We are committed to delivering high quality services and we aim to achieve the highest possible standards. However, despite our best intentions and hard work, things can sometimes go wrong.

In line with the definition provided by the Local Government and Social Care and the Housing Ombudsman Services, a complaint is defined as:

"an expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of a service, actions or lack of actions by the council, its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting an individual or group of individuals.”

A complaint may be about:

• where we or our contractors have failed to provide a service to an acceptable standard
• there has been a delay in providing a service, or we have not kept you informed of progress when providing a service
• we have not rectified a problem or acted on a request for a service to be provided
• our staff or contractors have behaved in an unfair, discourteous or discriminatory manner

A customer does not have to use the word ‘complaint’ for it to be treated as such. Whenever a customer expresses dissatisfaction, we will give them the choice to make a complaint. A complaint that is submitted via a third party or representative is handled in line with this complaints policy.

If your complaint is about one or more of our elected councillors, please visit our Code of Conduct page which will guide you through the process.  

• a request for a service (for example, a missed waste collection, requesting a repair for the first time, or reporting problems like fly tipping or litter.) However, a complaint will be raised if a customer expresses dissatisfaction with the response to a service request, even if the handling of the service request remains ongoing. We will continue to address the service request even when a complaint has been raised
• requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act or the Data Protection Act. However, some complaints may contain elements which relate to how a person’s data has been processed alongside other matters. In this case this will be dealt with under the complaints process and on completion of the complaints process the customer will be signposted to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) and LGSCO
• issues raised by elected representatives on behalf of an individual, or the issues affect the wider area they represent or a large number of constituents, will be responded to under the “member enquiry” process
• the issues giving rise to the complaint occurred over 12 months ago
• an attempt to reopen a previously concluded complaint or to have a complaint reconsidered that has been considered under the complaints process and by the Ombudsman
• disagreement with a decision where there is an internal review or appeal process in place
• services which are the responsibility of another organisation, e.g. highways / potholes, education and adult social care (West Sussex County Council), health matters (NHS), or local bus services (Metrobus)
• where legal proceedings have been initiated by a customer through a Claim Form and Particulars of Claim, having been filed at court. These matters will be dealt with by the Council's legal department. However, the issuing of a pre action letter does not constitute the commencement of legal action and it may be in the interests of both parties to resolve the matter through the complaints process, rather than the courts
• where someone alleges personal injury and/or loss or damage to property, we will consider the complaint and whether we were at fault in the first instance. However, there may be occasions where dealing with the matter through an insurance claim is more appropriate because the alleged losses are significant. We may decide to signpost you to our insurers in these circumstances and will explain the reasons why
• where there is a statutory right of appeal to a tribunal, government minister or court about the matter complained of and it would be reasonable for you to exercise that right of appeal
• the specific matter complained of has already been subject to an appeal or is currently subject to an appeal with a tribunal, minister or court
• there is ongoing action being taken either by the council or another party and considering the complaint would prejudice such action
• anonymous complaints will not be considered or responded to as, in such situations, it is not possible for the council to assess the impact on the individual raising the complaint. Further, the council will not be able to identify whether there are any conflicts of interest or other ongoing action such as appeals or court action etc. However, if a complaint is submitted anonymously and relates to any of the following, it will be referred to the Council’s Monitoring Officer who will determine an appropriate course of action:
  • criminal offence
  • unauthorised use of public funds
  • miscarriage of justice
  • risk to health and safety (including safeguarding)
  • environmental damage

In the event the council does not accept a complaint we will provide an explanation to the customer setting out the reasons why the matter is not suitable for the complaints process and the right to take this decision to either the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman or Housing Ombudsman.  If the Ombudsman does not agree that the exclusion has been fairly applied, we will take on the complaint

Complaints can be submitted using our online complaints form, or by phoning 01293 438000, visiting the Town Hall or writing to Corporate Performance team, Governance People and Performance Division, The Create Building, The Boulevard, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 1UZ.

Complaints can also be submitted via your local Councillor or Member of Parliament. Visit the Your Councillors page on our democracy website for details.

We are committed to ensuring the way we work does not place people who require assistance at a disadvantage when accessing our services. We will consider each request individually, aiming to agree and provide appropriate reasonable adjustments when they are needed and in compliance with the Equality Act 2010.

Please provide as much information as possible about your complaint. Tell us what went wrong, dates applicable to an incident you’re complaining about, supporting documents and how you would like us to resolve the matter.

We will accept complaints referred to us within 12 months of the issue occurring, or the individual becoming aware of the issue. We will apply discretion to accept complaints made outside this time limit where there are good reasons to do so.

Our complaints policy is based on a two-stage process and includes complaints relating to our contractors who deliver services on our behalf. 

We will make reasonable adjustments for individuals where appropriate under the Equality Act 2010 and keep a record of any reasonable adjustments agreed. 

If a customer’s complaint includes multiple issues for different parts of the council, we will co-ordinate to ensure that one formal response will be issued to address the complaints.

If a customer raises additional complaints during the investigation, these will be incorporated into the stage 1 response if they are related and the stage 1 response has not been issued. Where the stage 1 response has been issued, the new issues are unrelated to the issues already being investigated or it would unreasonably delay the response, the new issues will be logged as a new complaint.

