Complaints

A complaint is a written or verbal expression of dissatisfaction about a council service, within 12 months of an issue arising, that requires a response. Customers may make a complaint about the council by online form, telephone, in writing or in person.

Complaints can be about problems like:

• failure to provide a service
• inadequate standard of service
• failure to comply to appropriate process
• failure to comply with council policy
• treatment by or attitude of a council employee, contractor/partner
• disagreement with a decision where the customer cannot use another procedure (e.g. appeals process)

If you are not happy with a service, then you have the right to complain. We will do all we can to resolve your complaint promptly and effectively.

Please Note: We may contact you to try and resolve your complaint, ensuring you receive a response to the issues you raise.

Please refer to the links below to raise a complaint in these specific areas:

• Adult Social Care complaints
• Complaints against schools
• Complaints against Councillors
• Insurance claims complaints
• Legal Proceedings
• Existing Appeals

• an initial request for service or repair
• an initial report that an issue needs attention e.g; missed bins, potholes, overhanging branches, street lamps not working
• something that has already been handled through the complaints process and been closed
• an historic matter (something that happened a year or more ago)
• something that began as a complaint but has failed to progress due to lack of contact or correspondence within 6 months (beyond which time it will be closed as a complaint)

For further information, please refer to the list of our Key Services with information and links to specific forms which will allow you to report an issue directly to the service area.

Telephone: Contact our corporate Customer Service team, Dudley Council Plus, on 0300 555 2345.

Postal Address: Dudley Council Plus, 259 Castle Street Dudley, DY1 1LQ.

• Comments: We very much welcome and seek your comments in order to assist us in continually developing and improving our services.
• Compliments: We recognise and greatly value the importance of any positive feedback from the customers we serve. Therefore, we want to hear from you whenever you feel the service you have received merits praise.