Complaints
Last updated 9 October 2026 · Version 1.0
If I have got something wrong, I would rather hear it from you than not hear it at all. This page covers both data protection complaints and complaints about my service.
Data protection complaints
Since 19 June 2026, section 164A of the Data Protection Act 2018 has required every organisation in the UK that handles personal data to operate a complaints process. This is mine.
How to complain
Email rstanley@compliancedataguardservices.com or call 07586 553272. Use whichever suits you. A complaint counts however it reaches me, and you do not need to use the words "data protection", "GDPR" or "complaint".
It helps if you tell me what happened, when, and what you would like me to do about it, but do not hold back a complaint because you are not sure how to phrase it.
If you need an adjustment to make a complaint — a different format, more time, or help from someone else on your behalf — tell me and I will arrange it.
What happens then
| Stage | When |
|---|---|
| I acknowledge your complaint, give you a reference and tell you who is handling it | Within 5 working days, and always within the statutory 30 days |
| I look into it, proportionately to what has been raised | Starting immediately |
| I update you if it is taking longer than I said | Before the date I gave you, not after it |
| I write to you with the outcome, issue by issue, with my reasons | As soon as I can, normally within 20 working days |
If I got something wrong, I will say so, apologise, tell you what I have put right and what I have changed so it does not happen again. If I did not, I will explain why in terms you can follow, and you will still be able to take it further.
If the complaint is about an investigation I carried out
Where I acted for a commissioning organisation, that organisation is usually the controller for the case material and is responsible for decisions taken on my report. Complaints about the decision, the sanction or the outcome should go to it. Complaints about how I handled your personal data come to me. If you are not sure which is which, write to me anyway and I will tell you, and pass on anything that belongs elsewhere.
Taking it further
You can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at any point, whether or not you complain to me first and whatever the outcome of my response.
| Information Commissioner's Office | ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint · 0303 123 1113 · Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF |
|---|
Service complaints
If you are a client and you are unhappy with the quality, timeliness or conduct of my work, email rstanley@compliancedataguardservices.com marked "Service complaint". I will acknowledge within 5 working days and respond substantively within 20 working days.
If a complaint concerns my independence or a conflict of interest on a live instruction, say so in the subject line. I will stop work on the affected element and respond within 2 working days.
What I do with complaints
Every complaint is logged, whether or not it is upheld and whether or not it was resolved the same day. I record what was raised, when, what I did, what I decided and why. I review the log periodically to see what keeps coming up. Complaint records are themselves personal data and are handled under my privacy notice.