Customer Services
Comments, Compliments and Complaints
What to do if you are unhappy with a Council service
Stage1 - To the Department
The people who can best deal with any problems you have are
those who directly provide the service. If you are not happy with
the way you have been treated by the Council, you should contact
the Department concerned. You may complain in person, by telephone,
fax, in writing, or via our
website. In many cases it will be possible to deal
with your complaint straightaway and a telephone call to let you
know we have resolved your problem may be enough. If not it may be
appropriate to write and tell you what action we have taken or to
explain the position. You are entitled to a reply within 10 working
days. If the matter cannot be resolved in that time, you should get
a letter explaining why not and giving you a new deadline.
What to do next...
Stage 2 - To the Professional Standards Officer
If you are unhappy with the outcome of Stage 1, you can take the
matter further and ask that the Council’s Professional Standards
Officer consider the matter.
Please contact the Professional Standards Officer:
Professional Standards Officer
Dover District Council
White Cliffs Business Park
Dover CT16 3PJ
Tel: 01304 872322 or email: complain@dover.gov.uk
The Local Government Ombudsman
We hope our procedure will resolve any problems you may have
with the way our services are provided but if you are still
dissatisfied you can make a complaint to the Local Government
Ombudsman. The Local Government Ombudsman is an independent service
which investigates complaints against councils. You can complain to
the Ombudsman at any time however, where possible the Local
Government Ombudsman likes to give councils a chance to resolve
complaints themselves before he becomes involved.
Forms are available at the Council Offices or his contact
details are:
Local Government Ombudsman
PO Box 4771
Coventry
CV4 0EH
Tel: 0300 061 0614 or 0845 602 1983
Email: advice@lgo.org.uk
Fax: 024 7682 0001
Text 'call back' to 0762 480 4299
E-mail: commentsandcomplaints@dover.gov.uk
