Public Health complaints policy
The complaints procedure
Time limit for making a complaint
A complaint must be made within 12 months after the date on which the matter occurred or the date on which the complainant became aware of the matter.
The council has a discretion to extend this time limit if the complainant had good reasons for not making the complaint within the time limit and it is still possible to investigate the complaint effectively and fairly.
The process
There is one stage under the Regulations for Public Health complaints. If a complainant remains dissatisfied after stage one, they may refer the matter to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
When a complaint under this policy is made, the council will acknowledge this within three working days.
Offer to discuss
When the council acknowledges the complaint, the council will offer to discuss with the complainant, at a time suitable to them, the manner in which the complaint is to be handled and the period within which the investigation is likely to be completed and when the response will be sent.
If this offer is not accepted, the council will determine how long the investigation will take and when the full response will be sent to the complainant.
The investigation
At the beginning of the investigation, the council will appoint an investigating officer who will contact you to ascertain the issues and the desired outcome. The investigating officer will keep you informed, as far as reasonably practicable, as to the progress of the investigation.
The limit for responding to a complaint
The regulations allow for 6 months for a complaint to be investigated however the council will endeavour to send a response within 30 days. In any event, the response will be sent as soon as the investigation is complete.
If it is not possible to resolve the complaint within 30 days, the investigating officer will contact you and explain the reasons for this. The timescale may need to be extended for a number of reasons.
If a response is not sent within the agreed timetable, you should contact the Chief Executive of Gateshead Council.
Response
The full response will include an explanation of how the complaint has been considered, the conclusions reached, any remedial action that may be needed, whether any action needed to be taken has been taken or will be proposed. The response will also provide details of the complainant's right to take the complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.