Skip to content

Make a complaint

We aim to provide a high standard of service to residents and visitors, but we realise things do occasionally go wrong.

This page explains what to do if you are unhappy with the service you have received from us and the different stages of the complaints process.

If you need to report an issue such as a housing repair, anti-social behaviour, a missed bin collection, fly-tipping or another council function, please visit the relevant service pages. This page is only for complaints about the service you have received from the council, not for reporting new issues or requesting a repair.

Matters covered by our complaints policy

We define a complaint about our services as:

"An expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the council, its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting an individual or group of individuals."

For housing tenants, a complaint about our housing services are defined as:

“An expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the landlord (‘the council’), its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting a resident or group of residents.”

You can make a complaint about the following (but not limited to):

  • we did not follow our policies or procedures
  • we took an unreasonable amount of time to deal with your issue
  • we did not keep you informed or respond to your enquiries
  • we made a mistake while providing a service
  • the standard of service you received was not acceptable
  • the actions and behaviour of our staff or our contractors.

If you wish to go directly to making a formal complaint you can do so using the form below.

Make a formal complaint

Complaints process

Our complaints process helps us put things right when something has gone wrong and allows us to improve our services. It is in two stages, as set out in our Complaints Policy. You can also find information by clicking the drop down tabs below.

What we cannot deal with through our complaints process

We must accept a complaint unless there is a valid reason not to do so. Each complaint will be considered on its own merits.

Where we decide not to accept a complaint, we will explain our reasons why the matter is not suitable for the complaints process and you will be advised of your right to take the decision to the appropriate Ombudsman.

The sort of matters that we usually consider to be outside of the complaints policy are:

  • where the resident/individual has known about the issue for more than 12 months, unless there is good reason for the delay or if there are safeguarding or health and safety issues
  • where legal proceedings have already started
  • matters that have already been considered under our Complaints Policy or by the Ombudsman
  • something for which there is a statutory right of appeal or that can be appealed about to a tribunal (such as the Housing Benefit Appeals Service) or go to court about, unless there is a good reason why you should not be expected to use that appeal right
  • anonymous complaints, as we are usually unable to investigate or respond to them, although these will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis
  • complaints about a councillor's conduct, which are dealt with through a separate process. You can make a complaint about a councillor using the form below.

Make a complaint about a councillor

Complaints about the behaviour of council staff or contractors can be made through our complaints process. We ask that complaints about contractors be made to us and not directly to the contracted company.

Raise the matter with the Ombudsman

If you remain unhappy with how we have dealt with your complaint following the Stage 2 process, you may escalate your complaint to the Ombudsman.

If you are a social housing tenant with the council, contact the Housing Ombudsman. For all other matters, contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Housing Ombudsman

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Ombudsman self-assessments

We review our complaints process each year to check that it meets the standards set by the Ombudsman. Our self-assessments explain how our complaints procedure complies with the relevant Complaint Handling Codes and identify any areas for improvement.

Keep Me Posted

Sign up for email updates on council services.

Keep Me Posted