Skip Navigation

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Complaints Procedure

WHAT TYPE OF COMPLAINT IS COVERED BY THIS PROCEDURE?

This procedure covers Formal Complaints within the following definition:

"A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction, about the Standard of Service, actions or lack of action by the Council, affecting an individual customer or group of customers".

The Complaints Procedure does not cover:

WHAT DO I DO IF I AM DISSATISFIED WITH THE SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE COUNCIL?

If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from a Department, and have not been able to get a satisfactory answer to your complaint, you can make a formal complaint under the Council's Complaints Procedure. While every effort will be made to settle you complaint, with the person handling the case in the first instance, you may still feel that your complaint has not been dealt with to your satisfaction.

The Complaints Procedure can be used by anyone who is not satisfied with the way in which business with any Department (except the Social Work Department) has been handled.

As well as using this Complaints Procedure you may also use other ways of registering your concerns through your local Councillor or MP, the Ombudsman, a Solicitor, or in some cases, the Controller of Audit. The Director of Corporate Services will be pleased to offer advice to help you pursue your complaint.

HOW DO I MAKE A FORMAL COMPLAINT?

  1. Speak to the senior officer on duty about your complaint.
  2. The officer will listen and will welcome any information you may have.
  3. Your complaint may be written down by yourself, by a Council officer or a friend or relative, on your behalf.
  4. Your complaint will be recorded and you will be asked to sign to that effect.
  5. The person taking your complaint will check with you that the written information covers what you actually mean.
  6. If you do not wish, or are unable, to speak to a senior officer please complete the Complaints Form (PDF 100KB) and return it to the Department concerned. If you are not sure which Department of the Council was responsible for the service you want to complain about, you can address your complaint to the Chief Executive, at Comhairle nan Eilean Siar the Council Offices, Sandwick Road, Stornoway, HS I 2BW.

HOW WILL MY COMPLAINT BE DEALT WITH?

  1. Your complaint will be acknowledged by, or on behalf of, the Head of Service within three working days of receipt.
  2. The complaint will be fully investigated, in confidence, by a member of the Directorate of the Department, or other senior member of staff.
  3. During the investigation you will have an opportunity to be accompa­nied by a person of your choice when further information is being sought about the complaint.
  4. If the investigation takes the form of a visit to your home you will be able to have a person of your choice present.
  5. You will be advised in writing of the outcome of your complaint within 21 days and be given the opportunity to discuss the outcome if you so wish. If a decision cannot be given within 21 days you will be informed of the reasons for any delay.
  6. Notification of the outcome of your complaint will be sent to you by recorded delivery.

WHAT DO I DO IF I AM STILL NOT HAPPY?

  1. If you are not satisfied with the decision you can appeal in writing to the Chief executive within 28 days of the receipt of the decision on your complaint.
  2. You will he sent an acknowledgement of your appeal to the Chief Executive within three working days of receipt.
  3. Your complaint will then be investigated by the Chief Executive, who will examine all the previous papers held by the Department, on your case.
  4. You will also be given the opportunity to attend a meeting with the Chief Executive to discuss your complaint, with 14 days of receiving the complaint, or as soon as practicable.
  5. The Chief Executive will make his decision in writing to you as soon as it is reasonably practicable, after the meeting.
  6. If "reasonably practicable" exceeds 21 days from the date of receiving your complaint, the Chief Executive will write to you explaining the reasons for the delay and indicating when the response is likely to be issued.
  7. If you are not satisfied with, the Chief Executive's decision, you may have a right of appeal to a Review Committee. You will be given infor­mation on any such appeal by the Chief Executive.
  8. If you are still not satisfied with the Council's decision after completing the steps above then you can refer your complaint to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman at 4 Melville Street, Edinburgh, EH3 7NS, Telephone 0800 377 7330, Fax 0800 377 7330, Email ask@spso.org.uk, internet web address http://www.spso.org.uk/

Note: All complaints will be investigated and dealt with in strict confidence. However, to enable the Council's procedure to be adequately monitored and revised as a result of your complaint, if necessary, some statistical information about complaints received by the Council may be published, on an annual basis. No details of individual complaints will be revealed as part of this monitoring process.

OMBUDSMAN

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002 confers the right to make a complaint to the Ombudsman. You may wish to contact the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman at:

4 Melville Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 7NS

Telephone: 0800377 7330
Fax: 0800 377 7331
Email: ask@spso.org.uk
Website: www.spso.org.uk

The Ombudsman can consider complaints about poor service; failure to provide a service; ad-ministrative failure but will expect you to have taken up your complaint with the Comhairle first before they will look at your complaint. Generally, you have to send your complaint to the Om-budsman within a year of the event that related to your complaint or from when you found out about the matter. They can sometimes extend the time limit, but only if there are special reasons.

 

 

Top
Page Last Modified : 07/04/2010 14:17:27