Customer Complaints Policy

Purpose

This policy aims to ensure that anyone who deals with UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) is aware of our Complaints policy and can easily register a complaint if necessary.

UKAD welcomes feedback of all types and we are committed to the continual improvement of the service we provide.

UKAD is registered to International Quality Standard ISO 9001:2015 and as such has documented this Complaints Policy which complies with the requirements of the Standard.

Scope of Admissible Complaints

A complaint is defined by UKAD as an expression of dissatisfaction with the service delivery or behaviour of our staff or representatives which requires further investigation to resolve. To ensure effective handling of complaints, we will apply an initial assessment to determine whether a submission constitutes a valid complaint.

A complaint will normally be considered admissible where it:

  • Is clearly directed at UKAD
  • Relates to UKAD’s services, actions, or responsibilities
  • Contains sufficient information to understand the nature of the concern
  • Is raised by person(s) with relevant jurisdiction or authority

Correspondence may not be treated as a formal complaint where it:

  • Is unclear, incoherent, or lacks sufficient detail to identify the issue
  • Appears to have been sent to multiple unrelated organisations without clear relevance to UKAD
  • Does not relate to UKAD’s remit or activities
  • Appears to be automated, generated, or otherwise not reasonably actionable
  • Relates to ongoing Anti-Doping Rule Violations

Such correspondence will be recorded where appropriate but may not progress through the formal complaints process.

UKAD recognises the increasing use of automated or AI-assisted communications and will assess all correspondence based on its clarity, relevance, and actionability, regardless of how it is generated.

Assessment and Clarification of Complaints

UKAD is committed to investigating complaints thoroughly and fairly. Where a complaint is unclear or contains multiple or evolving issues, we may request that the complainant provides a clear and consolidated statement of the matters to which they still require a response.

We will base our investigation on the information available at the point at which the complaint scope is reasonably defined. Additional information submitted after this point may not be included in the current investigation and may be treated as a new complaint if appropriate.

If sufficient clarification is not provided, UKAD reserves the right to close the complaint without further investigation, providing reasons where possible.

Principles

Formal complaints may be made in the following ways:

  • by email to ukad@ukad.org.uk
  • by post to: UK Anti-Doping, SportPark, 3 Oakwood Drive, Loughborough, LE11 3QF

It is important that complaints are not addressed to individuals as this may cause delays to the process.

Once received, your complaint will be recorded to UKAD’s internal monitoring system. You will then be provided with a unique reference number. Please use this reference in any related correspondence with us.

UKAD aims to record and fully investigate admissible complaints within seven working days. Where a complaint requires clarification, involves multiple, complex or evolving issues, or falls outside the definition of a formal complaint, this timeframe may be paused or extended. In such cases, UKAD will provide an explanation where reasonably practicable.

Management of Excessive, Repetitive or Vexatious Correspondence

We recognise that, in some cases, the nature or frequency of correspondence may place an unreasonable burden on our resources or prevent the effective handling of complaints.

Behaviour may be considered excessive or vexatious where, for example:

  • Multiple or frequent submissions are made that introduce new or unrelated issues
  • Correspondence is excessively detailed, repetitive, or difficult to interpret
  • A complainant persists in raising the same issues after they have been addressed
  • The scope of a complaint is continually expanded in a way that prevents resolution

In such cases, UKAD may take proportionate steps to manage correspondence, including:

  • Requesting a single, consolidated statement of complaint
  • Limiting the scope of the investigation to clearly defined issues
  • Declining to respond to further correspondence that does not materially add to the original complaint
  • Confirming that the matter is closed following a final response

Any such actions will be applied fairly, consistently, and with appropriate regard to the circumstances of the case.

Escalation

If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint you may refer the matter to the appropriate authority.

  • If your complaint was about Information Security relating to Freedom of Information, Subject Access Requests, GDPR or data protection these can be referred to the Information Commissioner via the Make a Complaint section of its website https://ico.org.uk/global/
  • For all other procedural complaints, you may wish to contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman via its website: https://www.ombudsman.org.uk/making-complaint.