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Complaints policy

Complaints Handling Policy

Our Customer Service Charter defines the standards that customers can expect from us; copies are available in all Council venues, on our website www.redditchbc.gov.uk and on request.

We aim to provide an excellent service at all times. However, there will be times when we don’t get it right and you may feel that you wish to make a complaint.

For us “a complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of actions by the Council or its staff affecting an individual or group, which requires the organisation to take some action to resolve the matter other than providing routine services, information or explanations or processing an appeal under standard policies?”

Objectives

We aim for our complaints procedure to be:-

Open, easily accessible, well publicised and available in other formats if required.

Simple to use and understand.

Confidential - for staff and customers.

Quick - responding to complaints promptly within the agreed timescales.

Informative of the progress of a complaint.

Comprehensive - dealing with all issues raised by customers and give an effective reply and appropriate remedy.

Fair for customers and staff - all complaints will be investigated thoroughly and objectively with the provision for an independent review.

Flexible, the objective being to resolve problems rather than just follow a series of steps.

What does this procedure cover?

A failure to provide information or give the correct information

An unsatisfactory level of service, including delays and non delivery of service.

A failure to follow the Council’s agreed policies and procedures.

The behaviour of staff or contractors employed by the Council.

Discrimination and/or harassment by staff.

NB If you are unhappy about a Council policy you should contact your Ward Member.

Who can complain?

Any person or organisation receiving or seeking to receive a service from the Council or its contractors.

Any person acting on behalf of an individual or group of individuals (this includes Councillors, MP’s, advice agencies and other advocacy groups).

Anonymous complaints will not normally be investigated.

How do you complain?

You can make a complaint in person, in writing, by email, by telephone or by filling in a Compliments, Comments and Complaints form available by telephoning any member of staff, or from any Council building or on the Council website, www.redditchbc.gov.uk.

If you need help in making your complaint, contact any member of staff.

How does the Procedure work?

Stage 1

We aim to resolve complaints at the first point of contact where possible. You should contact the person that you first dealt with or the Head of Service. If you are not sure who to contact, telephone the Town Hall on 01527 64252, email us or ask at your local One Stop Shop.

Stage 2

If at the end of this process you remain dissatisfied, you may wish to make a more formal complaint. You should tell us, what you believe went wrong, who dealt with your earlier complaint and what you would like us to do to put things right. The Director for the service will make sure that your complaint is dealt with and a full investigation is carried out.

Stage 3

If you are still not happy you can ask the Borough Director to review your complaint.

Stage 4

If at the end of stage 3, you are still dissatisfied, you can ask for your complaint to be heard by a Panel of elected Members. Elected Members have powers to overturn decisions and make recommendations in regard to financial or service based compensation, in circumstances where it is considered appropriate to do so.

How long will it take?

We aim to acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days of receiving it and aim to provide a full response by your preferred method of contact within 10 working days. If this is not possible we will contact you to let you know when you can expect to receive a full response. You will be given contact details for the person who is dealing with your complaint should you wish to contact them.

The above will only apply to complaints, not compliments or comments (unless it is considered that the comment or compliment requires a response), or you the customer requests a response.

Remedies

We will provide an appropriate remedy to resolve complaints in discussion with you the complainant.

This could be:-

An apology.

An explanation of actions taken.

Remedial action, e.g. undertaking repairs.

Compensation in appropriate cases which may be financial or service based.

Vexatious or repetitious complaints

There are times when complaints are considered to be repetitious or vexatious. If a complaint is considered to be deliberately repetitious or vexatious it may not be necessary to carry out an investigation, particularly if the complainant has exhausted the complaints procedure and the complaint has not been upheld. If this is the case a service Director will explain why no further action will be taken unless there is a new complaint.

Other complaints

If your dissatisfaction relates to any of the following:-

Please contact the relevant Head of Service identified below (these matters will not normally be treated as complaints under this policy).

Complaints about matters for which the Council is not responsible. These will be acknowledged and referred to the relevant body.

Legal Proceedings

Where there are legal statutes or where case law is involved, the matters should be referred to the Council’s Legal Services.

Insurance Claims

Insurance claims should be in writing to the Council’s insurance officer.

The routine reporting of a fault or a request for a service. If requests for service are dealt with promptly and courteously they should not result in a complaint. Such requests will only become complaints if we do not act or give a satisfactory explanation.

Complaints about service where an appeals procedure already exists are not covered by the corporate complaints procedure. These complaints will be acknowledged and referred to:-

Council Tax banding appeals are dealt with by the Valuation Office as are Non Domestic Rates that concern rateable values.

Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit appeals. For more information on any of the above, contact the Head of Benefits and Revenues on Extension 3117.

Planning Appeals

If a planning application is refused by the Council the applicant may appeal to the Secretary of State for the Environment. For more information contact the Head of Planning Services on Extension 3203.

Job Applications

If a job applicant is unhappy with the way that their application has been dealt with they should contact Human Resources. For more information contact the Head of Human Resources on Extension 3294.

Employment Matters

Complaints by staff about employment matters. These are dealt with under the Council’s grievance procedures. For more information contact the Head of Human Resources on Extension 3294.

Insurance Claims

May be received as part of a complaint in which case the Insurance Officers should be notified and the complainant informed that the details will be passed to our insurers. For more information contact the Insurance Officer on Extension 3289.

Complaints

Complaints of neighbour harassment should be dealt with under existing procedures. The complaints procedure would only be utilised if the resident complained that the Council’s response was inadequate. Visit your local One Stop Shop or telephone the Tenancy team.

Licensing issues

Licensing issues are dealt with by the Licensing Sub-Committee.

If applicants are unhappy with the decision of the Council they can take the matter to the Magistrates Court. For more information contact the Head of Legal Services, on Extension 3210.

Housing Appeals.

The Council has a 2 stage appeals procedure for both Housing Registrations and Homelessness Applications.

Housing Registrations

You can appeal against a decision not to accept you onto the Council’s Housing Register; you can also appeal against decisions relating to your housing application or offers of accommodation which have been made which you believe to be unsuitable.

Homelessness.

If you are a homeless applicant you can request a review of any decisions relating to your homelessness application, offers of accommodation or suitability of accommodation made by the Council.

If you are still not satisfied with the outcome of your appeal decision there is a 2nd stage appeal which is held by Members of the Council.

To make an appeal you must put a request in writing to either the:

Head of Housing Service for Housing Register Appeals.

Policy Manager for Homelessness Appeals.

Councillors

If you wish to complain about the conduct of an elected Councillor, you have to complain in writing to the Standards Board.

The Standards Board for England; 1st Floor, Cottons Centre; Cottons Lane; London; SE1 2QG. Tel: 0845 078 8181 Forms and further information can be obtained from the Council’s Monitoring Officer

And what did you think?

At the end of the process we will contact you and ask for some information about yourself and how you feel that your complaint was dealt with. You are under no obligation to provide this information. However, we can assure you that any information received will be treated in the strictest confidence and only used to improve the way in which we deliver services.