Comments, compliments and complaints
As part of our continuing effort to improve the services we provide, we need to know when you are unhappy with the service you have received.
Quick links
Make a comment, compliment or complaint
You can also write to Comments, Compliments and Complaints, Customer Services, Leicester City Council FREEPOST (LE985/33), City Hall, 115 Charles Street, Leicester,
LE1 1FZ or you can call us on 0116 454 1000.
We’re working on making improvements
We aim to provide the best possible range, level and quality of services required, within the resources available. As part of this process, we aim to listen and be responsive to what customers, service users and their representatives have to say. One of the ways in which we acquire comments and opinions in order to influence service planning and delivery is through customer comments, complaints, and compliments.
The purpose of a complaints procedure is to put right what has gone wrong and then learn from it. This procedure is designed to comply with the good practice requirements as prescribed by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. Your comments about the services that you receive are vital to us. We will ensure we use this information to improve the services that we provide to you, our customers.
What we will do:
• Ensure that your comments are forwarded to relevant area within one working day so they can provide a comprehensive response directly to customers if required
• If you make a compliment ensure that this is shared with the service area/person concerned.
• Decide if a complaint falls within the Statutory or the Non-Statutory Procedure.
• Endeavour to resolve issues prior to going into a formal complaints procedure, but if you remain dissatisfied the following will explain what will happen next.
Complaints
If you receive a service which falls short of your expectations you can make a complaint about the service that you have received and we will investigate the concerns you raise.
The Complaints Procedure is based on the principle of an independent review of your complaint in the first instance by our complaints team. We seek to provide a resolution to the issues raised at the earliest opportunity. The policies and procedures of Leicester City Council also apply to the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP), through the position as their Accountable Body.
Formal complaints
In the first instance your complaint will be reviewed to see if it fits the definition of a complaint. If it is a request for service or a comment on services, it will not be treated as a formal complaint.
If your complaint does meet our definition it will be allocated to an independent complaints officer. An investigation will take place conducted by the independent
officer with the service concerned. We may contact you for further details and/or arrange a meeting.
Dependent upon the complexity of the complaint we will inform you when to expect a response from our complaints team.
We may during the investigation take the opportunity to extend the response deadline where there is reason to do so. We will inform you of any extension to manage your expectations as to the time we will be able to fully respond.
We will write to you with the findings of our investigation and we will advise you that should you remain dissatisfied with the independent response you may raise the issue with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman or Housing Ombudsman (for housing related complaints).
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
Should you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint you will be advised that you may contact the Ombudsman. Their address and telephone numbers are detailed below:
Contacts
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman,
PO Box 4771, Coventry, CV4 0EH
Telephone: 0300 061 0614