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Complaint against the Council?
How we can help resolve your complaint
Havant Borough Council exists to provide responsive and
effective services for its customers.
We accept that occasionally our services may not have been of
the standard you expected and for this reason we have a step by
step complaints procedure to enable you to tell us why you are not
satisfied.
Follow this procedure if you feel that the Council has done
something wrong or failed to do something you expected it
to.
Using this procedure will ensure that your complaint is
properly investigated and dealt with quickly and fairly. There will
be times when we cannot completely meet your needs, but we will
always try to be as helpful as possible.
A complaint is taken very seriously. Every effort will be made
to ensure that you are satisfied with the result you achieve
through this process.
If there is anything in this guide you are not sure about or
do not understand please contact the Councils Complaints Officer on
023 9244 6040 who will be happy to
advise you.
Your Local Councillor
Your local Borough Councillors would wish to hear from you if
you are not happy with the response you receive.
As elected members of the Council, they too are committed to
ensuring the community receives the best possible service.
Councillors names and contact details are listed in the summer
edition of the council's magazine 'Serving You',
on this website, and are also
available from the Civic Offices Tel.
023 9244
6019.
Step 1: Tell us about your complaint
Complaints can be made in the
following ways:
For written complaints please
write to:
Havant Borough Council
Freepost PT 106
Havant
PO9 2YW
By using our online
Complaint form
In person by visiting Public
Service Plaza, Civic Centre Road, Havant, Hants PO9 2AX
Or by telephoning the relevant
service using the telephone numbers listed below. If you
would like to speak to a particular officer, it would be helpful to
make an appointment so the right person will be available when you
come in.
| Benefits* |
023 9244 6348/6371 or
023 9244 6382/6383
|
| Council Tax |
023 9244 6317/6338 |
| Customer Services |
023 9244 6019 |
| Environmental Health & Licensing |
023 9244 6016
|
| Housing |
023 9244 6661 |
| Planning* & Building Control |
023 9244 6015 |
| Refuse Collection |
023 9244 6010 |
|
Roads and Other Services
|
023 9244 6013 |
If you are not sure who to
contact, call the Councils Customer Services Team on 023
9244 6019. You will also find a list of contact
numbers on the back cover of 'Serving You' (the council's
magazine).
If you need any advice or help to
make a complaint, please contact the Council's Complaints Officer
on 023 9244 6040.
*please note that there are
separate procedures for appeals against decisions the Council makes
regarding housing benefit and planning applications.
Step 2: Not satisfied with our response?
If you are unhappy with the
response you get from our officers, then contact the Service
Manager or Executive Head of Service responsible for the area
you are complaining about.
Click here to complete a complaint
form which can be printed off ready for you to fill
in. Alternatively, pop into the Civic Offices and pick up a
green 'Complaints Against the Council' leaflet. Printed forms
should be sent
FREEPOST to:
Customer Services, Havant Borough Council, FREEPOST PT106,
HAVANT, PO9 2YW.
The Service Manager or Executive Head of Service will need to
look into the matter further before giving you a full written
answer.
In most cases, we will be able to resolve your complaint or
give an explanation within 10 working days from the date we receive
it. If this is not possible for any reason we will let you know why
and tell you when you can expect to hear from us.
If you don't know which Service Manager or Executive Head of
Service to contact then please call the Council's Complaints
Officer on
023 9244 6040 or
Customer Services on
023 9244 6019 for
assistance.
Step 3: Still not satisfied?
If, having discussed your
complaint with the Executive Head of Service or Service Manager,
you are still not happy with the outcome, you may wish to complain
to a Director or Chief Executive.
Wherever possible you will receive a written response
from a Director or Chief Executive within 15 working
days. We may need to contact you by telephone to discuss the matter
with you before replying.
All complaints to the Council
will be reviewed and any causes of complaints (whether proven or
not) will be examined to ensure that avoidable problems do not
recur.
Step 4: The Local Government Ombudsman
You are entitled to contact the
Link to External site of Local Government
Ombudsman at any stage. However, the Ombudsman will expect you
first to have given the Council a chance to deal with your
complaint.
A booklet "How to Complain to the
Local Government Ombudsman", is available from the Civic Offices,
or from the Ombudsmans Office whose contact details are:
Local Government
Ombudsman,
PO Box 4771,
Coventry
CV4 0EH
Telephone: 0300 061 0614 or 0845 602
1983
Email:
advice@lgo.org.uk
Fax:
024 7682 0001
Text
‘call back’ to 0762 480 4299
The Ombudsman will ask the
Council what has been done so far. They may feel that every
reasonable action has been taken or may decide to look into the
matter further.
When the Ombudsman investigates a
complaint, Councillors and employees may be interviewed. A report
is made to the Council and to the person who made the
complaint.
The report is reviewed by the
relevant Council board and, where appropriate, action will be
recommended taking into account the Ombudsmans findings.
Please click
here to access the Local Government Ombudsman's annual report
>> Select Havant Borough Council and you will get a
drop down menu so that you can choose which year's report you would
like to see.