Complaints Procedure

Our Commitment

We are committed to providing the best possible services; however, sometimes things can go wrong. When they do, we need to know so that we can put them right and learn for the future.

We want to hear about your experiences, both good and bad, so that we can continuously improve what we do. We aim to:

• Make it easy for you to contact us about any issues;
• Listen and work with you on further action;
• Solve problems at an early stage;
• Prevent problems happening again;
• Recognise good service.

What Constitutes a Complaint?

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction, perhaps about:

• The service you have received;
• Things you think we should have done, or have not done;
• The actions of our staff or contractors and agents who work on our behalf

What is a Complaints Procedure?

Our complaints procedure is the way the council manages a report of a problem with our service.

What can be expected?

Our complaints procedure aims to ensure the process is:

• Publicised and well documented;
• Easy to understand and use;
• Helpful and receptive, not adversarial;
• Objective and based on clear procedures;
• Capable of putting things right where necessary;
• Sensitive to the needs and circumstances of the complainant;
• Adequately resourced and fully supported by the elected parish councillors and officers;
• Regularly analysed to spot patterns of complaint and lessons for service improvement.

How to Initiate a Complaint

Verbal complaint- initial complaints should be made verbally, in person, or by telephone, to the Clerk of the council on 0118 9345444.

This type of complaint is most appropriate for some minor matter such as the need for repair to property owned or operated by the council, a faulty street light, or play equipment etc.

A verbal complaint will normally be dealt with directly by the Clerk, or their nominated representative, without any need for a response.

You may make a complaint to a councillor if you wish, although a councillor has no authority to act as an individual and must refer the matter to the Clerk.

Written complaint-should you need to register a written complaint where a verbal complaint has failed, or the matter is more complex, please write or email providing any information you wish to provide to support your complaint.

Written complaints should be sent to:

Twyford Parish Council
PO Box 8250
Reading
Berks
RG6 9SZ

Email: [email protected]

This should be addressed to the Clerk, unless the complaint concerns the Clerk. In this instance, the complaint should be sealed and addressed to the Chairman of the council and clearly marked “Council Chairman- Private and Confidential”.

Ordinarily, written complaints of matters of a serious nature will be recorded in the council’s minutes, once they are resolved. However, certain sensitive issues, and certain human resource issues, may be legislatively exempt from publication.

You may, of course, also initiate a written complaint by letter or email, but the council may ask you to subsequently complete their complaints form in order to keep a consistent record of communications of complaints.

Please note that before making a formal written complaint, it is advisable to contact us to ensure that the council is, indeed, the “Responsible Body” to handle your particular complaint.

The way in which a complaint is handled is then also dependent on the nature and specifics of each case. The table overleaf summarises how different types of written complaint may be handled by the council.

Nature of the complaint	How to complain	Who to complain to	Who will deal with your complaint
Council Processes Procedures Services	Telephone or in writing	The Clerk	You will receive a written reply from the Clerk. The matter may have been debated by the council at a council meeting; if so, the Clerk’s response will be based on the decision of the council.
Financial irregularity	Telephone or in writing	The Clerk/ Responsible Financial Officer of the council.	The Clerk/Responsible Financial Officer of the council will provide an explanation. If you are not satisfied you can report the matter to the External Auditor.
Conduct of an employee	Telephone or in writing	The Clerk, unless the complaint is about the Clerk. If this is the case the complaint should be sent to the Chairman, it should be sealed and marked private and confidential.	The complaint may be resolved or escalated and be treated as an internal disciplinary matter to be dealt with under the council’s employee disciplinary procedure. In the event that the matter escalates, the council will provide a copy of the disciplinary procedure on request.
Criminal activity	In writing, including any relevant evidence to support your concern.	The Police	The Police. Depending on severity the matter may go to court.
Conduct of a councillor	This type of complaint needs to be referred in writing to Wokingham Borough Council as the principal authority, as the council has no power to investigate the conduct of one of its own elected and co-opted members.	The Monitoring Officer at Wokingham Borough Council	The Monitoring Officer. Matters may be lengthy if an investigation is undertaken. The matter may be referred for consideration by the Local Standards Committee.

We are also looking for your positive and constructive comments to help us improve our service. Tell us what you think we do well, suggestions for improvements, or any other comments you would like to make. Please write to the address above, or contact us below: