The Importance of Complaints
Grayshott Parish Council strives to provide an excellent service for the benefit of the people who live or work in its area or are visitors to the locality. Complaints are valuable because they provide a chance to put things right if there has been an error, and to make sure that the same mistakes are not repeated. We welcome feedback, and we are committed to making full use of complaints information to contribute to continuous service improvement.
If you are dissatisfied with the standard of service you have received from the Parish Council, this Complaints Procedure sets out how you may complain to us and how we shall try to resolve your complaint.
What is a Complaint?
A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service you have received from Grayshott Parish Council or its staff which affects an individual or group.
This Complaints Procedure applies to complaints about council administration and procedures and may include complaints about how council employees have dealt with your concerns. Some examples include:
- Neglect or unjustified delay;
- Malice, bias, or unfair discrimination;
- Failure to tell people their rights;
- Failure to provide advice or information when reasonably requested;
- Providing misleading or inaccurate advice; and/or
- Inefficiency, ineffectiveness, bad and unprofessional practice or conduct.
This Complaints Procedure does not apply to:
- Complaints by one council employee against another council employee, or between a council employee and the Council as employer. These matters are dealt with under the Council’s disciplinary and grievance procedures.
- Complaints against councillors. Complaints against councillors are covered by the Code of Conduct for Members and, if a complaint against a councillor is received by the Council, it will be referred to the Standards Committee of East Hampshire District Council. Further information on the process of dealing with complaints against councillors may be obtained from the Monitoring Officer of East Hampshire District Council.
- Complaints related to personal injury, damage to property, financial loss or a legal claim. These complaints will be immediately referred to the Council’s insurers for resolution.
Equal Opportunities
Grayshott Parish Council is committed to equal opportunities. Complaints feedback will be used to highlight discriminatory practices and to promote equality of opportunity.
Complaints of discrimination and/or harassment against Grayshott Parish Council by members of the public will be dealt with through this complaints procedure unless it is a complaint that should be dealt with through a statutory procedure.
Complaints Officer
The Complaints Officer for the Grayshott Parish Council is the Clerk. Their main duties are:
- The day-to-day operation and management of this complaints procedure;
- To oversee and undertake, where necessary, the investigation of formal complaints within the relevant timescales;
- To maintain a record of all complaints received including details of the nature of the complaint, action taken, outcome, and time taken to resolve;
- To identify improvement points arising from any complaints; and
- To identify staff and councillor training issues.
Handling Complaints
Everyday problems, queries and comments – the council receives queries, problems and comments as part of its day to day running, and they should not all be regarded as complaints. These are routine and expected and are generally resolved quickly. If someone is dissatisfied with the original service or response they received and wishes to take the matter further then the issue should be recognised as a complaint.
Informal complaints – during the course of daily business, minor complaints are made to officers about the services provided by the Grayshott Parish Council. These will usually be dealt with by the Clerk. It is not appropriate for every comment to be treated as a formal complaint. Every effort should be made to deal with these problems immediately, either by providing information, instigating the appropriate action or explaining a decision.
Formal complaints – for the benefit of good local administration, the Grayshott Parish Council has adopted a procedure for resolving formal complaints (see Appendix 1). This includes formal complaints either made by complainants directly or that have been referred back to the council from other bodies. This procedure is aimed at those situations where a complaint has been made about the Council’s administration or procedures to ensure that complainants can feel satisfied that their grievance has been properly and fully considered. It is designed for complaints that cannot be satisfied by less formal measures or explanations provided to the complainant by the Clerk or Chair of the Council. All parties will be treated fairly and the process will be reasonable, accessible and transparent. However, there may be occasions when a complainant makes an approach in a different manner and it is important that the procedure does not in itself become a barrier to effective communication.
Habitual, unreasonably persistent, abusive and vexatious complaints – there will be circumstances when a complainant persists in wishing to pursue a complaint when it clearly has no reasonable basis, or when the Council has already taken reasonable action in response, or where some other process, whether through the courts or some other recognised procedure, should or has been taken. In such cases, reference should be made to the Council’s Vexatious Complaints Procedure (Appendix 2).
Anonymous Complaints – anonymous complaints should be referred to the Clerk, and may be acted on at their discretion, according to the type and seriousness of the allegation.
Resolution and Remedies
The aim in dealing with all complaints is to reach a resolution or remedy that satisfies the complainant, whether it is the remedy they were originally seeking or not. Where a complaint is found to be at all justified, consideration may need to be given to the question of an appropriate remedy. An explanation or an apology will always be needed.
Contact Details
The Clerk: Serena Thompson
Telephone: 01428 606510
Email: clerk@grayshott-pc.gov.uk
Address:
Grayshott Parish Council
Grayshott Sports Pavilion
Beech Hanger Road
Grayshott
GU26 6LS
The Chair: Cllr Nigel Harrison
Telephone: 01428 606510
Email: nigel.harrison@grayshott-pc.gov.uk
Contact details of all Councillors can be found on the Grayshott Parish Council website: https://www.grayshott-pc.gov.uk/your-council/councillors
