Making a complaint
If you have had a negative experience with the police, an appropriate adult, or appropriate adult service, you may wish to make a complaint.
Making a complaint about an appropriate adult
NAAN does not have any power or resources to handle complaints about appropriate adults.
If you would like to make a complaint about an appropriate adult from an organised scheme, you can complain to the organisation which provided them.
NAAN does set the national standards for appropriate adult schemes. You can find out AA schemes are expected to handle feedback and complaints by reading Standard 1.10 (Feedback and complaints) on page 25.
You can find the contact details of the person responsible for a local scheme using our Network Map. If you are not satisfied with their response, you may want to raise the complaint with a more senior person from that organisation. If you are still not satisfied, and the service is funded by a different organisation (eg. the local council) you could raise your complaint with that organisation.
AA services for children are always the responsibility of the local youth offending team (YOT) and you can find the contact details of every YOT Manager here.
If the AA scheme is provided or commissioned by a local authority, and you are not satisfied with how the local authority has handled your complaint, you could try contacting the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (we can't say how they will respond).
If you believe that an AA scheme that is a NAAN member is acting recklessly or dangerously we would like to know.
Making a complaint about an appropriate adult scheme
Under National Standard 4.20, all members of NAAN are expected to have a complaints policy.
Please email NAAN at
Not all schemes are members of NAAN. If no scheme is identified you should: -
- Contact your local youth offending team if the complaint relates to someone under 18 years old
- Contact your local adult social services if the person complaining is a mentally vulnerable adult
Making a complaint about the police
There are several ways you can make a complaint about the police.
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Contact the police force involved
You can find the contact details for individual police forces on their website or in the ‘Making a complaint’ section of this website - https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/complaints-reviews-and-appeals/make-complaint
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Go to your local police station (open to members of the public)
Ask to see the duty officer and make your complaint in person
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Contact the Independent Office for Police Conduct
You can do this by phone, email, post, twitter or text relay. You can also download or fill out a complaint form online at https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/complaints-and-appeals/make-complaint
Guides from other organisations
- Make a complaint (Independent Office for Police Conduct)
- Easy read information, guides and complaint forms (Independent Office for Police Conduct)
- Complaints about the police - a factsheet from Rethink Mental Illness
- If a family member has died in police custody or after police contact, you may wish to access the help and advice and the skills toolkit provided by the the charity Inquest.
Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)
Most complaints are investigated by the local police force. Formerly known as The Independent Police Complaints Commission, the IOPC will investigate more serious complaints. All complaints raised with the IOPC must also be recorded by the relevant police force who will be asked to look into the matter.
The IOPC has produced a guide to making a complaint against the police. The guide is available in ‘Easy Read’. You can find out more about making a complaint at https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/complaints-and-appeals/make-complaint
You can also contact the IOPC in the following ways:
- Independent Office for Police Conduct, PO Box 473, Sale, M33 OBW
- Tel: 0300 020 0096
- E-mail:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/iopc_enquiries
- Text Relay: 18001 0207 166 3000
Getting help to make your complaint
Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)
CABs are often able to provide advocacy and sometimes limited legal support when helping individuals. If you would like to make a complaint against the police you can do this via your local CAB.
Find your local CAB in England, in Wales, or in Northern Ireland.
Liberty
Liberty campaigns on human rights including police complaints.
- Advice line: 0845 123 2307 or 020 3145 0461
- Liberty, 21 Tabard Street, London, SE1 4LA
Police Action Centre
Provides a free, confidential and independent advice service on legal rights to members of the public, if they wish to pursue an action against the police.
- Email:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Text: 07815 052 803
- Police Action Centre, Portland House, 9 Portland Towers, Leicester, LE2 2PG
Find out more at www.policeactioncentre.org.uk
Police monitoring groups
Police monitoring groups are campaigning organisations that aim to increase public awareness of police work and improve police policies.
To find out whether you have a local group, contact your local authority (council).
Member of Parliament
Your MP can also make a complaint on your behalf.
To find out who your local elected representatives are click here www.writetothem.com
Law Centres
The Law Centres Network offer free advice and representation.
Law Centres Network, 1 Lady Hale Gate, Gray’s Inn, London, WC1X 8BS
Find out more at Law Centres Network
Suing the police
If you wish to sue the police, you should talk to a specialist solicitor. The easiest way of finding a company is to use The Law Society’s Find a Solicitor function. Search under the legal issue of ‘Consumer and Civil Rights’. From there you can refine your search to ‘Actions Against the police – legal aid.’
Legal Aid
You may be able to obtain ‘legal aid’ to help with legal costs. This depends on how much you earn, your savings, and what sort of legal help you are looking for.
Check if you can get legal aid.
Free legal advice
LawWorks is an independent charity with a mission to support, promote and encourage a commitment to ‘pro bono’ across the solicitors’ profession. Pro bono means solicitors give their time for free.
The charity enables access to justice for individuals in need of advice, who are not eligible for legal aid but cannot afford a lawyer.
Making a complaint about your legal advice
Complaints about poor service
In the first instance, normally, you should put your complaint in writing to the lawyer or law firm concerned. Keep copies of everything you send and everything you receive back.
If you are not happy with the outcome, you can then complain to the Legal Services Ombudsman. They have the power to make a company or individual pay you compensation for poor service.
If you need help to make your complaint, contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau.
Failure to comply with professional regulations
If you think your solicitor broke one of the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) principles, you can report the solicitor to them.
The principles include things like; acting with integrity, providing a proper standard of service and not allowing their independence to be compromised. The full list can be found at www.sra.org.uk/consumers/sra-regulate/sra-regulate.page#principles.
The SRA cannot award compensation and does not deal with complaints about poor service.
Find out how to report your solicitor to the SRA at http://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor.page#how-report-sra
Criminal Records
Living with a criminal record
The charity Unlock provides information and advice for people living with convictions. If you are facing difficulties as a result of a criminal record, you may find their Information Hub helpful.
Deleting a criminal record
If you can prove that the arrest was unlawful or that no offence existed, you may be able ask the police to remove a criminal record using their ‘Exceptional Case Procedure’.
The only other option is to appeal against the conviction. This can normally only be done within a short time after the conviction. You should seek legal advice to do this.
You can find a solicitor via The Law Society's online database or The Ministry of Justice's online tool.
Find out more about deleting a criminal record (Unlock)