How to make a complaint against the Insolvency Service
Our aim is to provide a professional, fair, efficient, courteous and helpful service to all our users, whether creditors, insolvency practitioners, bankrupts, directors, redundant employees or indeed anyone with whom we have any dealings.
If you are not satisfied with our service, or if you have encountered any other problem, please let us know so that immediate steps can be taken to put matters right. We can guarantee that there will be a full and fair investigation of your complaint and you will be told what is happening. If a mistake has been made, we will apologise and try to put it right immediately. You can make your complaint either by telephone or by writing to the office.
In most cases it will be possible to sort problems out informally and quickly by contacting the person you have been dealing with or his or her immediate supervisor. This is usually the best way to resolve problems or minor differences of opinion, which have arisen. However, if you are not satisfied with the answer you receive or if you feel that insufficient action is taken to deal with the problem you can, if you wish, make a formal complaint in writing.
You should contact the Customer Relations Officer at:
Customer Relations Officer, The Insolvency Service, Fermanagh House, Ormeau Avenue Belfast BT2 8NJ Tel No: 028 9025 1441 e-mail: insolvency@detini.gov.uk.
The Customer Relations Officer will investigate your complaint and will give you a full reply within 10 working days; if that is not possible he/she will issue a letter to you explaining why and stating when he/she will send a full reply.
If you are not satisfied with the response of the Customer Relations Officer, you should write to the Director of the Insolvency Service:
Mr W R Nesbitt, The Insolvency Service, Fermanagh House, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast BT2 8NJ Tel No: 028 9025 1441 e-mail: insolvency@detini.gov.uk.
He will call for a full report on your complaint to make sure that you were dealt with according to our standards of service. He will give a full reply to your complaint within 10 working days; if that is not possible, he will issue a letter to you explaining why and stating when he will send a full reply.
In all cases your complaint will be:
·acknowledged within 2 working days;
·investigated thoroughly; and
·treated confidentially.
Parliamentary Ombudsman for Northern Ireland
If you remain dissatisfied you can ask a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) (it does not have to be your local one) to refer your complaint to the Parliamentary Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. The Ombudsman will normally expect you to have used our complaints procedure before considering your complaint. The Ombudsman can only enquire into the administrative functions undertaken by our staff in their dealings with you; he cannot investigate how a decision was made in a bankruptcy or liquidation, as this would be a matter to be determined by the High Court.
You may contact the Ombudsman at:
The Ombudsman's Office, Progressive House, 33 Wellington Place, Belfast BT1 6HN Fax: (028) 90234912 Phone: 0800 343424. This call is free. E-mail: ombudsman@ni-ombudsman.org.uk. Or, you can write to: The Ombudsman Freepost BELFAST BT1 6BR No stamp is required.
General Control by the Court
If you are a bankrupt, company director, creditor or if you have been affected by a decision made by the Official Receiver in relation to a bankruptcy or compulsory liquidation, you may apply to the High Court for a review of this decision. Applications should be addressed to the Master (Bankruptcy), Royal Courts of Justice, Chichester Street, Belfast, BT1 3JF.
