Complain about a council
Councils must have a complaints procedure with clear stages. We follow those stages, keep the dates, and if they run out of road we take it to the ombudsman.
Write my letter- 1
Make a stage one complaint
Use the council's own complaints form or write to them. Say what went wrong, when, and what you want put right. Ask them to confirm your complaint reference.
- 2
Ask for a stage two review
If the stage one answer does not resolve it, ask for it to be reviewed at the next stage. Point out exactly which of your points were not answered.
- 3
Keep every letter and every date
The ombudsman will want to see that you gave the council a fair chance first. A clear record of what you sent and when is what makes the next step work.
If that does not put it right: The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
Once the council has finished its own procedure, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman can look at whether the council got it wrong and caused you an injustice. They can ask the council to apologise, put things right, and sometimes pay you.
Where this can go next
This is a plain English guide to the usual procedure, not legal advice. Every organisation has its own exact steps and timings, so ask for their complaints policy and follow it.