Complaints

Complaints: Tell us if something hasn’t gone right!

We want to provide a fair and helpful service. If we’ve made a mistake, tell us - so we can put it right and learn from it.

• We define a complaint as: "An expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions, or lack of action by the organization, its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting an individual resident or group of residents."
• A service request is when you ask us to do something (for example, report a repair, missed bin, or request information).

If you’re not sure which it is, please use our "What is a complaint page" for a more detailed rundown on what is defined as a complaint versus a service issue.

This page can be found on the right under the FAQ's/Key Information tab.

How to make a complaint

If you want to make a formal complaint, and it falls within the criteria set out in our Complaints policy (PDF 292KB), we will:

• Acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days
• Address it within 10 working days.

To get a quick resolution, please raise your issue with us as soon as possible.

Start your complaint

What will happen next

We handle complaints in two simple stages. We’ll always confirm when we’ve received your complaint and what happens next.

Stage 1 – Initial response

• We’ll acknowledge within: 5 working days
• We’ll respond within: 10 working days
• What we’ll do: Look into what happened, speak to the right teams, and give you a clear outcome and reasons. If we need more time, we’ll tell you why and agree a new date.

Stage 2 – Review (if you’re still unhappy)

• Ask for a review within: 28 days of our Stage 1 response
• We’ll acknowledge within: 5 working days
• We’ll respond within: 20 working days
• What we’ll do: A senior officer, not involved before, will re-examine the case and our decision. We’ll confirm what will change (if anything) and why.

If you’re still not satisfied

After our final response, you may contact the Housing Ombudsman (for housing/tenancy matters) or the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman (for other services).

• Housing Ombudsman: Click Here
• LGSCO: Click Here

We’ll tell you which Ombudsman applies to your case.

Types of communication you may receive

Depending on your preferences and needs, we may contact you by:

• Email: For acknowledgements, updates, final responses and complaints satisfaction survey
• Phone: To clarify details or agree next steps
• Letter: If you prefer written post or require official confirmation
• In person / virtual meeting: For complex cases or to agree a plan together

For each complaint, you can expect:

• A receipt/acknowledgement confirming your reference number and next steps
• Progress updates if the investigation takes longer than expected
• A final response setting out our findings, any apologies, actions we’ll take, and when they’ll be completed
• A complaints satisfaction survey that lets us know how you felt the process was handled and how we can improve.

Outcomes you can expect

If we’ve made a mistake, we’ll:

• Apologize and explain what went wrong
• Put it right (for example, complete outstanding work or correct records)
• Offer a fair remedy where appropriate (for example, a goodwill gesture or reimbursement in line with our policy)
• Learn and improve (update processes, train staff, or change guidance)

Doing what we said we would

You should be able to rely on us to keep our promises. That means:

• Clear updates: We’ll tell you what we’re doing, by when, and who’s responsible.
• Realistic timeframes: If something changes, we’ll explain why and give a new date.
• Follow-through: We’ll check that actions we’ve agreed are completed and working for you.
• Learning from mistakes: If we’ve got it wrong, we’ll say so, put it right, and make improvements to stop it happening again.

Our Complaints Improvement Plan

Once a quarter we will be holding a Scrutiny Complaints Workshop will residents who have gone through the complaints process. The aim of the workshop is to gain a better understanding of the thoughts and opinions of our residents and how we can improve the service that we deliver.

We publish quarterly updates so you can see how complaints and the views of those making them, are helping us improve. Each update includes:

• What residents told us (themes and trends)
• What we did (actions taken and changes made)
• What difference it made (outcomes and performance measures)
• What we’re doing next (commitments and timescales)

Give feedback on our complaints service

Sign up for MyDacorum – your new customer portal

As part of improving our tenancy services, we’ve launched a new customer portal – MyDacorum. It’s designed to give you a faster, easier and more secure way to manage your council services online.

Through MyDacorum, you can:

• Make payments (rent, Council Tax, invoices, contents insurance, licence fees, benefit overpayments)
• Check bin collection dates and set up text reminders
• Access your Council Tax account through 'Citizens Access' – view statements, make applications and request changes
• View live rent statements
• Report complaints or issues
• Request services (waste equipment, assisted collections, garages)
• Track technical support requests

You can easily update your details by completing the ‘About You’ survey, available through your MyDacorum account. It’s quick, simple, and helps us improve our services for everyone.

We also want to make sure we have up-to-date information about you, so we can tailor our services to meet your needs. For example, if you tell us about a disability, health condition or mobility need, we can ensure any contractors working in your home are aware and can prioritise your repair requests appropriately.

👉 Already signed up? Log in to complete the survey today.

👉 Not registered yet? Sign up for MyDacorum here.