07 October 2008In this section we have tried to make the task of complaining easier for you.
You can find out how we deal with complaints about our services, how to make a complaint and details of who to contact if you would like to complain about other public services in the area.
If you would like more information, contact the Council's Complaints Co-ordinator. If you would like to make a suggestion or a compliment about any of our services please complete our on-line compliments and suggestions form.
Making a complaint about our services
We want to provide good-quality services for everyone. But things can go wrong. If they do, we need to know so we can put them right and learn from them.
You can complain by filling in our on-line complaints form or by contacting our Complaints Co-ordinator. Sevenoaks District Council uses a three-stage process to deal with complaints.
Stage one
Once we have received your complaint, we will acknowledge we have received it within two working days. A Service Manager will investigate your complaint and the Head of Service will reply to you within 15 working days.
Stage two
If you are unhappy with the response please write to the Chief Executive, who will review your complaint with the relevant Director. A written reply will be sent within 20 working days after acknowledgement.
Stage three
If you are still unhappy with the way the Council has dealt with your complaint, you can ask the Local Government Ombudsman to look at your case. Visit the Local Government Ombudsman's website for more information.
The Local Government Ombudsman is an independent person who investigates allegations of maladministration causing injustice to the person who has complained. The Ombudsman investigates complaints about most council matters including housing, planning, education, social services, and council tax. The Ombudsman who deals with this Council is:
Local Government Ombudsman
PO Box 4771
Coventry CV4 OEHTel: 0845 602 1983
Text: 0762 480 4323E-mail: advice@lgo.org.uk
The Local Government Ombudsman has a leaflet called Complaints about the Council? How to complain to the Local Government Ombudsman. You can get a copy by telephoning or writing to the address above, or you can download it from the Ombudsman's website.
If you have an enquiry about the Local Government Ombudsman's service you can telephone their Adviceline on 0845 602 1983.
The Local Government Ombudsman produces a yearly report of complaints for SDC (
PDF 70K file details). The Annual Letter 2006 ( PDF 172K file details) provides detailed information and Notes to assist with interpretation ( PDF 42K file details) are available.
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How to contact the Council's Complaints Co-ordinator
Complaints Co-ordinator
Sevenoaks District Council
FREEPOST SEA 6448
Argyle Road
Sevenoaks
Kent
TN13 1BRTel: 01732 227000
E-mail: feedback@sevenoaks.gov.uk
Making a complaint about a District councillor
The Standards Board for Engalnd (The Board) is responsible for promoting high ethical standards for councillors. The Board is a strategic regulartor and oversses the work of the Council in dealing with allegations that a councillor may have breached the Code of Conduct.
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The Standards Board for England
First Floor
Cottons Centre
Cottons Lane
London
SE1 2QGTel: 0800 107 2001
Fax: 020 7378 5005
Website: www.standardsboard.co.uk
Complaining about a service provided by Kent County Council
To complain about a service provided by Kent County Council visit Kent County Council's website contacts page and contact the relevant section.
How to complain to the Parliamentary Ombudsman
T he Parliamentary Ombudsman investigates complaints (which must be referred by a Member of Parliament) from members of the public about their treatment by Government agencies and many other public sector bodies in England, Scotland and Wales. The Parliamentary Ombudsman can also investigate complaints about the refusal of access to information by those agencies under the Code of Practice on Government Information.
The Parliamentary Ombudsman Office or the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration is:
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QPTel: 0845 015 4033
Fax: 020 7217 4160
E-mail: opca-enqu@ombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
How to complain to the European Ombudsman
The European Ombudsman investigates complaints about maladministration by institutions and bodies of the European Community. The Ombudsman cannot deal with complaints concerning national, regional or local administrations of the Member States. If you are a citizen of a Member State of the Union or living in a Member State, you can make a complaint to the European Ombudsman. Businesses, associations or other bodies with a registered office in the Union may also complain to the Ombudsman.
The European Ombudsman
1 avenue du PrÒ©sident Robert Schuman
B.P. 403
F-67001 Strasbourg Cedex
Call (33) 3 88 17 40 01
Fax (33) 3 88 17 90 62E-mail: euro-ombudsman@europarl.eu.int
Website: www.euro-ombudsman.eu.int
Complaining about Kent Police
A free factsheet on making complaints about the police is available from police stations, libraries and local Citizens Advice Bureaux.
If you have a complaint about Kent Police, you can either complain to a senior officer at the local police station or you can complain to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). Click here to visit the Kent Police website for further contact details.
