How to Complain
HOW TO COMPLAIN
The Authority operates a three stage complaints procedure to ensure complaints are dealt with impartially, objectively and professionally.
Stage One: Informal Complaints. As a first step, you may wish to informally contact a senior manager responsible for the area of work where you have a complaint or comment either by telephone or in writing. Alternatively, if you telephone the Broads Authority and explain that you wish to make a complaint, you will be put through to the senior member of staff best able to deal with your concerns. As a further option there is also the facility to email the Authority via the contact page on our website. By approaching the Authority in this more informal way, you can be sure that your concerns will be dealt with efficiently and every effort will be made to find a way to satisfactorily resolve your complaint and to give proper consideration to your comments. You will be provided with a written reply to email or written informal complaints within 10 working days of receipt. This will also apply to telephone informal complaints that cannot be resolved at the time of making the complaint.
Stage Two: Formal Complaints. If it is not possible to settle the complaint informally, or you do not wish to do so, please submit a formal complaint by writing direct to the Director of Change Management and Resources with details of your formal complaint. You may find it helpful to complete and submit a Formal Complaint Form at the same time. The Director of Change Management and Resources will ensure that the relevant Director receives your letter and completed form. You will be sent an acknowledgement of your formal compaint within three working days of receipt. When a Director receives a formal complaint it is their responsibility to reconsider the whole complaint objectively and with professionalism. He or she will provide you with a detailed reply in writing within 10 working days, identifying whether your complaint is upheld or not. If it is not possible to respond in full within 10 working days you will be sent a letter explaining why, and will be given an indication of when the response will be ready. The reply will automatically include details of how to take the matter forward to the final stage in the Broads Authority’s complaint scheme, the Chief Executive’s Review, should you remain dissatisfied.
Stage Three: Chief Executive Review. Your request to proceed to the Chief Executive’s Review Stage is normally only available to you if you have first been through the Formal Complaints Stage process and are still dissatisfied. Your complaint should be in writing and addressed to the Chief Executive stating clearly your request for a Chief Executive’s Review of your complaint. An acknowledgement letter will be sent within three days of receipt and a detailed reply, setting out the Chief Executive’s review findings, will be sent to you within 20 working days. If it is not possible to respond in the timescale you will be sent a letter explaining why.
This is the last stage in the Authority’s complaint scheme and it requires the Chief Executive to review your complaint in an impartial manner. He will undertake a full and independent review of all aspects of your concerns. If he considers it helpful, he may seek the assistance of the Authority’s Monitoring Officer and he may also seek direction from the appropriate Committee.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The Authority wants to improve its service and resolve problems as quickly as possible. Response to complaints will be provided in accordance with the timescales detailed above. If your complaint is upheld, you will receive a written apology and an explanation of any action which will be taken to prevent a similar thing from happening again.
WHAT IF I AM STILL NOT SATISFIED?
The reply you receive from the Chief Executive will clearly set out your right to contact the Commission for Local Administration in England (the Local Government Ombudsman). If you consider that your complaint was made because the Authority had not followed its procedures correctly and may have caused you an injustice, the Local Government Ombudsman can be contacted at the Oaks, Westwood Way, Westwood Business Park, Coventry, CV4 8JB. The website address is www.lgo.org.uk.
Occasionally your complaint will be dealt with under a different procedure. For details please go to Other Complaints Procedures
