Introduction
Your views are important to us and we take your comments, suggestions and complaints seriously. We would like to hear any comments about our service and anything you would like to compliment us about.
We are committed to listening to our customers so that we continually identify ways to improve upon our standards of customer care.
Compliments and Comments
Most of the time we hope we get things right and when we do we would like to hear from you. If you feel you have had a good service or have a suggestion for improving our services please complete our simple online form.
Our definition of a Complaint
A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction. A complaint may be about:
- a delay
- lack of response
- discourtesy
- about a standard of service received
Please see our other on line forms to raise a service request.
To make a complaint now please click here. (opens in a new window)
Our Commitment to you
- Firstly we will read or listen to your complaint carefully and record it.
- We will identify who will investigate the complaint and let you now their name and contact details.
- We will endeavour to respond within 10 working days.
- If you are dissatisfied with the response that you receive you can appeal to a Senior Manager.
Any complaints outstanding for more than 10 working days are automatically referred to a Senior Council Manager and those outstanding for 20 working days or more are referred to the Council's Chief Executive.
How to make a Complaint
You can complain in any of the following ways:
- By phone - 01708 431801
- Online - www.havering.gov.uk/complaints
- By email - complaints@havering.gov.uk
- By letter - to Customer Services, 2nd Floor Mercury House, Mercury Gardens, Romford, RM1 3RX
- In person - At any Council Office/Reception
- By fax - 01708 433334
- By filling out a Complaints leaflet and sending it back to us
However you choose to tell us about your complaint, please give us as much information as possible as it will help us investigate the matter.
Corporate Complaints - procedure
The Council Complaints Procedure
You can make a complaint via the Council's Complaints Procedure. There are three stages to this procedure:
Stage One
Your complaint will be considered in detail to try to reach an informal resolution. The complaint will be dealt with by the officer in charge of the section dealing with the matter you are complaining about.
We aim to acknowledge within 3 working days and send a full response within 10 working days.
If the response to your complaint does not provide a full answer to your complaint, please write to Customer Services, 2nd Floor Mercury House, Mercury Gardens, Romford, RM1 3RX or email us at complaints@havering.gov.uk, and tell us:
- Why you remain dissatisfied,
- Which part(s) of your original complaint have not been addressed and
- What you would like the Council to do to put things right in order that the review can concentrate on those elements.
Stage Two
If you are not satisfied with your 1st response, please write or email us (as above). The matter will then be investigated by the Head of Service responsible.
This will be a review of your original complaint and the response given. This could lead to either:
a) the original response being upheld
b) the original response being changed in part or
c) a different answer being provided.
In each case, reasons for the decision will be given and, if you still remain dissatisfied, will form part of the evidence which will be considered by Councillors at Stage three.
We aim to send an acknowledgement within 3 working days and send a full response within 10 working days.
Stage Three
This stage is a request for an appeal to be considered by Councillors. Before this can happen, an assessment will take place. This is because the matter you want to escalate may not be appropriate for Councillors to deal with (e.g. it might be a matter for the Courts, a Tribunal or for the Local Government Ombudsman).
You will be asked to provide reasons for wanting a Hearing and these reasons cannot be different from those at Stage Two.
You have to put your Stage 3 request in writing to Customer Services, 2nd Floor Mercury House, Mercury Gardens, Romford, RM1 3RX or email us at complaints@havering.gov.uk and ask for a Hearings Panel at the Town Hall to formally consider your complaint.
Exclusions to the Corporate Complaints Procedure
A complaint may be about a delay, lack of response, discourtesy, or about the standard of service you have received. A request for service, i.e. reporting a broken street light or a pothole in the road, is not a complaint.
There are some issues that are excluded from the complaints procedure, for example: policy issues or where a separate right of appeal exists, such as appeals for parking tickets, school admissions, housing benefits, and planning applications. Also excluded are issues that are subject to court, tribunal or legal proceedings, liability claims involving the Council's insurers and complaints relating to appointments, employment and other personnel issues.
Please note that complaints will not generally be dealt with where events occurred more than 12 months before the date on which we receive your complaint or issues that affect all or most residents of the borough.
Adult and Children's Social Care, Homes in Havering and School Admissions may have a separate complaints procedure. For more information please contact:
The Designated Adults Complaints Officer on 01708 432589
or the Children's Complaints Officer on 01708 433038
Homes in Havering on 01708 434000
School Admissions on 01708 433925 or click on the link on the left
Other methods of complaint
You also have the right to raise any matter with your Ward Councillor, MP or with the Local Government Ombudsman.
The name and address of your Ward Councillor can be obtained from Councillor pages on this website, under Council and Democracy.
The Local Government Ombudsman's offices are at:
P O Box 4771
Coventry
CV4 0EH
Tel: 0845 602 1983 or 024 7682 1960
Fax: 024 7682 0001
Text call back: 0762 480 4323
Complaints, Comments and Compliments about Social Care (Children and Adult Services)
Should you feel that you have a comment, compliment or complaint about the Adult Social Care/Children and Young People's Services you can find contact details and information on how to make us aware of your views in this section.
Within Adults Social Care/Children and Young People's Services there are leaflets to give information and guidance on how to make your views known. These leaflets can be found in the downloads section of this page.
Assistance in making a complaint
You can comment, compliment and complain by carrying out the following:
- Contacting the specific service area
- By telephoning the Designated Adults Complaints Officer on Telephone Number: 01708 432589 or by ringing the Children's Complaints Officer on Telephone Number: 01708 433038.
- By filling in the appropriate leaflet
- Faxing in your comment, compliment or complaint
- E-mail us on: social_services_complaints@havering.gov.uk
For further information regarding the Statutory Complaints process for Children and Young Peoples Services, please click on the following web link to access the Getting the Best from Complaints document.
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DFES-2055-2006
External links for Children/Young People :-
Advocacy service
Action for Children Who are a children's charity that support and speaks out for the most vulnerable and neglected children and young people.
Local Government Ombudsman (LGO)
www.lgo.org.uk/youngpeople
The following web link Complaints about the council by children and young people – how we can help (leaflet) explains to children and young people and their advisers on how to approach the Local Government Ombudsman if they have a complaint about their local council.
The LGO's have a fast-track procedure for handling complaints made by children and young people, and have specially-trained investigators to deal with them.