Customer area
Complaints and Appeals
UKAS welcomes feedback from its customers, stakeholders and the end users of accredited services. If you have any suggestions as to how UKAS might improve its services, please get in touch.
Complaints
UKAS recognises that on occasion it may be necessary for our customers, or those using accredited services, to raise a complaint with us and the following details the process to be followed.
Consumers and users of accredited services
If you are complaining about a UKAS accredited body, please ensure you have complained to them first, and that you have allowed them the opportunity to investigate and respond before escalating your complaint to UKAS.
Information on raising a complaint about an accredited body can be found here. Please read this information prior to submitting your complaint.
Note: financial disputes, matters of contract and/or claims for monies/refunds fall outside the remit of UKAS to investigate.
UKAS accredited bodies
If you are a UKAS customer and wish to make a complaint please, we would encourage you in the first instance to discuss your concerns with your Assessment Manager, as it may be possible to resolve any concerns you have via that route. However, if this does not resolve the matter you can submit a complaint. Any complaint must be submitted in writing, and we ask that it includes copies of relevant communications where applicable.
Complaints will be logged and acknowledged within 5 working days of receipt and an investigating officer appointed to review and respond to the complaint. The investigating officer will normally be an individual who has not been involved directly in the activities to which the complaint relates.
Timescales for completing the investigation will be communicated via the acknowledgement as these may vary dependent on the extent, complexity and severity of the issues detailed in the complaint. We do, however, aim to resolve most complaints within 1 working month of receipt.
Submitting a complaint
Please submit your complaint in writing to [email protected].
Or
FAO Process Improvement & Feedback Manager
UKAS
2 Pine Trees
Chertsey Lane
Staines-upon-Thames
TW18 3HR
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Raising a concern with UKAS (whistleblowing)
If you are an employee of a UKAS accredited body with specific concerns about those activities which relate to their accreditation, we would always encourage you to try to resolve any concerns you have within your organisation. However, if you have followed this route, or you do not feel able to raise a concern within your organisation, you can raise your concern in confidence with us at UKAS. Further information on “Raising a Concern” with UKAS can be found here.
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Vexatious Complainants
We are committed to resolving complaints fairly and impartially. However, in a small minority of cases, some parties pursue their complaints in a manner which can either impede the investigation of their complaint or cause significant resource issues for UKAS. This can occur whilst a complaint is under investigation, or once we have finished dealing with the complaint.
UKAS has therefore adopted the Local Government Ombudsman’s (LGO) definition of “unreasonable complainant behaviour” and “unreasonable persistent complaints” and this will be used when determining if a complainant should be considered vexatious.
Where a complainant has been deemed to be vexatious, we reserve the right to restrict contact with the complainant. In such cases we will inform them in writing of the reasons why a decision has been made to restrict contact, including details of the arrangements, and the length of time any restrictions will remain in place.
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Appeals (UKAS customers only)
An applicant or accredited body may formally request UKAS to reconsider an adverse accreditation decision which has been made and which relates to its desired accreditation status.
UKAS operates a two-stage appeals process, and guidelines regarding the process and how to submit an appeal can be found here.