Independent Police Complaints Commission
90 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6BHTel: 08453 002002 (local rate)
E-mail: enquiries@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk
Website: www.ipcc.gov.uk
Complaining about Kent Fire & Rescue Service
If you have a complaint about Kent Fire & Rescue Service, you should contact:
Kent Fire & Rescue Service Headquarters
The Godlands
Tovil
Maidstone
Kent
ME15 6QBTel: 01622 692121
Complaining about a health service
The NHS was set up to provide comprehensive health care to everyone according to their clinical need and not their ability to pay. The role of the NHS is to promote good health, prevent ill health, diagnose and treat injury and disease and care for those with long-term illness and disability.
The NHS Patient's Charter sets out your rights and the standards of service you should expect from NHS services. For example, you have the right to be registered with a GP and a right to have access to your own health records. You can get a copy of the NHS & you from NHS Direct.
How do I complain about the National Health Service?
You will need to make your complaint to your local hospital, clinic or surgery. You can ask them for a complaints leaflet that will have the details. Most complaints can be resolved quickly in this way. If not, you can contact:
West Kent Health Authority
Preston Hall
Aldermaston Road
Aylesford
Kent
ME20 7NJTel: 01622 713145 / 710161
Fax: 01622 113008
All NHS Hospital Trusts also have complaints managers. NHS Direct gives you the right to a full written reply to any complaint against a Trust or Health Authority within 20 days.
If you are unhappy with the reply, you can ask an independent panel to look at your complaint. A specially trained member of the Trust or Health Authority, called a convenor, will look at your request. He or she will contact an independent person to help them consider your case and will look at whether any other local action might resolve the problem. If not, the convenor will decide whether an independent review of your complaint should be held.
If a panel is set up, they will fully re-examine your complaint, talking to everyone involved and getting specialist advice where needed. They will prepare a report with the results of the investigation, their findings and other suitable comments or suggestions. You will be given a copy of the report. You will also be told about any action that the Trust or Health Authority will take following the panel's recommendations.
If you believe that medical treatment, or lack of treatment may have caused or contributed to the death of a friend or relative, you should contact the local coroner as soon as possible - a post-mortem examination may be needed.
NHS Direct
NHS Direct can give you up-to-date information about how the NHS complaints system works.
For more information, see a list of your local NHS trusts or a list of your local community health councils.
How do I complain about a private health service?
More than a million people are treated in Britain's private hospitals every year. Most people will be happy with their treatment. But what can you do if things go wrong?
There is no clear, independent complaint procedure. You will have to rely on the hospital to deal with your complaint.
NHS hospitals take responsibility for the mistakes of all people working for them. However, private health services will usually have a separate contract with the consultant or surgeon, who is not directly employed by the hospital. If your complaint is about different aspects of your care such as food quality, cost, and the treatment itself, you may need to complain to several different people.
Private hospitals and clinics are regulated by the Registered Homes Act 1984 and must register with the Local Health Authority. The Health Authority must inspect them twice a year. If you are unhappy with the response from a private hospital, you can complain to the Health Authority. However, they will not deal with clinical complaints (complaints about the treatment given by your private doctor) unless it is relevant to the registration rules.
If your complaint is serious, you may think about withholding payment. However, the doctor or hospital could sue you to recover the payment. You should get legal advice before you take this action.
If you cannot get a satisfactory response to your complaint, there isn't an independent watchdog. You may need to take legal action to resolve your dispute.
If you suspect that medical treatment, or lack of treatment may have caused or contributed to the death of a friend or relative, you should contact the local coroner as soon as possible - a post-mortem examination may be needed.
How do I complain about professional misconduct?
The NHS complaints system does not cover complaints that need investigation by professional bodies, such as the General Medical Council that can investigate complaints about serious professional misconduct, and can lead to a doctor being struck off the register.
If you have a serious complaint about a private doctor that you cannot resolve, you can complain to the General Medical Council. Many other medical staff (nurses, physiotherapists and so on) also have a separate professional body who you can complain to.
General Medical Council
178 Great Portland Street
London
W1N 6AECall: 020 7915 3603
Fax: 020 7915 3642
Website: www.gmc-uk.org
How do I complain to the Health Service Ombudsman?
The Ombudsman will not normally become involved unless you have taken up your complaint officially and are still unhappy, for example, because:
The Health Service Ombudsman for England
13th Floor
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QPCall: 0845 0154033
Minicom: 020 7217 4066
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
