Guidelines for seeking Ofcom approval on your Code of Practice

Section 52 of the Communications Act 2003 places a duty on Ofcom to set general conditions to ensure that communications providers establish and maintain procedures to, amongst other things, handle complaints and resolve disputes between them and their domestic and small business customers. Under General Condition 14.1 the communications provider must produce a basic code of practice for domestic and small business customers, which sets out clear and up to date information on standard terms and conditions, including prices and tariffs, for access to and use of a publicly available telephone services (‘PATS’), as detailed in General Condition 10.2. This information must include details of the procedures for bringing an unresolved complaint to an alternative dispute resolution scheme (the ‘Complaints Code of Practice’). The Complaints Code of Practice must be sent to Ofcom for approval. These Guidelines are designed to help communications providers produce a Code which Ofcom will be able to approve.