Home: Council full menu: Complaints

Comments, compliments and complaints about services for children and young people

Directorate for Children & Young People - June 2010
childrens.complaints@kirklees.gov.uk

A brief guide to the complaints, comments and compliments procedure

Your complaints, comments and compliments provide useful feedback and help us to improve what we do.

Why your views are important

We aim to make sure our services are of the quality you expect. But we recognise that sometimes we make mistakes and we need to know so we can put things right. Your comments are valuable in other ways too - they can help us plan the way services will be delivered in future. If you receive a service from us or you are a relative, guardian or representative of someone who does and you have any comments to make - good or bad - then please let us know.

Who should I talk to?

The most effective way of dealing with complaints is to speak directly with the staff involved who may be able to sort out your concerns to your satisfaction. If we have arranged a service to be provided by a voluntary or private organisation, you may contact us or the organisation or if your complaint is about residential or day care you can contact:

What if I am still unhappy?

You can use the Children & young people complaints form to make your complaint, or contact the Complaints, Comments and Representations Unit.

The complaint manager may consider meeting with you to discuss your complaint, if you wish.

If you wish to complain about a service, team or individual we will write to you to acknowledge this, record it and then deal with the complaint through the complaints procedure.

The complaints procedure has three stages:
  • Stage 1: Complaint will normally be completed within 10 working days.
    Problem solving - you and an appointed office (usually a senior manager) work together to resolve the problem. Most problems can be dealt with quickly and informally at this stage, which is better for everyone. If the complaint is still unresolved then ...
  • Stage 2: Complaint will normally be completed within 25 working days.
    Investigation - by a senior officer who has no direct links with the team or individual being complained about. If children or young people are involved an independent person from "Voice for the Child in Care" is appointed to oversee the investigation.
  • Stage 3: Review of the stage 2 response - by a panel of three people comprising an independent chair and 2 Councillors. The panel will make recommendations and the Director for Children and Young People or the Director for Adult Services will write back with their decision.
At any time, you have the right to make a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman (who has been appointed to look at the way that local authority services are provided). Your rights are not affected by this procedure.

The Local Government Ombudsman Further information
If you wish to compliment or make a comment about a service, team or individual contact the Complaints, Comments and Representations Unit. We will write to you to acknowledge this, record it and then pass it on to the relevant manager to look into.

You can also write to your local councillor:
c/o Members' Services
Crown Court Buildings
Princess Street
Huddersfield
HD1 2TT
Tel: 01484 221801 or 221802
Fax: 01484 221803

Find out who your councillor is by using the councillor search page.

If you wish to compliment or make a comment about a service, team or individual

Contact the Complaints, Comments and Representations Unit.
We will write to you to acknowledge this, record it and then pass it on.





A to Z of the website