Make a complaint

Complaints procedure

The complaints procedure relates to complaints about Combined Authority services or any of its Officers (staff). Complaints about Members (the Mayor or Councillors) of any of the Combined Authority’s committees are dealt with under a different process which you can find here.

If you are dissatisfied with Combined Authority services or any of its Officers, have told us about that already and aren’t satisfied with the response you have received, then you can make a formal complaint to us in writing by email or to the postal address below:

West of England Combined Authority
70 Redcliff Street
Bristol BS1 6AL

You can then expect the following from us.

• We will acknowledge your complaint and provide you with a reference number so that we can keep all the information relevant to your complaint together, helping us deal with it efficiently. We will do this within five working days.

• Where it is possible and appropriate to do so, we will try to resolve your complaint quickly and informally. If we can’t do this, we will investigate your complaint in more detail and provide you with a full written response. We will try to do this within 20 working days but may need longer for more complex matters. We will try not to go beyond 40 working days, and will keep you updated in a timely manner, letting you know when we need more time to investigate your complaint.

• We will endeavour to respect confidentiality, but that might not always be possible. We will discuss this with you if we think it is an issue in your complaint.

• Where appropriate, we will acknowledge how we might have done better, accept and apologise for any fault and offer you a reasonable remedy. We will learn from all complaints to constantly improve. Part of that process involves reporting information about complaints to the Audit Committee. These reports don’t usually identify complainants.

• We will support your right to seek assistance from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and will respond fully to any issues they raise with us in response about your complaint.

What happens when you make a complaint?

There are two stages to the formal complaints process.

Stage One – Investigation

If we can’t resolve your complaint informally, there will be a “Stage One” investigation. This will normally be undertaken by a senior manager within the service that you are complaining about.

Stage Two - Review

If you’re not satisfied with how we have investigated your complaint at Stage One, you can ask us to review your complaint. Please do this within 10 working days of receiving the written outcome of the Stage One investigation. Please do this in writing to the email or postal address set out above.

The Stage Two review is not intended to be another investigation into your compliant. Instead, at Stage Two a senior manager from a different service will consider whether your complaint was investigated properly at stage one and whether the stage one response was reasonable.

If the reviewing manager is content that your complaint has been dealt with appropriately, they will tell you this and that will complete the internal complaints process.

If the reviewing manager feels that the complaint has not been dealt with appropriately, they will take steps to correct that. This may involve asking someone else to reconsider part or all of the initial complaint. The outcome communicated to you once any corrective steps have been taken will complete the internal complaints process.

If you remain dissatisfied

If you are not happy with how we’ve dealt with your complaint, you have the right to ask the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to look into the matter for you. Their contact details are as follows:

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
PO Box 4771
Coventry CV4 OEH
Phone: 0300 061 0614
Website: www.lgo.org.uk

Dealing with unreasonable complaints or complainants

We are committed to dealing with all complaints quickly, thoroughly, and fairly. However, we expect complaints to act reasonably which includes being polite, open and honest with us and generally treating us in the way they would expect us to treat them. Aggressive behaviour and inappropriate language will not be tolerated.  There are also occasions when contact from a complainant can become unreasonably frequent, repetitive, or persistent. Sometimes, complainants will expect us to do things that are unreasonable or disproportionate.

If we think this is happening, we will write to the complainant to let them know. If the behaviour continues, we may classify a complainant as vexatious or unreasonably persistent and may take action to limit the contact the complainant has with us or their ability to use the complaints process. If we have to do this, we will set out in writing why we have decided to do so.

Complaints about a Member of the Combined Authority

If you wish to make a complaint about the Mayor or a Member of the Combined Authority please contact the Monitoring Officer at: monitoringofficer@westofengland-ca.gov.uk.

or in writing to: West of England Combined Authority, 70 Redcliff Street, Bristol BS1 6AL