Before you consider making a formal complaint, please try to get the problem resolved by contacting the member of staff or their manager providing the service you want to complain about. Tell them the problem and they will try and sort it out. In many cases they will deal with your complaint on the spot.
Please don’t use the formal corporate complaints form if your complaint is about one of the services or reasons listed here as they have their own complaints and appeals procedures.
- How to make a formal corporate complaint
- School complaints, schools have their own independent complaints procedures
- Childrens services complaints
- Adult social care complaints
- Fraud complaints
- Housing benefits appeals
- Council Tax related appeals
- Reporting something, please report problems such as housing repairs or potholes though the relevant web page and form instead. It’s the quickest way to get the problem fixed.
If you’ve already made a complaint, but haven’t received a satisfactory response, you can use the formal corporate complaints form.
If you’ve complained twice about the same matter, and are still unhappy with our response, you can refer it to the Local Government Ombudsman, or the Housing Ombudsman.
How to make a formal corporate complaint
We hope that your complaint can be resolved through your initial contact with the member of staff you want to complain about, if this doesn’t happen, you can complain to the resident experience team. This team is responsible for overseeing our complaints procedure and can advise you about making a complaint.
We have a two-stage complaints process, as set out in the corporate complaints policy (pdf 204KB).
Stage 1
Your complaint at stage 1 will be investigated and dealt with by the service team where the complaint originates. Some responses may come from our suppliers or partners.
Once your complaint has been recorded, we’ll respond within 15 working days.
Stage 2
If you are not satisfied with your Stage 1 response, write to the resident experience team and explain why. Your Stage 1 response will explain how to do this. The team will then consider your complaint and decide whether it will be recorded at Stage 2.
If your complaint is recorded at Stage 2, a senior member of staff will investigate and respond within 20 working days. If your complaint is not recorded at Stage 2, the resident experience team will explain why.
Submit your formal corporate complaint
You can complain via the resident experience team:
1) Online. Quick and easy to use. You can be sure we’ve received it; you’ll get a reference number; you can track the progress of your complaint online and you can email your designated caseworker once we’ve assigned your complaint.
2) Email your complaint to residentexpteam@lbhf.gov.uk. You won’t receive a reference number straight away, but we’ll consider your complaint within three days and send you an acknowledgement email.
3) Call us on 020 8753 2456. However, if you have access to the internet we would recommend using the methods above. You are welcome to call us if you need any help with making a complaint online or by email. Our telephone line is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
4) Write to the Resident Experience Team, Room 229, Hammersmith Town Hall, King Street, London W6 9JU.
Appeals
If you are unhappy with the way we have dealt with your complaint you can ask the Local Government Ombudsman to look at your complaint.
If you are our tenant and your complaint is about housing, you can ask the Housing Ombudsman to look at your complaint.
Both organisations are independent and investigate allegations of maladministration causing injustice to the person who has complained.
Our response to your complaint will explain which ombudsman you should contact if you are unhappy.