How we work
Meetings with the Adjudicator's Office - guidance for complainants
Why we may need to hold a meeting
During our investigation of your complaint, we may find that we need to obtain further information or evidence from you before the Adjudicator can reach her decision. In these circumstances, a meeting can sometimes be the simplest and most effective way to take things forward.
A meeting can also provide us with a useful opportunity to:
- explain our role
- check that we understand your complaint
- gather further information from you
- explore options for resolving your complaint.
Where would the meeting take place?
We are flexible about when and where the meeting should take place. If we ask you to visit our office in central London, we will reimburse your reasonable travel costs on production of your receipts and tickets. Our office has full disabled access and is equipped with a hearing induction loop. Alternatively, we can visit you at your home or place of work if convenient. In exceptional cases, we can arrange to meet you at another reasonable and mutually convenient location, such as an office belonging to one of the organisations that we investigate.
Can you request a meeting with us?
We may agree to a request from you for a meeting at our office, but only if we consider that it is necessary as part of our investigation into your complaint. In these circumstances, however, we will only ask the organisation that you are complaining about to reimburse your costs if we uphold your complaint and we consider that it was reasonable for you to request a meeting.
Who should attend the meeting?
You can ask a friend, relative or agent, such as an accountant, to accompany you if you wish. Please bear in mind that you may have to meet any additional costs charged by an agent in relation to your complaint. The purpose of the meeting is to get a first-hand account of your complaint so, unless an agent is involved, we would prefer you to describe the complaint yourself. You may bring an interpreter if you need one and, if necessary, we can help you to find one. You should feel free to take any notes during the meeting. We would confirm beforehand who would attend the meeting from the Adjudicator’s Office. This would usually be the officer investigating your complaint, although he or she may be accompanied to help with note taking.
Does the Adjudicator need to see you in person?
The Adjudicator relies on her staff to attend meetings with complainants on her behalf. We take notes during the meeting and the Adjudicator will consider these before reaching her decision.
How are the meetings recorded?
The notes we make during the meeting summarise the key points of the discussion, rather than being a word for word record of what was said. We will send you a copy of these notes soon after the meeting, inviting you to comment on their accuracy. We will take account of any comments or corrections that you suggest and these will be available to the Adjudicator when she reviews your case.
Can you refuse to meet with us?
Yes. You are under no obligation to meet with us during our investigation of your complaint. If you do not wish to meet with us, we will reach a decision on your case based on the information that is available to us.
