Review and Complaints Procedure
Review Procedure
If you are unhappy about a funding decision, it is recommended that you write to, telephone, email or fax the staff member responsible for handling your case to let them know about your concerns. The staff member will arrange to discuss your concerns with you.
If you are of the view that a decision is flawed on the basis that Northern Ireland Screen failed to follow its own procedures, or that its procedures were deficient, you can formally request a Review of the funding decision in accordance with the procedure set out below.
You cannot ask for a review against a Northern Ireland Screen decision that was taken based on the perceived artistic quality of the proposed work.
Only those organisations or individuals that have made an application to Northern Ireland Screen in their own name may request a Review.
If you want formally to request a Review you should complete the Form attached with this Review Procedure and deliver it to the Director of Finance & Corporate Services at Northern Ireland Screen at the address given below. You should retain a copy for your own use.
Your completed and signed Review Form must be received by the Director of Finance & Corporate Services at Northern Ireland Screen within 20 working days of the date of our letter notifying you of the funding decision.
We will acknowledge receipt of your formal request within 5 working days.
A Review Group will assess your Review Form, the papers connected with the original decision, and any other relevant material. It may, at its discretion, invite you to meet with it to discuss your case in more detail. The Review Group will meet as soon as is practicably possible after receipt of your Form.
The Review Group will consist of four members – the Chair of the Investment Committee, a Northern Ireland Screen Board member not normally involved in the decision making process, the Chief Executive and another Northern Ireland Screen staff member.
You will be notified of Northern Ireland Screen’s decision regarding your review within ten working days of the Northern Ireland Screen Review Group meeting.
Any member of the Review Group who disagrees with the recommendation may produce a separate short report for Northern Ireland Screen.
The outcome following from any recommendation or report is final.
How to contact us about your formal review
Write to the Director of Finance & Corporate Services,
Northern Ireland Screen
21 Alfred Street
Belfast
BT2 8ED
Complaints Procedure
What is a complaint?
Northern Ireland Screen defines a complaint as:
“an expression of dissatisfaction about an aspect of the service that a person / organisation has received from Northern Ireland Screen”.
The review procedure is separate to this and exists for applicants who wish to have their funding decisions reviewed by Northern Ireland Screen. The Funding Review Procedure is detailed above.
How to complain
If you are unhappy with an aspect of the service you receive from Northern Ireland Screen, we would like to hear from you. Equally, if you are pleased with the service offered, or simply have a suggestion to make, please let us know.
You can make your complaint in whatever form is most convenient to you. Our contact details are given below. It is helpful to know the exact nature of your complaint, in as much detail as possible; and what action you expect to be taken to remedy the matter.
What will happen when you complain?
Northern Ireland Screen will then record your complaint(s) and comments on a standard form. This form and any other supporting information or correspondence you supply, is a permanent record of your concerns and will also detail how the matter has been resolved.
It is Northern Ireland Screen’s intention that complaints will be responded to within seven working days. If a full response cannot be given within seven days (for example, when a matter is very complex), you will be informed of the progress made with your complaint.
Who will deal with your complaint?
It is Northern Ireland Screen’s policy that, as far as possible, a complaint should be dealt with immediately by the member of staff who receives it.
If the complaint cannot be dealt with by the person receiving the call, or letter, then the details will be passed directly to the appropriate staff member for action. In their absence, it will automatically be directed to the relevant senior member of staff.
The Chief Executive accepts full responsibility for effective complaint handling.
What you can expect from Northern Ireland Screen in terms of redress
In dealing with your complaint, Northern Ireland Screen will seek to restore, as far as possible, the relationship between you and Northern Ireland Screen. We will also consider the action you would like to see taken when trying to reach a solution. You can expect Northern Ireland Screen to:
- Make it easy for you to voice your concerns;
- Handle your complaint quickly and without undue fuss or bureaucracy;
- Maintain confidentiality;
- Be fair and objective; and
- Inform you of the outcome.
Monitoring the effectiveness of complaints
Northern Ireland Screen systematically records the complaints and comments it receives on its services, and the subsequent action. The number of complaints, their nature and the speed with which they are dealt with are all monitored.
What to do if you are still unhappy
If you are still unhappy with the response given, or have a problem with the staff member with whom you are dealing, you have the right to complain to Northern Ireland Screen’s Chief Executive in writing. The Chief Executive will reply to you within 10 working days of receipt of your letter.
If, after taking these steps, you are still dissatisfied, you can write to Northern Ireland Screen’s Chairman.
All correspondence for the Chairman should be forwarded to Northern Ireland Screen, 21 Alfred Street, Belfast, BT2 8ED, clearly marked for the attention of the Chairman.
How to lodge a Complaint
You can telephone and speak to the member of staff you are dealing with. If you do not know who you should talk to, the receptionist will help you. Tel: 028 90 232 444
OR
Write / Fax / Email the Director of Finance & Corporate Services at:
21 Alfred Street, Belfast, BT2 8ED
Fax: 028 90 239918
E-mail: [email protected]
It will help us to respond fully to your complaint and advise you of the action taken to resolve it if you also enclose the following information:
- Your name
- Your address and postcode
- Your phone number (work and home)
How Northern Ireland Screen uses complaints
Northern Ireland Screen will do everything possible to minimise the number of complaints. We record and monitor all complaints we receive. We analyse all complaints to look for problem areas where we may need to take action to provide a better quality of service. Your ideas on how we may improve that service are welcome.
