Complaints

We don’t always get it right but it is important that we learn from our mistakes. The Authority has to adhere to strict response times when dealing with complaints so it is important that a complaint is forwarded onto the correct person to address as soon as possible. Complaints can be costly, resource-intensive and difficult to deal with. By dealing with complaints quickly and efficiently and focusing on the root causes of complaints, it is possible to achieve significant savings as well as improving services to the benefit of both the service users and the Authority.

Social Care Complaints

Any complaints regarding Social Care have to be addressed via the statutory Social Services Complaints Procedure (Wales) Regulations 2014 and the Representations Procedure (Wales) Regulations 2014. If you receive a complaint regarding social care can you please forward it onto the Complaints Team, Tel: 01495 742164 or email corporatecomplaints@torfaen.gov.uk.

Further information relating to Social Care complaints can be found at www.torfaen.gov.uk

Complaints about Councillors

The Corporate Complaints process is not able to address a complaint regarding a Councillor. For further information visit the Complaints about Councillors page on www.torfaen.gov.uk.

Corporate Complaints

Most other complaints into the Authority will be addressed via the Corporate Complaints Procedure. This is a two stage process, stage one being an informal resolution and stage 2 a formal investigation. If the complainant remains dissatisfied they have the option of escalating their complaint to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.

The Corporate Complaints process is not able to deal with matters of a “Claim”/”Civil Litigation” nature, where someone considers they are entitled to compensation in respect of any believed wrong doing by the Authority. Any such matters should be presented as a Claim via the insurance department. Further information can be found on the insurance claims page.

What to do if you receive a complaint

It is important to note that everyone within the Authority is able to record a complaint over the telephone or in person, it does not need to be in writing. Passing calls around the authority is likely to inflame a situation. Complaints are often escalated because of customer service issues such as staff attitude, staff competence or staff not doing what they say they will do. If you need to pass a call to someone in another department and you're not sure who to contact, you can transfer the call to the complaints team on 01495 742164.

If you take a complaint that you are not able to address or resolve yourself, please make a note of the name, contact details and nature of the concerns and email the details to corporatecomplaints@torfaen.gov.uk

If at the first point of contact it looks like the complaint is multi agency or is a cross departmental complaint, then it should be referred immediately to the Corporate Complaints Officer as it is likely to be addressed at stage 2. Residents see us as “The Council” and expect a consolidated response not different responses from each service area.

You can download a copy of the complaint form here or alternatively complete the online complaint form . Please note, if someone wishes to make a complaint on behalf of someone else, consent needs to be obtained.

Service issue or complaint?

Just because a resident is complaining about a lack of service it will not automatically be addressed through the corporate complaints process. If a resident is contacting the authority for the first time to report an issue such as a missed collection or to report a faulty street light, that will be addressed as a service issue. If we repeatedly missed a collection this would be addressed as a complaint.

Unacceptable Actions

Some service users will not accept a decision taken in relation to their concerns or may contact the Council persistently about the same issue. This can result in unreasonable demands on the Council or unacceptable behaviour towards Council staff. The actions of persistent service users can take a disproportionate amount of time and resources which can affect the Council’s ability to do its work and provide a service to others. It is accepted that some people may act out of character in times of trouble or distress. However, the actions of service users who are angry, demanding or persistent are considered unacceptable and these actions may lead to contact with the Council being restricted. The unacceptable actions by service users policy lists the actions that the Council regards as unacceptable.

If you have any queries please contact the Complaints team via telephone 01495 742164 or email corporatecomplaints@torfaen.gov.uk

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