How to make a complaint
All of our customers can make a complaint about any of the services provided by the Council. Complaints may be about the quality of the service, delays in providing the service, discrimination or the behaviour of council staff or council representatives
The Council is always trying to improve the services it provides to the community. The Council tries to provide quality services to its customers by treating them with care, respect and honesty.
Complaints can be made about any aspect of Stevenage Borough Council services, including those caused by discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, disability, age or sexual orientation. Stevenage Borough Council would like to ensure fair treatment and equal access to services and employment.
If you have something to say about the services we provide, please let us know. Any feedback from customers will help the Council to make further improvements to the services we provide.
What is a Complaint?
If you are not satisfied with a response that you received from an enquiry made to a service within the Council, you may feel that you wish to make a complaint.
A Complaint is when:
- We have failed to do something we should have done
- We have done something badly or in the wrong way
- You feel that you have been treated unfairly or discourteously.
If you want to make a comment, compliment or complaint about a service provided by Stevenage Borough Council you can let us know by:
Telephoning the Customer Service Centre on 01438 242321 between 8am - 6pm or in person between 8:30am - 5:30pm
Click on the link to complete the comment, compliment or complaint form on-line.
Customer Complaints Procedure
Service failure complaints should be directed to the service provider in the first instance. However, if you are dissatisfied with the response, you can contact the Customer Service Centre to make a formal complaint through the Council’s Complaint Procedure. There are 3 stages to the procedure.
Stage 1
You can contact the Customer Service Centre with the details of your complaint. The Customer Service Centre will record a formal complaint at Stage 1 of the council’s complaint procedure, acknowledge the complaint within 2 working days of receipt, stating which complaint resolution officer is dealing with your complaint. You should receive a reply within 10 working days.
Stage 2
If you are not satisfied with the Stage 1 reply, you should contact the Customer Service Centre to refer your complaint to Stage 2 of the complaint procedure. The Customer Service Centre will acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days of receipt, stating which complaint resolution officer is dealing with your complaint, who will carry out an investigation. You should receive a reply within 15 working days.
Stage 3
Within 4 weeks of receiving the Stage 2 reply, if you are still dissatisfied with the Council’s response to your complaint, you must contact the Customer Service Centre to make a Stage 3 complaint. The Customer Service Centre will acknowledge your Stage 3 complaint and refer it to the Assistant Chief Executive who will reply to you within 20 working days.
Further Advice or Assistance
Once you have been through all of the stages of the complaints procedure and you are still dissatisfied you can appeal to the Local Government Ombudsman.
Local Government Ombudsman
The Local Government Ombudsman investigates complaints of injustice arising from misadministration by Local Government and certain other bodies. The Ombudsmen can investigate complaints about how the council has done something. But they cannot question what a council has done simply because someone does not agree with it.
Local Government Ombudsman
10th Floor, Millbank Tower, Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Tel: 0845 602 1983
Or you can visit the Local Government Ombudsman’s web site at www.lgo.org.uk
Citizens Advice Bureau
You may also like to contact the Citizens Advice Bureau for general help and advice:
Telephone the Citizens Advice Bureau on 0845 120 3879
Commission for Racial Equality
If you think you have suffered racial discrimination or harassment, you can contact the Commission for Racial Equality
Commission for Racial Equality
St Dunstan’s House
201-211 Borough High Street
London
SE1 1GZ
Tel: 020 7939 0000
Email Address: info@cre.gov.uk
You can access the Commission for Racial Equalities web site at www.cre.gov.uk
At any time during this process you may refer your complaint to your local ward councillor and it will be dealt with in line with the Council’s complaint procedure. If you do not know who your local councillor is, the Customer Service Centre will be able to help you, alternatively you can find out by clicking on the link below.
Please click here to find out who is your local ward councillor