Many problems can be resolved by contacting council staff or the department concerned.
If, having done this, you wish to register a formal complaint, use our online form.
We deal with complaints in a three stage procedure. At each stage, we aim to reply to you within 10 working days with a full written response. If we cannot reply to you within this time, we’ll let you know why and tell you when you can expect a reply.
If you need any help in making your complaint, email us at complaints@tmbc.gov.uk
What happens at each stage?
Stage 1
This will be dealt with by the head of service you are complaining about.
Stage 2
If you are not satisfied with our response at stage 1, email the director of the relevant department.
Mark your correspondence 'complaint stage 2' and tell us:
- why you remain dissatisfied
- what you would like to happen
Stage 3
If you are not satisfied with our response at stage 2, email our chief executive.
Mark your correspondence 'complaint stage 3' and include as much information as possible about what happened to your complaint at stages 1 and 2.
Ombudsman
If you remain dissatisfied, you may wish to take the matter to the Local Government Ombudsman.
The ombudsman provides an independent national service that investigates complaints against councils. However, the ombudsman requires that you first try to find an answer through the council's own complaints procedure.
Where we can't help
Some complaints are outside the scope of this procedure:
- where there is a separate review process including a right of appeal to an independent body (for example, if you make a planning application and disagree with the council's decision)
- about the conduct of councillors. See the code of conduct for elected members
- involving allegations of criminal behaviour or financial misconduct
We will tell you if your complaint is outside the scope of our complaints procedure and needs to be handled in another way. Similarly, if your complaint needs to be dealt with by another organisation, we will do our best to put you in touch.
How we deal with unreasonable complainant behaviour
In a minority of cases people pursue their complaints in a way that is unreasonable. This behaviour may include one or two isolated incidents, as well as ‘unreasonably persistent behaviour’ which is usually a build-up of incidents or behaviour over a longer period. This can impede investigating their complaint (or complaints by others) and can have significant resource implications for the council. The following policy covers ‘unreasonable complainant behaviour’.
Get in touch
Should you wish to speak to someone in person, use the details below to get in touch and make an appointment.