Data Protection Complaints Procedure

1. About RidgeOak

RidgeOak Property Maintenance is responsible for deciding how and why personal information relating to its customers, prospective customers, website users and other contacts is processed.

2. What is a data-protection complaint?

A data-protection complaint is an expression of concern that RidgeOak may not have handled personal information in accordance with data-protection law.

You may complain about matters including:

• How we collected your personal information.
• How or why we used your information.
• Information being used for an unexpected purpose.
• Information being disclosed to another person or organisation.
• Inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Information being retained for longer than necessary.
• Insufficient information about how your data is handled.
• The security of your personal information.
• A personal-data breach that affected you.
• Direct marketing or cookie-related data processing.
• How RidgeOak handled a request to exercise a data-protection right.
• Photographs, videos or documents containing your personal information.

3. Complaints and data-rights requests

A complaint is different from a request to exercise a data-protection right.

A rights request asks RidgeOak to take a specific action concerning your personal information, such as:

• Providing a copy of your personal information.
• Correcting inaccurate information.
• Deleting information where the right applies.
• Restricting the use of information.
• Considering an objection to processing.
• Providing portable data where the right applies.

You may make a rights request and a complaint at the same time. RidgeOak will identify and handle each part under the appropriate legal procedure.

4. Who can make a complaint?

You may make a complaint if the issue concerns personal information relating to you.

A complaint may also be submitted by an authorised representative, including:

• A solicitor or professional adviser.
• A family member or carer.
• A person holding an appropriate power of attorney.
• Another person expressly authorised to act for you.

RidgeOak may request evidence of the representative’s authority before disclosing information or discussing the complaint in detail.

5. How to submit a complaint

If you make a complaint by telephone, RidgeOak may create a written record and ask you to confirm the main details.

6. Information to include

Providing the following information can help us investigate your complaint efficiently:

• Your full name.
• Your email address or telephone number.
• Your service address, where relevant.
• A description of what happened.
• The approximate date or period concerned.
• The personal information involved.
• Why you believe the information was handled incorrectly.
• Details of any previous contact with RidgeOak about the issue.
• Copies of relevant emails, messages or documents.
• The outcome you would like us to consider.

You should not send original documents unless RidgeOak specifically requests them.

7. Accessibility and assistance

If you need assistance making a complaint or require a reasonable adjustment, contact RidgeOak and explain what support you need.

Depending on what is reasonable and appropriate, we may:

• Accept the complaint by telephone.
• Communicate through an authorised representative.
• Provide information in a simpler written format.
• Allow additional time for information to be supplied.
• Use another reasonable communication method.

Further information is available in our Accessibility Statement.

8. Acknowledging your complaint

The 30-day period begins on the day after RidgeOak receives the complaint.

If the final day falls on a weekend or public holiday, the deadline moves to the next working day.

We aim to acknowledge complaints much sooner wherever reasonably possible.

The acknowledgement will normally:

• Confirm that the complaint has been received.
• Provide a reference or identify the complaint.
• Explain the next steps.
• Identify a point of contact.
• Request further information if this is reasonably necessary.

9. Identity verification

RidgeOak may need to confirm your identity before discussing or disclosing personal information.

We will request only information reasonably necessary to verify your identity and protect personal information from unauthorised disclosure.

Verification may be particularly important where:

• The complaint is made from an unfamiliar contact address.
• Sensitive or confidential information is involved.
• A representative is acting on your behalf.
• The complaint also includes a data-rights request.

10. Investigating the complaint

RidgeOak will take appropriate steps to investigate the complaint without undue delay.

The investigation may include:

• Reviewing the information and evidence you supplied.
• Examining relevant emails, forms and customer records.
• Reviewing calculator submissions or photograph uploads.
• Checking website, email or consent records.
• Speaking to people involved in handling the information.
• Reviewing applicable policies, procedures and legal requirements.
• Checking whether RidgeOak followed its stated privacy practices.
• Assessing whether corrective action is required.

The investigation will be conducted as fairly, thoroughly and accurately as reasonably possible.

11. Further information

RidgeOak may contact you if further information is reasonably required to understand or investigate the complaint.

We may ask you to clarify:

• Which information or interaction concerns you.
• The date on which the event occurred.
• Which outcome you are requesting.
• Whether another person is authorised to act for you.
• Whether the complaint includes a separate rights request.