Stage 1 complaints are conducted by an officer within the relevant service team who is not the subject of the complaint:

• we will acknowledge, define and log the complaint within 5 working days of the complaint being received
• complaints regarding Crawley Homes will be acknowledged via email or telephone within 5 working days of receiving the complaint to define our understanding of the complaint, the outcome the customer is seeking and the date the response should be issued. We will also include any aspects the council is not responsible for and if any aspects of the complaint are unclear, we will seek clarification
• we will issue a full response to Stage 1 complaints within 10 working days of the complaint being acknowledged
• in the event an extension is required due to the complexity of the complaint, we will contact the customer to explain our rationale for our decision and the expected timescale for a response. This should not exceed a further 10 working days and the customer will be provided with the details of the relevant Ombudsman
• in the event we have not been able to provide a full response within the extended 10 working days, we will contact the customer and agree suitable intervals to keep them updated on the progress of the complaint
• the complaint response will be provided when the answer to the complaint is known, not when the outstanding actions required to address the issues are completed. The appropriate service team will be responsible for monitoring the progress and completion of actions as well as communicating with you
• we will address all points raised in the complaint and provide clear reasons for any decisions, relevant policy, law and good practice where appropriate
• our response will set out the following in plain language:
  • the complaint stage and complaint definition
  • the decision on the complaint and the reasons for any decisions made
  • the details of any remedy offered to put things right
  • details of any outstanding actions and
  • details of how to escalate the matter to Stage 2 if the complainant is not satisfied with the response or all or part of the complaint is not resolved

Stage 2 complaints are conducted by a more senior council officer (i.e. more senior than the Stage 1 decision maker.) This is the final stage of the council’s complaints process. This review will ensure that all matters raised in the original complaint have been fully and accurately addressed, and if not, to ensure that this is rectified.  

A Stage 2 review can be requested using the information provided in the Stage 1 response. A customer is not required to explain the reasons for requesting a Stage 2 review.

• we will acknowledge, define and log the Stage 2 request within 5 working days of the escalation being received
• complaint escalations regarding Crawley Homes will be acknowledged via email or telephone within 5 working days of receiving the escalation to define our understanding of the complaint, the outcome the customer is seeking and the date the response should be issued. We will also include any aspects the council is not responsible for and if any aspects of the complaint are unclear, we will seek clarification
• we will issue a full response to Stage 2 complaints within 20 working days of the complaint being acknowledged
• in the event an extension is required due to the complexity of the complaint, we will contact the customer to explain our rationale for our decision and the expected timescale for a response. This should not exceed a further 20 working days and the customer will be provided with the details of the relevant Ombudsman
• in the event we have not been able to provide a full response within the extended 20 working days, we will contact the customer and agree suitable intervals to keep them updated on the progress of the complaint
• the complaint response will be provided when the answer to the complaint is known, not when the outstanding actions required to address the issues are completed. The appropriate service team will be responsible for monitoring the progress and completion of actions as well as communicating with you
• we will address all points raised in the complaint and provide clear reasons for any decisions, relevant policy, law and good practice where appropriate
• our response will set out the following in plain language:
  • the complaint stage and complaint definition
  • the decision on the complaint and the reasons for any decisions made
  • the details of any remedy offered to put things right
  • details of any outstanding actions
  • details of how to escalate the matter to the Ombudsman Service if you remain dissatisfied. If the matter sits outside their jurisdiction, we will advise the complainant where to take their complaint

This concludes the council’s complaints process.
 

If you have been through all stages of our complaints process and the issues have still not been resolved or you have not received a response to a complaint that’s been raised, you can ask the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) or Housing Ombudsman to consider your complaint.

The Ombudsman has issued a complaint handling code which sets out advice and guidance for councils on how to handle complaints. You can read the LGSCO complaint handling code on their website

The Ombudsman investigates complaints in a fair and independent way - it does not take sides. It is a free service.

The Ombudsman expects you to have given us a chance to deal with your complaint, before you contact them. 

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at individual complaints about councils and some other organisations providing local public services. There are some limits on what the Ombudsman can look at. For example, the Ombudsman may not consider your complaint if you have not been significantly personally affected by the issue you are raising, or if you have a right of appeal to a court or tribunal. Visit the LGSCO website to find out what they can and cannot investigate.

They can be contacted as follows:

Visit the LGSCO website
Telephone number 0300 061 0614

The Housing Ombudsman is an independent, impartial, and free service for social housing residents. You can bring a complaint to the Housing Ombudsman for investigation if you have completed our complaint process and the issues have not been resolved.

The Ombudsman has a complaint handling code which sets out advice and guidance for landlords on how to handle complaints.  Read the Housing Ombudsman's complaint handling code on their website.  

The Ombudsman cannot consider every complaint they receive. Find out what they can and cannot consider on the Ombudsman’s our jurisdiction webpage. 

They can be contacted as follows:  

We value all kinds of feedback. Expressions of dissatisfaction are treated seriously and recognised as a way for us to improve our services. We are also accountable for the proper use of public money and must ensure that that money is spent wisely and achieves value for complainants and the wider public. 

Dealing with a complaint is usually a straightforward process. But in a minority of cases, people pursue their complaints in a way which can either hinder the investigation of their, or other people’s complaint or can cause significant resource issues for the council.

This can happen either while their complaint is being investigated, or once the council has finished dealing with the complaint. We are committed to dealing with all complaints equitably, comprehensively, and in good time. However, where we feel a complainant is behaving unreasonably, we will take appropriate steps to address this. More details are in our Complaints policy.