Complaints procedure
We want to hear from you
We want to give you the best possible service. It is only by
listening to your views that we can find out what we are doing well
and what needs to improve.
We are committed to continuously improving our services and will
act on what you tell us.
This leaflet explains how we will deal with your comments,
complaints and compliments.
Whenever you contact us, we will always:
- be polite and treat you with respect
- give you honest and clear advice
- make it clear what we can and cannot do
- not pass you from one person to another
- listen to your views
- admit when things go wrong and do our best to put them
right.
If you are making a complaint, we will also:
- carry out enquiries independently and fairly
- deal with your complaint as quickly and effectively as we
can
- maintain confidentiality, and
- keep you informed of our progress.
What we ask you to do:
- treat us politely and with respect
- tell us when things go wrong so that we can put them right
Comments
If you have an idea for improving services, or want to comment
on what we do, we’d like to hear from you.
If you would like us to respond to your comment, we’ll let you
know we’ve received it within 48 hours. We will also tell you
who is dealing with it and when you can expect to receive a reply,
if it is going to be longer than five days.
We aim to provide a full response in under ten working days –
and more quickly if the matter is really urgent.
Complete the
online comments form.
Compliments
We are always delighted to hear that our staff are doing a great
job. We make sure they know when someone is pleased, as this
motivates them and makes their work even more satisfying.
We have a staff recognition scheme, where you can put forward
staff for an award. The forms for doing this are available in
libraries, in Idea stores and in council offices.
Complete the
online compliments form
Complaints
We aim to provide the best possible service but we know that
sometimes things can go wrong. If you’re not happy with the way we
have dealt with you, please tell us so that we can, where possible,
sort out the problem. Our complaints procedure does not replace any
formal appeals procedures, such as:
- appeals about housing benefit awards
- appeals about the outcome of a medical assessment for
rehousing
- appeals from homeless people about how suitable an offer of a
permanent home is, and
- appeals about parking.
Our complaints procedure has three stages.
Stage 1
You can contact the Corporate Complaints team on:
Tel: 020 7364 4161 (in English or Sylheti/Bengali)
Minicom: 020 7364 4853
Fax: 020 7364 4300
Email: complaints@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Alternatively you can complete the
online complaints form.
We will write to you with our response within 10 working
days.
Stage 2
If you are not happy with the answer you received at stage 1,
you can ask for a management investigation. Staff in our
One-Stop Shops can help you do this or you can contact the
Corporate Complaints team directly on:
Tel : 020 7364 4161 (in English or Sylheti/Bengali)
Minicom: 020 7364 4853
Fax: 020 7364 4300
Email: complaints@towerhamlets.gov.uk
We will send you an acknowledgement within 48 hours of receiving
your complaint and tell you who is looking into it. We aim to give
you a full reply within 20 working days at stage 2 and 3. If
we can’t finish our investigation in time, we will let you know and
tell you why.
Stage 3
If you are still not happy with our response at stage 2, you can
ask the Chief Executive to look at your complaint. Just let the
Corporate Complaints Team know that you want to do this and
why.
The Chief Executive will review the previous decisions and
decide if they were fair and reasonable. Again, we will aim to deal
with your complaint within 20 working days. If we can’t complete it
on time, we will tell you why.
Taking your complaint further
Local Government Ombudsman
If you feel we have treated you unfairly, you can complain to
the Local Government Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman is an independent watchdog which makes sure that
all councils act fairly and follow their own policies and
procedures.
The Ombudsman will usually only consider your complaint
following the Chief Executive’s review at stage 3 or (if we have
not fully replied to your written complaint) within 12 weeks.
You can contact the Local Government Ombudsman at:
Local Government Ombudsman Advice Team
PO Box 4771
Coventry
CV4 0EH
Telephone: 0845 602 1983 (Mon-Fri 8.30am to
5pm)
Text: 0762 480 4299
Email: advice@lgo.org.uk
Web: http://www.lgo.org.uk/
Freedom of information
Under the Freedom of Information Act, you can see information we
hold, with certain exceptions.
If you wish to complain about any part of the Data Protection
Act you should contact the Information Governance Manager on
020 7364 4354.
if you have made a request and do not think you are getting the
information you are entitled to, you can mane a complaint
under
our corporate complaints procedure. If you are still not happy at
the end of this procedure, the Information Commission can
help.
You can contact the information Commissioner's Office at:
Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113
Fax: 01625 524 510
Email: mail@ico.gsi.gov.uk
Our commitment to equal opportunities
Treating people fairly is at the heart of everything we do, and
we are committed to achieving the highest standards in the services
we provide. If you think we have treated you unfairly for any
reason, please tell us using the
online complaints form.
There are other organisations you can also contact.
If you think you have been discriminated against, you can
contact the Equality and Human Rights
Commission at:
Equality and Human Rights Commission Helpline
Freepost RRLL-GHUX-CTRX
Arndale House
Arndale Centre
Manchester
M4 3AQ
Tel: 0845 604 6610
Textphone: 0845 604 6620
Fax: 0845 604 6630
Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm
Email: englandhelpline@equalityhumanrights.com
Councillors and MPs
Your councillors and Members of Parliament are also here to
help. You can contact them if you have a local issue that you want
to bring to their attention.
Their names and addresses are available from your local library,
by calling 020 7364 3237 or on this website.
Further information
If you would like a copy of this in large print or on audio
tape, please phone 020 7364 416, minicom: 020 7364 4853.