We aim to provide high quality services to everyone who lives, works and visits our Borough. Your views are important and we need you to tell us when a service is failing or something is not right. We will do our best to put things right and prevent them happening again.

Equally, we would like to hear from you about services that are delivered well and if you have an idea for an improvement or change to a service.

Make a Suggestion!

Are you full of good ideas, if so, would you like to share them with Swindon Borough Council? We genuinely want to hear constructive ways in which we can improve our services and the best people to ask are those who use them. You can make a suggestion on line by completing the online feedback form

If you would prefer you could submit a suggestion in writing when you are visiting any of our sites. Suggestion boxes have been installed in leisure centres, libraries and museums, as well as all of the Council's main reception areas. Suggestion boxes are part of the Council's promise (promise number 12) to the public to encourage feedback on Council performance, alternatively you can post them to:

Customer Services
Swindon Borough Council
Euclid Street
Swindon
SN1 2JH.

Registering a Complaint

If you have a complaint, it will be dealt with according to our Corporate Customer Feedback Procedure. The information you provide may be passed to other departments within the Council to help us sort out your problem, but at all times it is treated as confidential.

Adult Social Care

Adult Social Care uses a statutory complaint process, which is separate to that used for all other council services should you wish to make a complaint please visit the Your Comments Count page.

Children’s Social Care

Children’s Social Care uses a statutory complaint process, which is separate to that used for all other council services should you wish to make a complaint please go to the Advice for Young People page.

Education

All Schools have their own complaints procedure and you should start by contacting the Head teacher of the school to register the complaint.

Definition of a Complaint

An expression of dissatisfaction with regards to:

• the standard of service, or
• action or lack of action taken by the Council, or
• decision taken by the Council, or
• the way in which the Council’s staff or representatives carry out their duties.

Complaints Handling Procedure

Our complaints handling procedure is in three stages:

Stage 1 Local Resolution

Initially, you should complain directly to the people who are responsible for the service(s) you are not satisfied with, either in person, by phone, in writing or by e-mail, alternatively you can contact Customer Services by completing an online feedback form

Stage 2 – Referral to Service Area Director

If you are not happy with the response received you can ask to have the matter investigated by the Director responsible for the service concerned. You can request this in person, by phone, in writing or by e-mail. Alternatively you can contact Customer Services by completing an online feedback form

Stage 3 – Referral to the Chief Executive

If you have been through stages 1 and 2 and are still not satisfied, you can appeal in writing to:

The Chief Executive
Swindon Borough Council
Civic Offices
Euclid Street
SN1 2JH

If you need help with writing the letter, please contact Customer Services on 01793 445500.

Our Commitments to You

If you make a complaint we will:

• We aim to send you an acknowledgement letter or e-mail within two working days of receipt and we will tell you the name of the officer who is dealing with your complaint.
• You will receive a written response to your initial complaint within ten working days.
• If you progress your complaint to either stage 2 or 3 we aim to send you an acknowledgement letter or e-mail within two working days and a full written response within ten working days.
• We will apologise and where appropriate include an explanation of what went wrong and what we have done to put things righ.
• Sometimes, because of the need to contact several service areas or other organisations, your complaint may take longer to investigate. In these cases you will receive an interim reply within ten working days explaining what has happened so far and the date a full response can be expected, usually within 20 working days. If our investigations take longer than 20 days we will ensure that you are kept updated with regards to our progress.
• We will use the outcome of complaints and any remedial action as a positive method of monitoring our performance and to make continual improvement to our services
• If the Corporate Customer Feedback Policy does not cover your complaint, as there is a statutory right of appeal, then we will advise you of the course of action you need to take.

Local Government Ombudsman (LGO)

If you are still dissatisfied following investigation by the Chief Executive you can refer your complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman. The LGO is an independent body that investigates complaints against local authorities concerning ‘maladministration’. This is defined as doing something the wrong way, failing to do something we should, or doing something we should not. The Ombudsman will not investigate decisions that individuals simply do not like.

The Ombudsman will not usually consider a complaint until the Council has had a chance to resolve the matter through its own Complaints Procedure.

Contact the LGO Advice Team

Address:

Local Government Ombudsman
PO Box 4771
Coventry
CV4 0EH

Telephone:

0845 602 1983 (Monday to -Friday 8.30am to 5pm).

Email: advice@lgo.org.uk

Text: 0762 4804323

Web address: WWW.LGO.ORG.UK

How to Complain to the Local Government Ombudsman

Explanatory leaflets are available from our Customer Services Reception areas and, if required, a copy can be sent to you.

Equal Opportunities Policy

We are committed to giving an equal service to all. To enable us to do this we ask you to tell us your age, gender, ethnic origin, and whether or not you have a disability. If you are completing a comments form (including the online comments form), these questions are on the form. If you have written to us by letter or sent an e-mail you may be contacted by Customer Services for this information.

The information you give us is confidential, we use it to check that we treat all groups of people fairly and we do not discriminate against you.

If you feel that you have received a different level of service because of discrimination, please make this clear in your complaint. We will make sure we look into this for you.