Complaints, compliments and feedback
Tell us about your experience of council services. You can make a complaint, pay a compliment, or give general feedback.
Your comments help us understand what works well and where we need to improve.
Choose how to give feedback
You can give feedback online. Find other ways to contact us if you cannot use our online services.
You can also read our easy-read guide to complaints and feedback.
The guide explains how to:
- tell us when something has gone well
- suggest an idea
- tell us when something has gone wrong
Make a complaint
You can complain if you are unhappy with:
- the standard of a council service
- something we have done
- something we have failed to do
- a decision we have made
Read our customer feedback and complaints handling policy for more information about what we treat as a complaint.
When not to use the complaints process
Do not use the complaints process if you want to:
- report an issue that you think we are responsible for
- complain about a service, organisation, or person that is not part of the council
- appeal against a decision
- ask to see the personal information we hold about you
- report a safeguarding concern
Use the appropriate service instead.
Report a problem
Use our report a problem service if you want us to resolve an issue that is our responsibility.
Report an issue involving another organisation or person
Your concern may involve an organisation, service, or person that is not part of the council.
We may have powers to investigate or take action. For example, you can report a food hygiene issue.
This is not a complaint about a council service.
Appeal against a decision
The complaints process does not replace your right to appeal against a decision.
Information about appeals is available in the relevant section of our website, including:
- Council Tax
- Planning and building control
- Housing
- Benefits and Swindon Money Matters
- School admission appeals
Ask to see your personal information
Make a subject access request if you want to see the personal information we hold about you.
Report a safeguarding concern
Safeguarding concerns should not be submitted as complaints.
You can:
Choose the correct complaints process
The process you need depends on the service your complaint is about.
- Make a general service complaint
- Make a council housing or tenant service complaint
- Make a children’s services complaint
- Make an adult services complaint
- Request a review of a Freedom of Information response
How we expect people to behave
Our staff have the right to be treated fairly and with respect.
The time and resources needed to consider your complaint must be reasonable and proportionate to its seriousness.
We may stop dealing with a complaint if someone behaves improperly. Read our customer behaviour policy (PDF) for more information.
Pay a compliment
Tell us if you are particularly happy with:
- a service you received
- a member of staff who impressed you
We will share your compliment with the relevant service or member of staff. This can help motivate staff and improve confidence.
We do not usually reply to compliments.
Give general feedback
You can give us your views about a service, including how you think it could improve.
We will read your comments and consider whether we should make changes. You can tell us if you want a response.