How do I complain?
First things to check
- What is a complaint?
- Is my complaint really an appeal?
- How we will treat your complaint?
- Children and Adult Social Care Procedures
- Other help with making a complaint
What is a complaint?
You can make a complaint if you think we have:
- Not delivered a service within the time we promised
- Not done something we should have done
- Delivered a service below standard
- Failed to follow the correct procedure or policy, or
- Behaved in an unsatisfactory or unprofessional way.
Is my complaint really an appeal?
There are different legal appeals procedures for some council services.
These include:
- Appeals over 'parking tickets' - Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs)
- Housing benefit and Council Tax Benefit appeals
- Planning application appeals
- Decisions on homelessness applications
- School admissions and exclusions
- Special education needs assessments
How we will treat your complaint?
- It is your right to compliment, comment and complain
- Your views matter
- All formal complaints or comments will be thoroughly and fairly investigated
- If we are at fault we will attempt to put things right
- No one will be treated less favourably because they make a comment or complaint.
Children and Adult Social Care Procedures
Social Care complaints for children and young people are dealt with under separate Children Act Procedures
Children and Families complaints officer: folake.ovia@barnet.gov.uk
There is also a separate procedure for: adult social care complaints
Other help with making a complaint?
- You may want a friend or someone from the council or a voluntary organisation to help you make a complaint.
- See below for a list of advice agencies that can help.
- You can also ask for help at any council office.
Barnet Citizens Advice Bureaux (CABs)
- Finchley CAB
- Grahame Park CAB
- Hendon CAB
- New Barnet CAB
- Edgware Community Hospital CAB
- Advice and Information Centre (Woodcroft Advice Centre)