RidgeOak will not use a request for further information to delay a complaint unnecessarily.

12. Keeping you informed

RidgeOak will keep you appropriately informed while the complaint is being investigated.

The frequency and detail of updates will depend on the nature and complexity of the complaint.

Where the investigation cannot be completed promptly, we will normally explain:

• That the investigation remains ongoing.
• Why additional time is required.
• What further steps are being taken.
• When you can expect another update or response.

13. Timescale for the final response

Data-protection law requires RidgeOak to investigate and respond without undue delay.

There is no single fixed statutory deadline for resolving every complaint. The necessary period depends on the complexity and circumstances of the matter.

RidgeOak will aim to issue a final response as soon as reasonably possible after obtaining the information required to complete the investigation.

14. Possible outcomes

Depending on the investigation, RidgeOak may:

• Uphold the complaint in full.
• Uphold the complaint in part.
• Not uphold the complaint.
• Correct inaccurate personal information.
• Delete information where deletion is appropriate and lawful.
• Restrict or change how information is used.
• Stop particular marketing communications.
• Improve a policy, form, notice or internal procedure.
• Strengthen a technical or organisational security measure.
• Provide further explanation or privacy information.
• Offer an apology where appropriate.
• Refer the matter to a relevant service provider or adviser.

RidgeOak cannot agree to an outcome that would breach another person’s rights, a legal obligation, a contractual duty or a lawful record-retention requirement.

15. Final response

When the investigation is complete, RidgeOak will communicate the outcome to you.

The final response will normally:

• Summarise the complaint.
• Explain the investigation undertaken.
• Address the main complaint points.
• Explain the findings and conclusion.
• Identify any corrective action taken or proposed.
• Explain your right to raise the matter with the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Where RidgeOak considers that it has complied with data-protection law, the response will explain the reasons for that conclusion.

16. Complaints involving third parties

Some complaints may involve a third-party provider used by RidgeOak, such as a website, hosting, email, form, file-storage or payment provider.

RidgeOak will remain responsible for investigating the part of the complaint relating to its own obligations.

We may need to contact the relevant provider to obtain information or resolve the issue.

We will share only the information reasonably necessary for that purpose.

17. Confidentiality

Data-protection complaints will be handled as confidentially as reasonably possible.

Information may be shared internally or with relevant professional advisers and service providers where necessary to investigate, resolve or defend the matter.

Information may also be disclosed where required or permitted by law, including to the Information Commissioner’s Office, a court, an insurer or a law-enforcement authority.

18. Complaint records

RidgeOak may retain records of:

• The complaint and supporting information.
• The acknowledgement and correspondence.
• Investigation notes and evidence.
• The decision and final response.
• Any corrective or preventative action.

These records may be used to demonstrate compliance, manage legal claims, identify recurring issues and improve RidgeOak’s data-handling practices.

Complaint records will be retained only for as long as reasonably necessary in accordance with RidgeOak’s legal and legitimate record-keeping requirements.

19. Complaining to the ICO

You have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you remain dissatisfied with how RidgeOak handled your complaint.

The ICO is the United Kingdom’s independent regulator for data-protection and information-rights law.

We encourage you to contact RidgeOak first so that we have an opportunity to investigate and resolve the issue directly.

20. Compensation

This complaints procedure does not determine whether compensation is legally payable.

RidgeOak may consider requests relating to loss or distress, but a complaint does not automatically create a right to compensation.

Claims for compensation may ultimately need to be determined through agreement, legal advice or the courts.

21. No disadvantage for complaining

RidgeOak will not treat a person unfairly merely because they make a genuine data-protection complaint or exercise a legal information right.

This does not prevent RidgeOak from taking reasonable action in response to abusive, threatening, fraudulent or unlawful conduct.

22. Repeated or excessive complaints

RidgeOak will consider every complaint fairly.

Where a complaint substantially repeats a matter already fully investigated and no meaningful new information has been provided, RidgeOak may refer the complainant to the previous response.

Any decision to limit further correspondence will be made carefully and will not be used to avoid a genuine unresolved data-protection issue.

23. Complaint form

You may copy and send the form below by email. Using this form is optional.

24. Changes to this procedure

RidgeOak may update this procedure to reflect changes to data-protection law, regulatory guidance, its website or internal complaint-handling practices.

The latest version will be published on this page with an updated effective date.

25. Contact RidgeOak