freedom of information and data protection
freedom of information
Our many stakeholders – ranging from consumers deciding whether to pursue complaints, to trade associations carrying out policy research – look to the Financial Ombudsman Service to provide the information they need. And we aim to be as open and helpful as we can in making information freely available.
We are not at present subject to the Freedom of Information Act. But the Ministry of Justice is currently consulting on extending this Act to cover us – which is something we welcome.
In the meantime, we already publish extensive information about what we do and how we operate – all available on this website. And we commit considerable resource to dialogue and liaison with those who use – or have an interest in – our service.
The facts and figures we are most frequently asked about are listed below – organised into seven categories of information (based on the Information Commissioner’s model publication scheme for "non-departmental public bodies").
who we are and what we do
- key facts about who we are
- how to contact us and how to bring a complaint to the ombudsman service
- a statement of our aims and values as an independent public body
- the legislation and official documents underpinning the Financial Ombudsman Service
- who our ombudsmen are and their backgrounds (as shown on our organisation chart)
- details of the non-executive directors who make up our board and the minutes of their meetings
- the terms of reference of the sub-committees of our board
- the memoranda of understanding between the Financial Ombudsman Service and other official bodies
- our publications (ranging from consumer factsheets and our annual review to policy statements, "instruments" and consultation papers)
what we spend and how we spend it
- how the ombudsman service is funded
- more details about our budget (consulted on publicly each year in our annual corporate plan and budget)
- statistics on staff numbers, productivity and workload (consulted on publicly each year in our annual corporate plan and budget)
- our audited accounts and financial results (PDF document filed with Companies House)
what our priorities are and how we are doing
- our annual review and our annual corporate plan and budget
- annual reports and terms of reference of our independent assessor
- independent external reviews of the ombudsman service by Lord Hunt of Wirral and Bristol University's Personal Finance Research Centre
- David Severn's independent report into how the ombudsman service dealt strategically and operationally with the mortgage endowment workload of over quarter of a million cases [PDF report]
how we make decisions
- the rules setting out how the Financial Ombudsman Service (and businesses providing financial services) should handle complaints – published as part of the Financial Services Authority's Handbook in the section called Dispute resolution: complaints
- how our complaints-handling process works – for businesses we cover (as set out in our guides for businesses and our online resource for businesses) and for consumers (as set out in our consumer leaflet your complaint and the ombudsman and our factsheet how we deal with your case)
- explanations of our general approach to particular types of complaint (summarised as case studies in our regular newsletter, ombudsman news)
- our technical notes and online resources covering key complaint topics such as payment protection insurance (PPI), mortgage endowments and unauthorised overdraft charges
our policies and procedures
- policy statements setting out our strategic approach to transparency and accessibility
- our equality and diversity policy
- procedures for complaints about us (as set out in our service standards)
- our employment policies, corporate governance arrangements, policies on internal controls and approach to corporate social responsibility (as recorded in our directors' report and financial statements – PDF document filed with Companies House)
- expenses policy for directors [PDF format]
- the procedures in place to ensure liaison and co-operation between the Financial Ombudsman Service, the Financial Services Authority and the Office of Fair Trading on cases that have wider implications
lists and registers
- complaints data listing the number and outcome of disputes we have settled
- our panel of ombudsmen – appointed under paragraphs 4 and 5 of schedule 17 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000
- our non-executive "public interest" board of directors
- details about our auditors, bankers and other corporate information (as recorded in our directors' report and financial statements – PDF document filed with Companies House)
the services we offer
- our consumer helpline – open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday
- complaint-enquiry online
- accessibility – information and resources in different languages and formats
- amdanom ni (Cymraeg – information in Welsh)
- distributing our publications free of charge to consumers and consumer organisations – and organising bulk supplies and licence-to-print arrangements for financial businesses
- our outreach work in the community
- events and visits we organise and take part in
- our resources for businesses, smaller businesses and community and advice workers
- our technical advice desk – for businesses and professional complaints handlers
- our external liaison and outreach team
- publications and speeches
- news and free subscription to our news-alert service
- careers with the ombudsman service
formats
We can provide information free of charge about our service in different formats and languages.
And we can adapt the way we communicate with you – depending on your needs. For example, we can use Braille, large print or CD/audiotape and we can make and receive calls using Text Relay (formerly known as TypeTalk).
Please let us know what your particular needs are, and we will do our best to help. You can contact us about accessibility by email or phone us on 020 7964 0766.
data protection
The Financial Ombudsman Service is covered by the Data Protection Act 1998. This legislation places legal obligations on us when we process personal information about individuals.
We know that the personal and financial circumstances of people who refer complaints to us can be very sensitive, and we handle people's details with care and discretion. We respect the privacy of people who use our service, and we keep personal information about complaints secure and confidential. Where we need to exchange information about complaints with other relevant organisations, we do so with strict regard for the law.
The Data Protection Act allows people to make an application to access the personal information about them that we process as part of our work. To make an application for personal data under the Data Protection Act, there is a charge of £10 – to cover the administrative costs of handling the request. Applications for personal information under the Data Protection Act are called "subject access requests" and are dealt with at the Financial Ombudsman Service by our legal team.
The Information Commissioner's Office has produced guidance on data protection and freedom of information issues – including the scope of information available to someone making a "subject access" request.