Corporate complaints and compliments policy

22. Any member of the public, including a child, who claims to have been negatively impacted as a result of the actions of the authority, may make a complaint. The same applies if they are raising issues which relate to matters of significant public interest.

23. A member of the public includes people acting on behalf of a business, or a voluntary or charitable organisation. Members of the public do not have to be resident in the authority's area to raise a complaint.

24. We will also accept complaints submitted by a third party for example: friends, family members or representatives, carer, Councillors, Member of Parliament, a solicitor or other advocate and advice agency. These complaints will be dealt with in the same way as a complaint made direct by the customer. However, individuals or agencies acting on behalf of someone must provide written and signed consent. If a customer cannot provide written and signed consent, we may need to speak to the third party and/or the customer to decide if the third party is a suitable representative. We may also ask for other evidence, such as power of attorney documents.

25. Complaints concerning a contractor acting on behalf of the council will be handled by the Council under its Corporate Complaints and Compliments Policy and in line with Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman's and Housing Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Codes.

26. The Council will not accept complaints made on behalf of another public body, for example the NHS or a central government department.

27. Customers are able to raise their complaints in any way and with any member of staff. All staff must be aware of the complaints process and be able to pass details of the complaint to the appropriate person/service area within the council. Complaints can be made in the following ways:

a. Via the online self-service portal at www.gateshead.gov.uk/complaints this is our preferred method and will guarantee the quickest response.

b. For Housing Complaints via the online self-service portal at gateshead.gov.uk

c. Gateshead Council Website: Make a general enquiry - Gateshead Council

d. By telephone on 0191 433 3000

e. By writing to: Gateshead civic centre Regent Street Gateshead NE8 1HH United Kingdom

f. In-person at the Civic Centre and any council-maintained centre.

g. Through your local Councillor or Member of Parliament

28. Please note the council's Communications team does not personally investigate complaints received via social media. Any complaints should be submitted using the routes outlined above.

29. A complaint can be made to any member of staff. Whoever receives a complaint should pass this to the appropriate people or service area within the council.

30. The council will not take a blanket approach to excluding complaints; they must consider the individual circumstances of each complaint.

31. Making a Housing Complaint:

• To make a Housing complaint please refer to the appropriate page on the Council's website

32. Complaint Handling Requirements:

• Following the introduction of the Housing Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code in April 2024, the Council is required to manage all complaints in line with the Housing Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code. This applies to:
  • Complaints relating to the Council's role as a social landlord; and
  • Complaints concerning the ownership and management of leasehold housing.

33. Escalating a Complaint:

• Customers may contact the Housing Ombudsman at any point during the complaint process. The assistance they can offer depends on whether the Council's Corporate Complaints and Compliments Policy has been completed and when.
• If a customer remains dissatisfied after completing the councils Corporate Complaints and Compliments Policy, they can escalate their complaint to the Housing Ombudsman.

34. Compliance and Self-Assessment:

The council will:

• Carry out an annual self-assessment against the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code to ensure compliance.
• Complete an additional self-assessment following any significant restructure, merger, or change in procedures.

Timing of complaints

35. A complaint will be acknowledged if it is made within 12 months of the issue arising, or 12 months after you became aware of the issue. The council has discretion to deal with complaints after this time, for example if there are good reasons why a complaint was not made within 12 months.

Anonymous complaints

36. It is helpful if you say who you are so that the council can contact you to clarify issues and give feedback on the outcome of their complaint. However, the council believes everyone has the right to complain and anonymous complaints will be thoroughly investigated if there is enough information in the complaint to enable us to make further enquiries.

37. However, we may not be able to fully investigate an anonymous complaint if it is not possible to establish the impact on you, or if it is not possible to identify whether there are any conflicts of interest or other ongoing actions such as appeals or court action.

Recording complaints

38. Once received, the council will record a Corporate Complaint along with any evidence on the GOSS system.

39. The council will record a Housing Complaint along with any evidence on the NEC system.

40. The council will provide the customer with a reference number to use when contacting the council about the complaint.

41. This will help to ensure a thorough investigation is carried out and will be used should the customer request an escalation of the complaint with the council or the relevant Ombudsman.