Steps and responsibilities when making a data handling complaint
- Submit your complaint to us first.
- You must give us the opportunity to resolve your complaint directly before escalating to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
- Use our accessible channels (electronic form, dedicated email address, or other provided methods) to submit your complaint.
- Provide as much relevant information as possible to help us investigate quickly and accurately.
- Escalation
- If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate your complaint to the ICO after we have responded.
Lichfields’ responsibilities when processing data handling complaints
- Provide accessible channels
- We provide clear, easy-to-use methods for lodging complaints, including:
- An electronic complaint form
- A dedicated email address: dpo@lichfields.uk
- Postal address (details provided below under Contact Details)
- Acknowledgement
- We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 30 days.
- Investigation
- We will investigate your complaint thoroughly and without undue delay.
- We may contact you for further information if needed.
- Outcome
- We will inform you clearly and transparently of the result of our investigation.
- Our response will include:
- The findings of our investigation
- Any actions taken or planned
- Information about your right to escalate to the ICO if you remain dissatisfied
- Record Keeping
- We maintain a log of all complaints, including:
- Details of the complaint
- Dates and content of all communications
- Investigation steps and findings
- Final outcome and any actions taken
- Continuous Improvement
- We use complaints to identify and implement improvements in our processes to prevent future issues.
Summary of the process
- Individual submits complaint via accessible channel
- Lichfields acknowledges within 30 days
- Lichfields investigates and responds without undue delay
- Lichfields communicates outcome clearly
- Individual may escalate to ICO if unsatisfied
- Lichfields logs complaint and uses feedback for improvement
Privacy notice for data use complaints form
Why we collect your information
When you submit a complaint about data use, we collect the information you provide to investigate, respond to, and resolve your complaint in accordance with the Data Use and Access Act 2025 (DUAA), UK GDPR, and our internal policies.
What information we collect
We collect your name, contact details, details of your complaint, supporting documents, and your preferred contact method. We may also record communications related to your complaint.
How we use your information
- To acknowledge, investigate, and respond to your complaint
- To keep you informed about the progress and outcome
- To maintain a record of complaints for compliance and improvement purposes
- To implement improvements based on complaint feedback
Who may access your information
Your information will be accessed only by staff responsible for handling complaints and, if necessary, by our Data Protection Officer. We will not share your information outside the organisation unless required by law or if you escalate your complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
How long we keep your information
We will retain records of your complaint for as long as necessary to resolve the issue and meet legal and regulatory requirements.
Your rights
You have the right to access, rectify, or erase your personal data, restrict or object to its processing, and to lodge a complaint with the ICO if you are dissatisfied with our response.
Contact
For questions about this notice or your rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer at
dpo@lichfields.uk.
Consent
By submitting this form, you consent to us processing your information for the purposes described above.
