We aim to provide efficient and good quality services to all our customers, but on some occasions things can go wrong. 

The Corporate Complaints Policy at Charnwood Borough Council has been updated from April 1, 2024 to bring it in line with the revised Local Government Ombudsman and Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Codes.

The main changes to the Policy are:

  • All complaints will now be investigated under a two stage process.
  • The council will only consider complaints where the incident has happened within the last 12 months.

Escalation of complaints from stage 1 to stage 2 must be made within 28 calendar days of the stage 1 response being issued. For example, if a stage 1 response is issued on March 1 a request to escalate the complaint for review must be received by March 29.

What you can complain about

  • The lack of fairness or professionalism of interaction with officers
  • Failure to do something we should have done
  • Refusal to provide a service or delivery of poor service
  • Failure to follow the correct policy, procedure, law or legislation

What you can’t complain about

Certain matters will not be accepted as a complaint or not dealt with through the Council’s complaints policy because there are other processes more suitable for dealing with them, or because they are outside of the Council’s control. These include:

  • An initial request for service or for action to put something right, such as reporting a repair or a missed bin collection
  • A complaint that has already been concluded as not being the fault of the Council
  • Homelessness decisions and housing register banding decisions
  • Planning decisions
  • Matters of law or central government policy, such as Council Tax legislation
  • The correct application of Council policy, or matters for which is there is a right of appeal (either within the Council or to an independent tribunal)
  • Complaints where the customer or the Council has started legal proceedings, such as where Particulars of Claim have been filed at court
  • Complaints that have already been decided by a court or independent tribunal
  • Complaints from staff about personnel matters, including appointments, dismissals, pay, pensions and discipline(these are dealt with under the Council’s HR procedures)
  • Complaints relating to Freedom of Information (FOI), Environment Information Regulations (EIR) and Data Protection legislation, including data breaches.

How to complain

Visit our Feedback, Compliments or Complaints webpage for full information or complete the online form below.

Report feedback, make a compliment or make a complaint

Alternatively, contact can be made:

  • By telephone: 01509 263151
  • By post: Customer Experience Team, Charnwood Borough Council, Southfields, Loughborough, LE11 2TX

Complaints received via social media will be forwarded to the relevant service area and handled in accordance with our complaints policy.

What happens after you complain

The Council will review your enquiry to see if it meets the policy definition of a complaint. If we consider it to be a request for service or a comment on services it will not be accepted as a formal complaint.

If accepted as a complaint, it will be directed to a senior officer / manager within the relevant department for acknowledgement within 5 working days, and investigation and response within 10 working days of acknowledgement.

If you are unhappy with the outcome or the way the complaint has been handled at stage 1 you can request a review of your complaint at stage 2 of the policy. This must be requested within 28 calendar days of the stage 1 response.

The stage 2 investigation will be undertaken by someone independent of the initial complaint, who will acknowledge it within 5 working days and will respond within 20 working days of acknowledgement.

If you are still unhappy after the Council has completed its investigation into your complaint you can approach the relevant Ombudsman.

These are independent organisations appointed by the Government to look into complaints of bad practice against local authorities:

Vexatious And Unreasonably Persistent Contacts Policy

The majority of complaints received by the Council are resolved through the Corporate Complaints Policy without difficulty. Sometimes, however, complainants may be pursuing complaints in unreasonable ways. The Vexatious and Unreasonably Persistent Contacts Policy identifies situations where a customer might be considered “unreasonably persistent or vexatious” in the frequency or nature of their contacts with the Council, and outlines proportionate ways of responding to such occurrences.

This policy should be read in conjunction with the Council’s Corporate Complaints Policy.

Where you can get help

Citizens Advice Bureau, Woodgate Chambers, 70 Woodgate, Loughborough, LE11 2TZ

  • Tel: 01509 649605 (Local enquiry line)
  • Tel: 0800 144 8848 (National advice line)

The Bridge Housing Advice Centre

  • John Storer House, Wards End, Loughborough, LE11 3HA
  • Tel: 01509 260500 or 0800 038 5964

Last updated: Thu 4th April, 2024 @ 12:07