Corporate Procedure

WORCESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL NEEDS YOUR INPUT

At Worcestershire County Council we try to deliver the best possible service by putting our customers first and making every effort to satisfy them. However, as in all large organisations things can and do go wrong. When this happens please tell us and give us the chance to put things right.

We also welcome your comments as they can highlight gaps or weaknesses in the services we provide, and like everyone we are pleased to be complimented if we have done a good job!

What Do We Mean By A Representation?

How Can You Make Compliments And Comments?

What Do We Mean By A Complaint?

What Can You Expect From Us?

How Can You Make A Complaint?

• Stage 1
• Stage 2
• Stage 3

Click here to fill out Corporate Complaints Form

What Do We Mean By A Representation?

A representation is any statement made by a member of the public to convey an opinion about our services or the way in which we provide them. This can take the form of a compliment, comment or complaint.

How Can You Make Compliments And Comments?

We are very happy to receive compliments and comments from you. You can do this by letter, phone, fax, e-mail, personal visit to any County Council office or on our web-site.

We will make sure that the compliment is passed on to the person concerned. Any comments will be carefully considered and you will be informed of any decisions taken, as a result of your comments.

What Do We Mean By A Complaint?

“An expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the Council, affecting any customer.”

What Can You Expect From Us?

• Your representation will be acknowledged within 7 working days
• You will be given the name and number of the person dealing with your representation
• You will receive a full written response within (15/20) working days and if we can’t meet that target we will tell you and keep you informed of progress
• You will be treated fairly and courteously
• Your complaint will be treated confidentially
• We will not discriminate against you in the future because you have complained
• The Council will always try to put things right
• We will use information gathered from complaints to improve our services in the future

How Can You Make A Complaint?

Stage 1

Informal

The first thing to do is to complain directly to the people who are responsible for providing the service you are unhappy with. Just fill in the form or contact us in any of the other ways listed.

If your complaint cannot be quickly and easily dealt with or if you are still unhappy it becomes a formal complaint.

Formal

The complaint will be passed to a senior manager for further action. It will be acknowledged within 7 working days and you will receive a full, written explanation within 15 working days, or, if this is impossible, you will be given an alternative date.

If at this stage you are still unhappy you can ask for the complaint to be passed onto the stage 2 process.

Stage 2

If appropriate, the complaint is investigated by the Customer Services Officer who will acknowledge the complaint within 7 working days and issue a full, written reply within 20 working days.

If you are still not happy, you may request that the complaint goes before a Review Panel.

Stage 3

The request will be acknowledged within 3 working days and, if accepted, the Panel will be convened within 28 working days.

The Panel will consist of an independent Chairman and two County Councillors. Any recommendations made by the Panel are referred to the Chief Executive for action.

Special Cases

Social Services has a statutory procedure for handling some complaints. Leaflets are available from either Social Services or the Consumer Relations Unit at County Hall.

Complaints relating for example to certain Education issues, insurance claims or councillor's conduct have their own procedures. The Customer Services Officer can advise you on this.