Formal complaints process
There are two stages to the complaints process:
- resolution
- review
Resolution
You will receive an acknowledgement that your complaint has been recorded. This will also tell you who will investigate your complaint. This person is called a service investigator. He or she will review your complaint and try to respond to you within 10 working days. If your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction at the end of the this stage you can request a further review.
Review
The Head of Service or a nominated Senior Officer will conduct the review. They will seek to understand:
- your concerns
- if the resolution stage was undertaken fairly
- if the resolution conclusions were reasonable
They will identify any further remedies which may resolve your continuing concerns and respond to you within 15 working days.
If you have been through all stages of the Council’s complaints process, you can ask the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to consider your complaint. The Ombudsman has issued a Complaint Handling Code which sets out advice and guidance for councils on how to handle complaints. You can find more information about this on the Ombudsman’s website at www.lgo.org.uk.
The Ombudsman investigates complaints in a fair and independent way - it does not take sides. It is a free service.
The Ombudsman expects you to have given the Council a chance to deal with your complaint before you contact them.