Making a complaint - Help us to put things right

Important information for users of the Department for Children, Schools and Families ('the Department') websites

The following procedure covers complaints which are about the services that the Department provides directly to the public (not complaints about related organisations, issues and decisions). These services generally involve providing relevant information and answering queries, but also include a number of specialist services. If you have a complaint about a particular Government policy, you would normally contact the Minister for that area of policy, or your local MP.

The Department is committed to providing a quality service and achieving the highest standards of conduct (and has adopted these commitments as Departmental values). One of the ways in which we can continue to improve our service is by listening and responding to the views of our customers. Therefore we aim to ensure that:

• Making a complaint is as easy as possible;
• We treat it seriously whether it is made in person, by telephone, by letter, by fax, or by e-mail;
• We treat as a complaint any clear expression of dissatisfaction with our service which calls for a response;
• We deal with it promptly, politely and, where appropriate, informally (for example, by telephone);
• We respond in the right way - for example, with an explanation, or an apology where we have got things wrong, or information on any action taken etc;
• We learn from complaints, use them to improve our service, and publish information on complaints - for example, in our Departmental Report.

How do you make a complaint?

You can make a complaint in writing, by fax, by e-mail, by telephone or in person (by appointment please). If you are writing, faxing or e-mailing your complaint, please provide your telephone number if a response by telephone would be convenient. If you are e-mailing, please state if a reply by e-mail is required and, if not, please provide a full postal address.

If you know the part of the Department which is relevant to your complaint, or the name or title of an appropriate member of staff, please make your complaint direct to them (referring to this complaints procedure would be helpful).

Contact the Connecting Classrooms team

Write to us at:

Connecting Classrooms Project Manager
British Council Scotland,
The Tun,
4 Jackson's Entry,
Holyrood Road,
Edinburgh E14 9TS,
United Kingdom

Telephone us:

+44 (0)131 524 5766

Email us:

connectingclassrooms@britishcouncil.org

Send us a message:

open message form

Contact the British Council

Email us:

general.enquiries@britishcouncil.org

Contact the DCSF Public Communications Unit

Write to us at:

Public Communications Unit
Department for Children, Schools and Families,
Sanctuary Buildings,
Great Smith Street,
London SW1P 3BT,
United Kingdom

Telephone us:

+44 (0)870 000 2288
Textphone/Minicom 01928 79 4274

Send us a Fax:

+ 44(0)1928 79 4248

Email us:

complaints@dfes.gsi.gov.uk

What happens next?

We will reply within 15 working days from when we receive your complaint. If it is not possible to give you a full reply within this time - for instance, because a detailed investigation is required - we will give you an interim response, telling you what is being done to deal with your complaint, when you can expect the full reply and from whom.