Compliments, Comments or Complaints - Procedure

This procedure outlines the aims of the council in dealing with compliments, comments and complaints and sets out what you can expect when you submit feedback to the council about one of its services.

Comment or compliment

We value your views. As well as dealing with your complaints its good to know when we have done something well or whether our services are meeting your needs and being delivered effectively.

A comment or compliment can be:

• what you think about our services and policies;
• ideas on how we can improve our services;
• letting us know you are satisfied with a service or a particular member of staff.

When you send in a compliment you can expect us to:

• To record your compliments and pass them on to the relevant member of staff and the appropriate manager.
• To write and thank you for your comments.
  

When you send in a comment you can expect us to:

• Respond to you within 10 working days.
• Tell you if we decide to make a change as a result of your comments.
• If we have got things wrong, you will receive an apology in writing.

You can give the council feedback in person at any council office. You can telephone, write or email the relevant Chief Officer. Alternatively, you may also use our online feedback form.

Complaints

A complaint is a way of letting the council know that you are not happy with a particular service. We welcome your feedback. We consider a complaint to be "An expression of dissatisfaction about the council's action or lack of action or about the standard of a service, whether the action taken or the service was provided by the council itself or a body acting on behalf of the council."

So please let us know if:

• you think we have not done something we should have done;
• we have done something badly or in the wrong way;
• you think you have been treated unfairly or impolitely.

If you have an issue regarding a service you have used or a service which has not been provided, we encourage you to try and settle your issue with the employee you are dealing with, or, if this is not possible, ask to speak to or request an appointment with their manager. If you are still not satisfied, you can ask for your complaint to be investigated directly by the relevant Chief Officer. At any time you can also take your complaint to your local councillor.

Alternatively, you can use our online complaints form.

When you submit your complaint you can expect us:

• To acknowledge your complaint within three working day by letter, email or fax and to write a full response within 10 working days if the problem cannot be resolved immediately either when you call or when meeting with an officer.
• To update you every 15 working days regarding progress if the problem is complex.

Special Cases

We intend, where possible, to allow a complaint to be dealt with under this procedure. Sometimes we cannot or are not allowed to do so. Therefore you should not use this procedure:

• If you want to report everyday problems (such as missed bins, vandalism, and complaints about food) you should tell the appropriate service team.
• If you are asking for information under the Data Protection Act or Freedom of Information Act. Instead write to The Freedom of Information Officer or email freedom@welhat.gov.uk
• If you want to complain about an employee or Councillor, you should complain in writing to the Chief Executive.

How We Will Deal With Your Complaint

We want to give you as our service users a fair, consistent and structured process to secure a remedy for failures in the delivery of our services. If you think we have treated your complaint unfairly for any reason, please contact Head of Customer Services and Communications by telephoning 01707 357245 or by emailing contact-WHC@welhat.gov.uk. You can also contact the Commission for Racial Equality for advice.

We want to learn from all complaints made to us. Therefore, we will use the outcome of your complaint and any remedial action as a positive method of monitoring performance and improving our services. By analysing complaints we aim to highlight specific areas of the council service provision where improvement is needed. This includes any organisation contracted to work for the council. Feedback on performance is given to contractors on a regular basis.

Aggressive or Obsessive Complaints

We will deal fairly and honestly with complainants and ensure that other service users, officers, or the council as a whole do not suffer harm from persons making aggressive and/or obsessive complaints. The council’s solicitor will write to these complainants to inform them that their behaviour is considered to be unacceptable. Our employees will not tolerate aggressive behaviour, bad language, racist, sexist and discriminatory comments. However, we do appreciate that some persons may be frustrated or made unhappy by the responses we give. Please understand that some of our decisions are determined by government, legal and health and safety guidelines.

Anonymous Complaints

We understand that it might be difficult for you to complain because you are worried that your complaint could result in a poorer service to your household. Please be assured that we treat all complaints against the council in the strictest confidence, and that it is your right to complain. Not withstanding the Freedom of Information Act, anonymous requests will be acted upon; however it is better to provide contact details so you can be informed of the outcome.

Advocates

You may wish to ask someone to help you in making a comment, compliment or complaint against a council service. This person is called an advocate. It is up to you who you appoint to be your advocate. It could be a friend, relative, someone you trust or a voluntary agency.

Once you have appointed an advocate, we will be dealing directly with them until the investigation into your complaint is completed. It is your right to inform the council that you no longer wish to complain to us via your 'advocate' at any stage during the investigation.

More information is contained on the Advocacy page.

Local Government Ombudsman

If you are unhappy with the outcome or way in which the council has investigated your complaint, you may ask the Local Government Ombudsman to investigate the matter on your behalf. 

We welcome helpful criticism by the Local Government Ombudsman. In addition our objective must be to identify our own failures and resolve them reasonably and quickly.