Complaints - procedure
Examples of the most commonly raised matters that are not within the remit of the Corporate Complaints Procedure:
Social Services
Services provided by the Social Services Department
There is a three stage procedure for complaints about services provided by the Social Services Department to children and adults under the Children Act 1989 and the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990. This procedure is administered by the Social Services Department's User Complaints Officer.
Residential care homes
The National Care Standards Commission deals with disputes relating to independent care homes.
Housing/Council Tax Benefit, Council Tax, Business Rates
Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit decisions
There is a two stage procedure for dealing with complaints about entitlement to Housing or Council Tax Benefits. The first stage is an internal review by the Finance and IT Department; the second stage is an appeal to the independent Appeals Service.
Liability for Council Tax or Business Rates
There is a two stage process for disputing liability for Council Tax or Business Rates. The first stage is by representation to the council, the second stage is by appeal to the Valuation Tribunal.
Housing
Decisions on homelessness
There is a two stage procedure for dealing with disputes about homelessness decisions under Part VI of the Housing Act 1996 or the Homelessness Act 2002. The first stage is a review by the Housing Department; the second stage is by way of application to the County Court.
Notices served under the Housing Acts, the Environmental Protection Act, street trading and trading standards legislation; building control and planning enforcement action
Complaints about such notices are dealt with by application to the County Court.
Education
School admissions and exclusions
Appeals against the refusal of a school place or the permanent exclusion of a child from a school are dealt with by Exclusion and Admission Appeal Panels.
Complaints about schools
Complaints about the management and actions of a school are dealt with under the school’s own complaints procedure.
Special educational needs
Appeals against decisions in connection with a child’s special education needs are dealt with by the Special Educational Needs Tribunal following representations to the Education Department.
Parking
Parking tickets (Penalty Charge Notices)
Complaints by motorists who believe that they are not liable for a parking ticket (penalty charge notice) which they have received are dealt with by the Parking Appeals Service, following representations to the council.
Planning
Refusal of planning permission
Appeals against the refusal of planning permission are dealt with by the Planning Inspectorate of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
