Complaints policy

We do not handle the below as complaints through our complaints procedure.

• A request for a service, or where there has been an service failure which is easily rectified, e.g. a report of litter in a park, or a missed bin collection. If you want to report a local issue, please use our report it form. A request for service can however become a complaint if we have failed to address the issue in a timely manner, the quality of service was poor, or our decisions/actions have not followed council policy.
• A complaint made about elected members - find out how to complain about a councillor.
• A complaint about a decision of full council, cabinet or other decision-making committee which can only be challenged via a judicial review. Find out about judicial reviews. 
• A complaint about the outcome of a planning decision - such complaints are handled through the planning appeal process. If however you are disassatisfied with our customer service standards in relation to a planning application, we will handle this as a complaint. 
• A complaint about a housing register application or change of circumstances decision. Find out how to review a request of a decision. 
• A complaint about a council tax reduction decision. Find out how to request a review of a decision.
• Freeman of the land complaints - find out more.
• A complaint about a benefits decision or change of circumstances. Find out how to request a review of a decision. 
• Complaints which may lead to an insurance claim - please contact our insurance team.
• Contractual disputes that have not exhausted the dispute resolution outlined in the contract - please email procurement@lichfielddc.gov.uk.
• A complaint that has been considered by the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman and has been closed. If the Local Government Ombudsman receives a complaint before it has been investigated by the council, it will be passed to the council to investigate in line with this policy.
• A complaint that is subject to, or has already been through, court or tribunal proceedings, or there is a separate appeals process to a court or tribunal service.
• A complaint regarding operational matters at the Lichfield Garrick - please contact the Lichfield Garrick team. 
• Stage one complaints about operational matters at local leisure centres - please contact Lichfield West Midlands Traded Services (LWMTS). Stage two complaints about leisure centres are escalated to the council - find out more.
• Stage one complaints about disabled facilities grants - please contact Lichfield West Midlands Traded Services (LWMTS). Stage two complaints about disabled facilities grants are escalated to the council - find out more.
• A complaint about the loss of personal data as a result of an action by the council - find out more about how we respond to a suspected data breach. 
• A complaint that has been made/is being handled through our whistleblowing policy.
• Whilst it is vital that our staff can communicate clearly and well with all customers, we will not accept complaints specifically about a member of staffʹs accent or dialect in line with the council's fluency duty.
• Whilst we will look into anonymous complaints, there is often a limit as to how far we can progress such complaints.
• Complaints about services provided by other local authorities in the area - for example Staffordshire County Council, the fire or police authorities.