Compliments, Complaints and Comments

Your comments matter as the feedback will help us to improve our services. Find out how to make a complaint, compliment or comment

Compliments

If you think we’ve done something really well, or gone the extra mile, please tell us. All compliments will be recorded and the relevant service area notified. We will recognise outstanding individuals and share good practice. We will give outstanding staff the recognition they deserve, and learn from their example.

Comments

If you have an idea about how we could do things better or differently, we would like to hear from you. We welcome your comments and look to make improvements where possible.

Complaints

Our customer complaints and compliments procedure sets out how customers can make a complaint or compliment about Council services. We will respond to and learn from complaints received, and will give recognition to staff who are complimented for excellent service.

Our procedure states that:

"A complaint or concern is an expression of dissatisfaction about an act, omission or decision of the Council (whether that is provided directly by the Council or by a contractor or partner) either verbal or in writing, and whether justified or not, which requires a response."

Examples of complaints

• a delay in taking action without good reason
• a failure to provide a service
• mistakes in the way a decision has been taken
• not following the Council's own policies
• giving incorrect or misleading information
• bias or unfair discrimination
• rude, unhelpful or inappropriate behaviour by staff
• poor communication
• the conduct of staff when delivering the service

We do not deal with:

What is the complaint about?	Who to contact
Housing or maintenance service from your housing association	The relevant housing association
Universal credit	Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Highways, education, social services, transport (including blue badge and bus pass)	Norfolk County Council

Making a complaint

If you are unhappy with any service provided by the Council, please use our contact us form to discuss the problem with the service directly. We aim to respond quickly and efficiently to all complaints at the initial point of contact.

If you feel that we have not resolved the problem or you have a formal complaint, please complete our online complaints form or write to us.

If you cannot put your complaint in writing, please get in touch with Customer Services using our contact us form, who can guide you through the complaints procedure.

What happens next

Stage 1 complaint

1. Our Complaint Co-ordinator will log the complaint and pass it to the Assistant Director for the relevant service area. 
2. We will send you an acknowledgement letter within 3 working days of receiving your complaint.
3. The Assistant Director will investigate the complaint.
4. The Assistant Director will send you their final or interim response within 15 working days.

Stage 2 complaint

If you are not happy with the investigation results or how we handled your complaint at stage 1.

1. The complaint will be passed to a Director separate from the service concerned.
2. We will send you an acknowledgement letter within 3 working days of receiving your complaint.
3. The Director will carry out further investigation.
4. The Director will send you their final or interim response within 15 working days.

Local Government Ombudsman

If you are not happy with the response you receive, you may wish to contact the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO). They investigate complaints of inefficient or dishonest administration against local authorities.

You can contact the LGO Advice Team:

Telephone: 0300 061 0614 or 0845 602 1983 - Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5pm

Website: www.lgo.org.uk

Fax: 024 7682 0001

Text: 'call back' to 0762 480 4299

Write to:

Local Government Ombudsman
PO Box 4771
Coventry
CV4 0EH