Please be aware that the information given on this page relates to feedback and complaints that are following the Council’s Corporate Feedback Scheme only.
Feedback or complaints regarding
- Adult Social Care
- Children and Families
- Schools
- Data Protection
- Freedom of Information requests
are handled differently.
Access information on how your feedback or complaint will be handled
If you wish to submit your feedback anonymously, it will be recorded as a suggestion and no response will be provided.
Compliments
Your compliments are always passed onto our staff, so they know you appreciate the work they are doing. When we get a compliment, we will make sure it is passed to the right people, and we will tell you when we have done this.
Suggestions
We welcome your suggestions as to how we can improve the services we deliver to you. If you complain about why we do things, not what we do, we will treat this as a suggestion and not a complaint.
When you make a suggestion we will -
- make sure it reaches the right people to look at it
- let you know when it was sent to them
- if applicable, we will provide you with a response regarding any action we may take as a result of your suggestion
Complaints
When you make a complaint we promise to -
- keep you informed
- treat you fairly
- look into your case fully and properly
- try to find a suitable solution wherever possible
If this is the first time you are reporting an issue to us, we may decide to treat this as a request for service or as a concern.
You should make us aware of your complaint within 12 months of the incident happening or within 12 months from when you first became aware that you had reason for complaint. If your complaint is received later than this, we may not be able to be fully investigate it.
We provide a fair and reasonable complaint service and make it as accessible as possible. However, there are times when the frequency or type of contact from a complainant delays our consideration of their complaints, or those made by other people. If this happens then, on a case by case basis, we may decide to limit the ways that the complainant can contact us.
We would request that you treat the Council and its employees with dignity and respect when submitting complaints and feedback. We reserve the right to cancel any complaint that contains excessive foul and abusive language.
Please be aware, if we need more time at any stage of the process or require signed permission from the complainant if you complain on their behalf, we will tell you when we expect that we can answer in full.
Complaint - Stage 1
Within 3 working days we will -
- acknowledge your complaint
- tell you if you need to follow one of our alternative complaints procedures
Within 10 working days we aim to send a full response or we will -
- let you know if we need more information
- advise you if you must fill in a form as you are complaining for someone else
If you remain unhappy and wish to request that your complaint moves to Stage 2, please tell us your reasons why within 28 days of your Stage 1 response. We will then let you know within 3 working days if your complaint can move to the next stage. We may not escalate complaints to the next stage if not accompanied with valid reasons or because you disagree with the outcome at Stage 1. To see what criteria we will assess your request for a Stage 2 complaint against please see the customer feedback process leaflet.
Complaint - Stage 2
At stage 2
- a different person reviews your case using any additional information to help us
- we aim to send a full response within 20 working days
- if you are not happy when you receive your stage two response you have 28 days to tell us if you wish to progress your complaint further
After stage 2 -
- you can choose to end your complaint under our procedure
- take steps to contact the relevant ombudsman
- ask if a panel of our elected members can consider your complaint
- if you are a council tenant and your complaint is about us as your landlord, you can contact a designated person to help find a solution
Request for an Elected Members Panel
A manager will assess whether your complaint is eligible for a Members Panel.
The criteria can be found in our complaints process leaflet and will be outlined in your Stage 2 response -
If your request for Member Panel is successful it is expected that the appeal date will be arranged within 1 month and the appeal will take place within 2 months. . You will be invited to state your case before the panel and can bring a friend or family member to support you. You do not have to come in person.
You are usually given the outcome at the end of the meeting.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome you may wish to contact the Local Government and Social Care ombudsman.
Visit the Local Government and Social Care ombudsman website to find out more
Or if your complaint is about the Councils role as your landlord you can contact.
The designated tenants complaints panel made up of local tenants who review your complaint as an independent body.
You can also choose to contact the Housing Ombudsman directly. You can approach them at any time to seek advice about your complaint.
Visit the Independent Housing Ombudsman website to find out more
