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How to make a complaint

You can make a complaint in person, or by letter, email or telephone. We have a simple three stage procedure.

Stage 1

The people who can best deal with a complaint are those who provide the service, so you should contact your local office or the service manager about your complaint. We can usually sort out mistakes and misunderstandings quickly and informally at this stage.

If you are not sure who to contact, you can call the City Helpdesk on 023 9283 4072 and find our list of services here on our website using the A-Z link at the top of the page. You can also get a printed copy of the A-Z from the Civic Offices, or any area office.

We aim to respond, at this stage, within 10 working days.

Stage 2

If you are unhappy with the outcome of Stage 1, you can take this matter further. You can contact the Head of Service and your complaint will be fully investigated and we aim to respond withing 15 working days. However, when a complaint is complicated we may need longer. We will explain the reasons for any delay and say when you can expect a full reply.

Stage 3

If you are still unhappy after the Stage 2 investigation, you have the right to appeal to our Chief Executive's Office, who will carry out a full review of your complaint withing 20 working days. They will let you know if it will take any longer. When making your Stage 3 appeal, please explain why you are still not satisfied and what you expect from a further review. You can write to the Chief Executive's office at:

Chief Executive's Office
Portsmouth City Council
Civic Offices
Guildhall Square
Portsmouth, PO1 2ZX

You can also call on 023 9283 4010.

Local Government Ombudsman

The Local Government Ombudsman is an independent national service that investigates complaints against councils. You can complain to them at any time, but they will usually refer the complaint back to us if it has not been through our complaints procedure. You can contact them at:

Jerry White
Local Government Ombudsman
The Oaks
2 Westwood Way
Westwood Business Park
Coventry, CV4 8JB

You can call them on 024 7682 0000 and you can visit their website, use the external link.

Complaints in respect of councillors

This policy does not apply to complaints in respect of councillors. Details and guidance on how to proceed with a complaint about a councillor can be found on our Standards Committee page.

Associated documents:

  Comment, compliment or complaint leaflet  (0.32 MB)
Comment, compliment or complaint leaflet for children supported by social care  (0.22 MB)