How we deal with appeals and complaints

Your complaint or appeal would normally be covered under only one of our various appeal and complaints procedures (unless it is a complaint we would not deal with at all.)

• Appeal procedures
• Other specific procedures
• Complaints we do not deal with
• General complaints procedure

We have appeal procedures for:

• the issuing of a parking penalty notice, and the recovery process
• a decision on a planning application
• a community care charge assessment
• a re-housing decision
• an eviction decision
• an offer of council accommodation
• entitlement to Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit
• a decision about the school a child should attend
• a decision to exclude a child from school
• the amount of special education provision for a child
• pensions matters

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We have these separate specific procedures for:

• complaints about harassment of or causing a nuisance to an individual
• complaints about anything that happens in a school (including bullying of a child)
• complaints about the conduct of the Council's Chief Executive or any of its Directors
• complaints about fraud by, theft by, or corruption of council staff
• complaints about Councillors
• complaints and representations cases that affect individuals receiving Social Care (These are usually dealt with using the legal procedures under the Children Act 1989 and the NHS & Community Care Act 1990.)
• NHS and Community Care Act and Children Act complaints
• complaints about Council Policies (we may decide to simply explain why we have that policy in place but not use a complaints procedure. You would still have the right to complain to the responsible Council Cabinet Member or the Local Government Ombudsman.)
• “Whistle Blowing”
• complaints about special procedures

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There are some complaints that we do not deal with:

• Complaints about something that happened more than twelve months ago, unless it concerns delays by the Council
• Complaints about something outside the council’s control (for example, we cannot deal with complaints about other organisations but may be able to advise on how to complain)
• Matters where a statutory appeal of tribunal has been established
• A complaint about legal issues or liability claims that could be dealt with by legal proceedings or direct with insurers
• Employees’ complaints about personnel matters including pay, pensions, disciplinary and grievance issues

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General complaints procedure

Complaints about most council services are dealt with by our general complaints procedure.

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