Complaints: our commitment to you
Ryedale District Council is committed to providing efficient and
effective services to the people of Ryedale. Our aim is to provide
services of high quality on a basis that is fair to all. However,
in any organisation, occasionally things can go wrong. When this
happens we need to know if you are not happy with the service you
have received in order that we can try to put things right and
ensure that this does not happen in the future. We take all
complaints seriously and see all complaints as an opportunity to
improve our services.
There are two processes of complaint:
- a complaint against a Member of the Council (a Councillor) in
relation to the Code of Conduct for Councillors; and
- a complaint or an expression of dissatisfaction,
however made, about standards of service, actions, or lack of
action by the Council or its employees.
1. A complaint against a Member of the
Council (a Councillor) in relation to the Code of Conduct for
Councillors
Pleae use this procedure f you have a complaint or concern about
the conduct of a Member of the Council in relation to the Code of
Conduct, you can submit a complaint using our complaint form
Complaint Form: Code of Conduct for Members. Before
completing the complaint form you are advised to read the notes
Code of Conduct for Members: Information for Potential
Complainants.
2. A complaint or an expression of
dissatisfaction, however made, about standards of service, actions,
or lack of action by the Council or its employees
What is a complaint?
A complaint in this context is an expression of dissatisfaction,
however made, about standards of service, actions, or lack of
action by the Council or its employees affecting a customer or a
group of customers. If you think the Council has:
- done something badly or in the wrong way;
- done something we should not have done;
- failed to do something we should have done;
- treated you unfairly or discourteously;
- discriminated against you; or
- acted in a way that is contrary to our policies or
procedures;
then you are entitled to let us know in the form of a complaint
using this leaflet as a guide.
What is not a complaint?
Most of the contacts we have with you are enquiries or comments.
This Complaints Procedure does not therefore cover:
- requests for services;
- requests for information;
- appeals against Council decisions which have been made in line
with the Council’s policies and processes;
- investigating matters of employee discipline; and
- complaints to the Council’s insurers eg where the complainant
seeks payment of compensation for personal injury or loss of or
damage to property.
The Council can only investigate complaints about the services
under its direct control. For example, please note that
complaints about health services should be directed to the
NHS, and complaints about schools and colleges, and about roads,
should be directed to North Yorkshire County Council. Please visit
this page to find links to other local
and regional authorities.
Our promise to you
We are committed to putting you first and providing a quality
customer service. Your complaint will be investigated and dealt
with as quickly as possible; we aim to respond to all informal
complaints within five working days and all formal complaints
within ten working days. The Council reserves the right to
extend the response time-scale when considered appropriate by the
Chief Executive, Director or Council Solicitor. The Council also
retains a discretion to vary the complaints procedure when
considered appropriate. We will treat all the information you give
us in confidence. We will keep you informed and do everything we
can to help you and will explain our decision to you. Your rights
to Council services will not be affected in any way if a complaint
is made.
How do I make a complaint?
Please follow the procedure given on the page on the menu to the
left "Complaints: procedure".
What do I do if I am unhappy with the
Council's response?
Please follow the procedure given on the page on the menu to the
left "Complaints: procedure".
Complaint against a Councillor
If you have a complaint or concern about the conduct of a Member
of the Council in relation to the Code of Conduct for Members, you
can submit a complaint using our complaint form
Complaint Form: Code of Conduct for
Members. Before completing the complaint form
you are advised to read the notes Code of Conduct for
Members: Information for Potential Complainants.
Please follow the menu item to the left "Complaints:
procedure" for the form and guidance