Customer Service

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), of which the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) is part, provides information, funding, services and facilities to a large and diverse community. The community’s size and diversity means that both individuals and organisations may have comments, ideas and complaints about NERC policies and procedures and services.

The promise

We undertake to deal with any complaints quickly and effectively. As soon as we have received your complaint in writing, we shall:

• acknowledge it immediately and let you know how long we will take to get back to you
• investigate your complaint fully and fairly
• send you a full and swift response
• consider your complaint during any review of the services that we provide

The procedure

In order to enable any complaint to be dealt with as expeditiously as possible, we would ask you to write to the person who has been dealing with your requirements, describing your complaint and what you think needs to be done to sort things out. If that person is unable to deal with your complaint, they will pass it on to a more senior person and give you that person's name.

If you are still dissatisfied or unsure about whom to contact, please write to:

CEH Director Professor Mark J Bailey, at CEH's Wallingford headquarters.

If you remain dissatisfied, please write to:

NERC Chief Executive Professor Duncan Wingham, at NERC's headquarters in Swindon

The Chief Executive will initiate a further formal investigation and reply to you directly with his findings. He will also advise you that if you are still not satisfied you can ask for your complaint to go to the Chairman of Council.

Finally, if the complaint remains unresolved, we will advise you that you may contact any Member of Parliament who may agree to refer your complaint to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Parliamentary Ombudsman).