How can you give us your feedback or complaint?
You can tell us by whatever method is easiest for you.
- Via our online feedback form
- Via email – feedback@n-kesteven.gov.uk
- Via traditional mail – FREEPOST NKDC
- via a Customer Service Advisor – 01529 414155 or by visiting our Sleaford customer service centre.
- via your local district councillor
We will accept feedback from you through whatever method you prefer. However, if a complaint is offered verbally, we will try to take it on a telephone that records the call (with your consent) or we will write it down and send it to you so you confirm that it is an accurate reflection of your complaint. If you choose to offer feedback via a public forum such as social media, we will look to move that conversation in to a private message to ensure confidentiality and GDPR compliance.
Customer focus
‘Customer Focus’ is one of our values – and we care about your experiences when using our services. We hope they are positive experiences and that’s what we strive for. However, we recognise that we don’t always get it right – sometimes you might be unhappy with a service you received and if that’s happened we want to hear about it so we can learn from your experience.
Our Corporate Feedback process is designed to receive Compliments, Complaints and Comments because we feel that only by acknowledging all three can we ensure we’re a Customer Focused Council.
You might also want to feedback to us through surveys and focus groups – this is important to us too; but is not managed through our Corporate Feedback process. If you want to take part in any of our future surveys or focus groups please contact by email or speak to our customer services team.
Council Tenants who wish to complain about tenancy related matters
If you are a council tenant you may wish to complain about a matter specifically related to your tenancy. You can do this is any of the ways described above. You can also make contact with the Housing Ombudsman at any point for additional support, and do not have to complete the councils full complaints process before the do so.
You can contact them via the Housing Ombudsman website, by calling 0300 111 3000 (lines are open Monday to Wednesday from 9:00 to 17:00, Thursday 09:00 to 15:30, and Friday 09:00 to 17:00) or by emailing info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk.
You can also contact the Housing Ombudsman via post by writing to Housing Ombudsman Service, PO Box 1484, Unit D, Preston, PR2 0ET.
As part of the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code landlords are required to publish a self-assessment of their complaints process. The self-assessment document is published in fulfilment of North Kesteven District Councils landlords duties complaints process and procedure for 2020.
You can find out more about what you should expect as a tenant when making a complaint by reading the Housing Ombudsman complaint handling code.
What will we do with your feedback?
Feedback is shared with the service or specific officer that it relates to. We want to ensure that any lessons we learn from your feedback are recognised across the organisation and so we will share it with our other services too where appropriate.
If we’ve left you dissatisfied we will need to evaluate whether we are able to manage your feedback through our corporate process. Unfortunately, our feedback process is not designed as an appeal system to question formal decisions of the Council, which were properly taken or to challenge policy. It is to check that everything that should have been done, has been done and that the procedures and policies have been followed appropriately.
Feedback that we cannot consider as a corporate complaint includes:
- Requests for Council services, such as reporting an abandoned vehicle or graffiti. These may become complaints if they are not dealt with correctly or quickly enough;
- Requests for information or explanations of Council policy or practice. However, we will acknowledge and record these as comments against a Council policy so they can be reviewed;
- Complaints that have a legal remedy;
- Complaints about the conduct of Councillors – these will be passed to our monitoring officer and will be reviewed under a separate process
- Matters for which there is a right of appeal or review: by a Government Minister; external tribunal or board; or within the Council. We will advise you who to contact to pursue an appeal.
We will acknowledge your correspondence within 4 working days.
What if you remain unhappy?
If you are a tenant in a council house, and your complaint relates to your tenancy and you remain unhappy with the outcome of your complaint you can refer it to the Housing Ombudsman.
You can find more information about the Housing Ombudsman and the role of a designated person at:
- Housing Ombudsman website
- 0300 111 3000 (lines are open Monday to Wednesday from 9:00 to 17:00, Thursday 09:00 to 15:30, and Friday 09:00 to 17:00 or info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk
- Housing Ombudsman Service, PO Box 1484, Unit D, Preston, PR2 0ET
All other complainants should be taken to the Local Government & Social care Ombudsman (LGSCO) following our 2 stage process. Please note that on occasion there are complaints the LGSCO cannot or will not be able to investigate. In such circumstances, the LGSCO will explain clearly if this is the case and the reasons why this decision has been given.
You can find information on how to make a complaint on the Local Government Ombudsman website. Both Ombudsman are independent organisations to the council.