How to make a complaint

We believe in the delivery of excellent public services and are committed to putting our customers first. We are dedicated to listening and using your feedback to learn and improve.

We will always try to resolve most complaints at the first point of contact. This gives our teams a chance to address issues for you as efficiently and quickly as possible. 

In the first instance, please talk to the person who provided the service, who will try and resolve things for you quickly.

Before you make a complaint

Before you make a complaint, it is useful for you to have:

• clarity about what you want to complaint about
• specific examples of what happened and who was involved
• dates the incidents took place
• any background information that could be relevant (such as letters or emails)
• an understanding of what you would like to achieve by making a complaint

Other ways to resolve a problem

If you haven’t raised the issue before, there may be a faster, more efficient way to resolve your concern. Examples of service requests are:

• reporting a fault with a streetlight or reporting a pothole (highways issues are most effectively managed through our online systems)
• reporting a missed refuse bag collection
• reporting a noisy neighbour or anti-social behaviour
• querying a planning application 
• appealing a parking ticket 
• making a request for Home Care services

Find the correct process for your service request by contacting us. 

How to make a complaint

Please use the complaints form for any general complaints such as:

• we have failed to provide a service or have not provided it to a standard laid down in law and policy
• we have not followed the correct procedures
• we have delayed, unreasonably, in answering a query or responding to a request for service
• an employee or someone acting on behalf of the council is unhelpful or insensitive

If you want to complain about a school, councillor or children's and adult social care please follow the complaints process for that service:

• complain about a school
• complain about a councillor
• complain about children's and adult social care

Complete the complaints form

If you need any adjustments or have additional needs (such as printed in Braille or translated into another language), please contact the team to discuss this and we will agree how best we can help.

Email: complaints@cumberland.gov.uk
Telephone: 01228 479770

If you are a user of British Sign Language, you can contact us using InterpretersLive! – a free online service.

Complaints will not normally be accepted about matters that happened more than 12 months earlier. In exceptional circumstances and where adequate reasons are given, a complaint can be considered outside of this timescale, please discuss this with the complaints team.

Complaints process - how it works

The complaints process consists of two stages and we aim to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction as soon as we can at stage one.

Stage one 

Your complaint will acknowledged within five working days of being received. It will then be allocated to the most appropriate person to investigate.

A full response will be provided to you within 10 working days of being acknowledged. There may be occasions when a complaint is particularly complex and requires further consideration. In these instances, the timescale can be extended by a further 10 working days.  If this is the case, the decision and reasoning will be clearly explained to you. 

If you raise additional issues during stage one, these will be incorporated into the response (if they are related). If the issues are not in relation to issues already investigated / being investigated, they will be logged as a new complaint.   

Stage two

If we have not been able to resolve the complaint to your satisfaction at stage 1, it can be progressed to stage two within 10 working days of you receiving the first response. 

This is the final stage of the complaints process. 

You will be required to outline which parts of the complaint have not been satisfied and it will be acknowledged within five working days of your escalation. 

The stage two consideration is a review of the adequacy of the stage 1 response, as well as any new and relevant information not previously considered. Stage two is not a more thorough, detailed investigation of the complaint. 

A full and final response to your complaint will be provided within 20 working days of being acknowledged. Should an extension be required (as per stage one, if a complaint requires more complex investigation), a further 20 working days can be utilised to ensure the best possible response is provided. This will be clearly communicated to you.

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman - complaint handling code

What happens if your complaint is not resolved

If you are not happy with the outcome of your complaint, or you feel we have not answered within a reasonable timescale, you can contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman by writing to: 

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
PO Box 4771
Coventry
CV04 0EH

Telephone: 0300 061 0614
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman website

Unacceptable behaviour

We aim to treat all customers with courtesy and politeness. Whilst it is recognised that you may be angry, frustrated and upset (and may have issues of genuine concern), it is expected that all representatives of the council are treated with the same consideration and respect.

We have a duty to protect the safety and welfare of our staff.