Compliments and complaints
We always aim to provide a high standard in our provision of services. Feedback from members of the public using our services is important and help to ensure they continue to meet people’s needs.
Compliments
If you tell us about a service that has been good or a member of staff who has been helpful, we will record this as a compliment and share your praise with those involved.
Complaints
You can complain if you are affected by the way we provide services. Common examples of complaints are delay; poor record keeping; failure to act; failure to follow procedure or the law; poor communication; behaviour of our staff (also called officers); or giving out misleading information.
Some complaints must follow statutory regulations:
- Adult Social Care & Public Health Statutory Complaint Process
- Children’s Statutory Social Care Complaint Process – specifically for processes and assessments relating to a child in need; a looked after child; a child leaving care; special guardianship support or adoption support
If your complaint is about any other service we provide, it is likely to follow our own Council Complaint Process.
Using artificial intelligence (AI) to write your complaint
When you make a complaint, we need to understand your personal experience and how the issue has affected you. Clear, simple language that describes what happened to you is always more helpful than complicated or formal wording.
Some people use AI tools to help with writing. These can be useful, but they may add legal language, policy references, or assumptions that aren’t accurate or relevant. This can make your complaint harder to understand and may delay our response.
To help us respond quickly, please make sure your complaint is written in your own words, describes what happened and when, and reflects your actual experience. If you use AI, please check the text first to ensure it is clear and accurate.
Unreasonable customer behaviour
We ask that all complaints be submitted respectfully. If a complaint contains foul or abusive language, we may ask you to resubmit it without this language. In some cases, we may decide not to accept a complaint until it is provided in an appropriate and respectful way.
The Council also operates an Unreasonable Customer Behaviour Policy and Procedure. Communications presented in an unreasonable or unacceptable way can impede the handling of your contact or the investigation of a complaint and can significantly impact resources. If it becomes necessary to address any behaviours that is unreasonable or unacceptable, we will apply the Unreasonable Customer Behaviour Policy and Procedure (PDF).