Complaint about other services
If you’re not satisfied with the service you have received related to your case as a victim of crime, you can complain to the relevant organisation directly. Under the Victims’ Code, you are entitled to receive an acknowledgement or full response to your complaint within ten working days.
If you’re not happy with the response to your complaint, you can refer your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman via your local MP.
If you have sent your initial complaint to the wrong organisation (for example, you may complain about a member of staff in court to the Crown Prosecution Service by mistake), the organisation will send your complaint on to the correct agency for you.
Under the Victims’ Code, all agencies must forward a complaint to the correct agency if they receive it in error and they must acknowledge complaints within ten working days. The complaints can be about any of the organisations that have been involved in your case, including:
- police
- Crown Prosecution Service
- HM Courts and Tribunal Services
- youth offending teams
- Probation Service
The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime states:
“The service provider must provide a full and timely response which informs victims of the outcome of their complaint, and includes information about how the victim can escalate their complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman if they wish to do so. The response must be provided in an accessible language and format.”