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Legal
Complaints Procedure
Hawthorn Management Solutions Limited
Last updated:
We would rather hear from you than have you stay unhappy. This procedure covers complaints about our services and, separately, complaints about how we have handled your personal data.
Why this document exists. Since 19 June 2026, the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 requires controllers to provide an accessible route for data protection complaints, to acknowledge them within 30 days, and to respond without undue delay. This procedure meets that duty.
How to complain
Please tell us your name, how to reach you, what happened, when, and what you would like us to do. If you would find another format easier, such as a phone call or a different medium, tell us and we will accommodate it.
You may ask someone to complain on your behalf. We will need your written authority before we discuss your information with them.
What happens next
- Acknowledgement. We acknowledge every complaint in writing. For a complaint about your personal data we will do so within 30 days of receipt, counting from the day after it arrives, and normally much sooner.
- Investigation. A person not directly involved in what you are complaining about will look into it, review the relevant records and speak to the people concerned.
- Response. We aim to give a full written response within 20 working days. If we need longer we will tell you why and give a date.
- Outcome. We will tell you what we found, whether we uphold the complaint, what we are putting right, and what we are changing so it does not happen again.
- Review. If our response does not resolve it, write back within 20 working days and a director will review the matter afresh and reply within a further 20 working days. That concludes our internal process.
Taking a data protection complaint further
You can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at any point. You do not have to come to us first, though it usually resolves matters faster.
Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. Telephone: 0303 123 1113 · ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint
Other routes
Depending on the service, you may also be able to refer a matter to HMRC, The Pensions Regulator, or the relevant court. We will tell you which applies to your situation if you ask.
Our record
We log every complaint, its outcome and the time taken, and review the log at least twice a year to look for patterns worth fixing.