This procedure is for Children and Young People Services complaints and representations – these are a legal duty of the council.
For complaints under the Children Act 1989 there are three stages:
Stage 1 - Informal resolution
We will respond within 10 working days from receipt of the complaint. This may be extended by up to a further 10 working days where the complaint is complex.
Stage 2 – Investigation stage
If you are not satisfied with the response at Stage 1, a formal investigation may be conducted. This will be arranged by the Complaints and Scrutiny Manager and will be conducted by an independent person. This will take 25 working days but can be extended up to a total of 65 working days.
Stage 3 - Review panel
This will be arranged by the Complaints Manager where a Stage 1 and 2 response have been unsatisfactory.
If you are still unhappy
If you want to take your complaint further you can then contact the Local Government Ombudsman at:-
The Local Government Ombudsman
PO Box 4771, Coventry CV4 0EH
Call the Advice Team on 0300 061 0614 or 0845 602 1983
Email advice@lgo.org.uk
Fax: 024 7682 0001
Text ‘callback’ to 0762 480 4299
You can contact the Ombudsman at any point. However, it is their usual practice not to deal with a complaint themselves until the council’s complaints procedure has been completed.