Complaint process – trying to resolve the issues quickly
Effective complaint handling enables individuals to be heard and understood. The starting point for this is a service request. In most cases the Council should be able to put things right through normal service delivery processes and respond to expressions of dissatisfaction at the earliest opportunity. Early resolution through a service request is an opportunity for the Council to put things right quickly before it becomes a complaint.
A service request is defined as:
“a request that the Council provides or improves a service, fixes a problem or reconsiders a decision”.
Service requests are not complaints but may contain expressions of dissatisfaction. The Council should have the opportunity to deal with a service request, within a reasonable timescale, before it becomes a complaint. A complaint may be raised if you are unhappy with the response to your service request, even if the handling of the service request remains ongoing. We will not stop our efforts to address the service request if a complaint is made.
What is defined as a complaint?
The Council uses the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman definition of a complaint
‘An expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, action or lack of action by the organisation, its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting an individual or group of individuals.’
An individual does not have to use the word ‘complaint’ for it to be treated as such.
The Council has a number of complaint procedures including this Customer Feedback and Complaints Policy. We will confirm which is the most appropriate for your complaint and let you know. The Council expects any complaints to be made within 12 months after the date of the issue or the date when you became aware of the issue. In some circumstances we might extend this time limit.