Making a complaint

The Customer Care and Complaints Procedure

Introduction

Harlow Council has a complaints procedure to help customers get their needs met in a fast, courteous, fair and consistent manner. If you feel this has not been the case, the procedure aims to reach a resolution as quickly as possible. We take complaints seriously as they help us learn and enable us to improve our services. At all stages we will ask you to state the reasons why you are dissatisfied and how you feel the Council can put things right.

How to Complain

You should complain to Contact Harlow at every stage of the procedure by phone, letter, email, fax, through our website or by calling in person. Please see contact details below.

Stage One - Service Manager

If you are unhappy with any service you have received from Harlow Council, you should complain to Contact Harlow who will pass your complaint to the Manager of the service you originally dealt with. We will acknowledge your complaint within two working days – this applies to all stages of the procedure. The acknowledgement will give you a reference number, tell when you can expect a full reply and who to contact about the complaint.

A full response should be sent to you within a maximum of 10 working days.

Stage Two – Head of Service

If you are unhappy with our response at Stage One, you should go back to Contact Harlow to start Stage Two of the procedure. Your complaint will be passed to the Head of Service to investigate. They have the authority to resolve most problems.

You should get a full response within a maximum of 10 working days.

Stage Three - Appealing to the Chief Executive/Strategic Director

If you have been through the first two stages and feel you have not been dealt with fairly and adequately, you should approach Contact Harlow to start Stage Three (the final stage) of the procedure. Your complaint will be sent to either the Chief Executive or the Strategic Director responsible for the service to be reviewed. They will decide whether to uphold your complaint and offer a final resolution or not uphold your complaint and write to tell you the reasons why.

You should get a response within a maximum of 15 working days.

Extending time limits

In certain cases, we may extend the time limit to a reasonable time period and will write to you giving reasons why the timescale has been changed.

Further Information

Getting help outside

If we cannot resolve your complaint you can take it up with the Local Government Ombudsman (who deals with maladministration) or the District Auditor (in cases of financial irregularity).

You can make direct contact with the Ombudsman or District Auditor by writing to the addresses below. Both these organisations would expect people contacting them to have made use of the Council’s three-stage complaints procedure first, to get the problem resolved locally.

At any stage you may refer your complaint to your local Councillor or MP at their surgery, in writing or by phone. They will do everything they can to help resolve your complaint satisfactorily however complaints from Councillors and MP’s will be subject to the normal workings and timescales of the procedure. Details of how to contact your local Councillor or MP can be found on our website or by visiting Contact Harlow or the Advice Centre.

Getting help with complaints or appeals

If you would like someone to help with your complaint or to speak on your behalf at an appeal, the Harlow Welfare Rights and Advice Service or Citizens Advice Bureau may be able to help. See Contact Addresses for details.

Contact Details

Complain online

• Online Complaints form.

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