SIOG1930 | Introduction and organisation: referrals to disputes resolution boards - FIS procedures

All referrals to CCG Disputes Resolution Board (DRB) and other higher governance panels must be reviewed by the FIS Special Governance SPOC (currently located within the National Penalty Team).

As soon as you plan to issue assessments or otherwise settle a case which triggers DRB thresholds, the case should be referred to the SPOC.

The DRB secretariat, based in LB, will issue a registration stencil for completion, and will deal with booking a date for a hearing and issuing the latest version of the submission template.

Preparing the submission to the required standard is an intensive and lengthy piece of work, and case workers should expect to have to refine multiple versions. The objective is to produce an open and balanced paper which presents the issues clearly enough for a board member with no background in the subject matter to grasp the key points and come to a view quickly.

Once the caseworker and their manager (at Grade 7 or above) are both satisfied with the submission, it will need to be agreed with the SPOC (allow at least two weeks) and then signed off by the FIS lead Deputy Director for DRB (allow another week). It will then be referred to the DRB secretariat. Further drafting points are then likely.

The secretariat has a programme of dates for board meetings and submission deadlines, which usually must be adhered to closely. Exceptions may be made only for very urgent cases.