The Parole Board. Working with others to protect the public.
Contact
The targets that the Board has set that relate to customer service are listed in our Annual Report and Accounts.
Our progress in meeting these targets is published monthly on our website.
We want to ensure that we listen to feedback and improve our service. An important way of doing this is through our complaints procedure. The Parole Board has established a clear procedure for the effective reporting, investigating and management of all complaints received about its services. The procedure is explained in these documents.
This guide brings together advice given to all Parole Board staff and members on how to deal with the customers of the Board. It outlines the way that we will handle correspondence and telephone calls, links to the customer service targets that we have set for ourselves and provides details of how to complain if these standards are not met.
We regard as our customers anyone whom Parole Board staff and members come into contact with during the course of their work.
In particular this includes external customers such as prisoners and their families, prisoners' legal representatives, victims and their families, prison and probation staff and other representatives of the criminal justice system.
It also includes internal customers such as members (when dealing with staff and each other) and staff (also when dealing with members and each other).
We will deal with and answer written correspondence, whether posted, faxed or e-mailed, in a timely and professional manner and we will aim to respond within the time limits set down in our performance targets where these are applicable.
Disclosure of personal information about an individual may only be given in the following circumstances:
Secretariat staff will give out their names and direct telephone numbers in written correspondence, so that our customers know who they are dealing with and can contact us easily.
Board members are contactable by external correspondents through the Member Liaison Officer:
Pat Boshell
Member Liaison Officer
Parole Board for England and Wales
Grenadier House
99-105 Horseferry Road
London, SW1P 2DX
We will deal with and answer telephone calls in a timely and professional manner and we will aim to respond within the time limits set down in our performance targets where these are applicable.
No confidential information about an individual will be given over the phone, except to a known individual or their known legal representative. In these circumstances the Board will always call the individual or their legal representative back on a verifiable number to confirm their identity.
Secretariat staff will give out their names and direct telephone numbers over the phone so that our customers know who they are dealing with and can contact us easily.
Board members are contactable by external callers through the Member Liaison Officer Pat Boshell on 020-7217 0111.
Because it is impossible to verify the identity of a prisoner by calling them back on the telephone we are unable to discuss personal information with them. For this reason we will encourage them to address their inquiries to the parole/lifer clerk at the establishment concerned or their legal representative, who will then contact the Board.
We will answer correspondence or general telephone inquiries from prisoners about matters of Parole Board procedure or asking for advice.
We are limited by the data protection rules in what we can say to victims about specific prisoners. However, we are very happy to answer correspondence or general telephone inquiries from victims or their families about matters of Parole Board policy or asking for advice.
Victims and their families do have the opportunity to make representations to the Board about specific prisoners through their National Probation Service Victim Liaison Officer.
The Parole Board is committed to providing a safe working environment for its staff and members. It will not tolerate any threatening or harassing behaviour against anyone working for the Board. Any such behaviour will be acted upon immediately by managers and appropriate action will be taken.
Grenadier House, 99-105 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 2DX
Telephone 0845 251 2220