How to complain
We want to make it easy for customers to complain to us if they are unhappy with our services. You can complain by:
Each department has a dedicated complaints officer who will investigate your complaint.
The complaints process
The council operates a three stage complaints process;
Stage 1: What should I do if I am not happy with one of your services?
The quickest way for us to put things right is for you to contact the manager of the service that you are unhappy with, who will try to resolve any problems that you have straightaway.
You can also contact the Department Complaint Officer who will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days, and ensure that the Service Manager issues full response within 15 working days.
Occasionally it may take longer to provide a response, in which case you will be advised of the reasons for the delay, and when you expect a full response.
Please provide the information listed below when making your complaint, which will assist us in resolving the matter:
- Name
- Date
- Address
- Telephone Number
- Email address (where applicable)
- If you are complaining on behalf of someone else please provide their details
- The relevant service area
- Any relevant reference numbers
- Details of your complaint
- Any action would you like us to take
If you are not sure who to complain to please contact the corporate complaint unit for advice.
Stage 2: What should I do if I am not happy with the manager's reply?
If you remain dissatisfied you can contact your Departmental Complaint Officer to request that your complaint is reviewed by a Senior Manager. They will acknowledge your Stage 2 complaint within 3 working days, and a response will be sent within 15 working days.
Stage 3: What should I do if I am still not happy?
You can now complain to the complaint officers at the Chief Executive's Corporate Complaints Unit (CCU). The CCU is independent of the service that you have already complained about and will therefore carry out a full and impartial investigation of your complaint.
We aim to complete stage three investigations within 20 working days. If we need to take longer than this we will explain the reasons for the delay and let you know when you can expect a full reply.
How do I contact the Local Government Ombudsman?
If you are not happy with the way that the council have handled your complaint and you have been through each stage of our complaint procedure then you can complain to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO).
Local Government Ombudsman
PO Box 4771
Coventry
CV4 0EH
Tel: 0845 602 1983
Text: 0762 4804323
Email: advice@lgo.org.uk
Website: www.lgo.org.uk
The LGO is an independent national service that investigates complaints about councils.
How do I make a complaint about a Lambeth councillor?
If you want to complain about the conduct of a councillor of Lambeth Council, you should submit your complaint to:
Mr S Philips
Chair of the Standards (Assessment) Sub-Committee
C/O The Corporate Complaints Manager
Lambeth Town Hall
Brixton Hill
London SW2 1RW
The Standards (Assessment) Sub-Committee can only deal with complaints about the behaviour of a councillor. It will not deal with complaints about things that are not covered by the Members’ Code of Conduct. If you make a complaint to the Standards (Assessment) Sub-Committee it must be about why you think a councillor has not followed the Code of Conduct.
What should I do if I am unhappy with the response to a Freedom of Information request?
Should you have a complaint about the way your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act has been dealt with, you should contact the Corporate Complaint Unit.
If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you may wish contact the Information Commissioner, who can be contacted at:
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 01625 545 700
Fax: 01625 545 510
Website: www.ico.gov.uk