.

Other ways to complain

Ofcom is accountable to Parliament. You may ask your Member of Parliament to take up your case on your behalf. You can find their details on the UK parliament website. Your Member of Parliament may also refer the case to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Ombudsman).

The Ombudsman is independent and impartial, and provides a free and confidential service.

General information on making a complaint to the Ombudsman - which, under current legislation, can be done only by a Member of Parliament - can be obtained from:

Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP

Tel: 0845 015 4033 (enquiry line)
Fax: 020 7217 4000

Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk

Enforcement

Ofcom's powers of enforcement are necessary to protect legitimate radio users of radiocommunications spectrum from unlicensed transmissions or undue interference. In exercising these powers, Ofcom has committed itself to abiding by the provisions and standards of the Enforcement Concordat.

This Concordat was drawn up by the Cabinet Office to provide guidance to central and local government when carrying out enforcement work. It requires us, as an enforcement body, to:

• have clear standards setting out the level of service and performance the public and business can expect to receive;
• provide clear information and advice on the rules that apply, and be open about how we do our work;
• provide a helpful service with a well-publicised and effective complaints procedure;
• minimise the costs of compliance for business by ensuring that any action we require is proportionate to the risks; and
• carry out our duties in a fair, equitable and consistent manner.

Accordingly, we undertake that advice from our staff in relation to enforcement will:

• be expressed clearly and simply;
• be confirmed in writing, on request, explaining why any remedial work is necessary and by when; and
• clearly distinguish legal requirements from advice on best practice.

Before we take formal enforcement action, we will, if possible, give you an opportunity to discuss the circumstances of the case and resolve points of difference. This may not be possible, however, if immediate action is necessary (for example, in the interests of health and safety or environmental protection, or to prevent evidence being destroyed).

Where immediate action is considered necessary, we will give you an explanation at the time. This will be confirmed in writing, in most cases within 5 working days and in all cases within 10 working days.

If you have a right of appeal against formal action, advice on the appeal mechanism will be clearly set out in writing at the time the action is taken and, wherever possible, issued with the enforcement notice.

Copies of the Enforcement Concordat may be obtained from:

Better Regulation Unit
Cabinet Office
Horse Guards Road
London
SW1P 2AL

Tel: 020 7270 6928
Fax: 020 7270 6402

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