At Clackmannanshire Council we aim to provide you with the best service we possibly can. If something goes wrong or you are dissatisfied with our services, please tell us. Our Guide for Customers describes our complaints procedure and explains how to make a complaint. It also tells you about how we will handle your complaint and what you can expect from us.
If you want to make a complaint, it's best to talk to a member of staff first, either by phone, at any council office, in writing, email or online. It is usually easier for us to resolve complaints if you make them quickly and directly to the service concerned, then they can try to resolve the issue.
You can complain in person at any of our offices, by phone, in writing, by email or online:
Our complaints procedure has two stages:
We aim to respond to complaints quickly (where possible, when you first tell us about the issue). This could mean an on-the-spot apology and explanation if something has clearly gone wrong, or immediate action to resolve the problem. We will give you a decision at stage 1 in five working days or less, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Stage 2 deals with two types of complaint: those that have not been resolved at stage 1 and those that clearly require investigation, and so are handled directly at this stage. If you do not wish your complaint to be handled at stage 1, you can ask us to handle it at stage 2 instead. If our investigation will take longer than 20 working days, we will tell you. We will tell you our revised time limits and keep you updated on progress.
Complaints about school issues follow the same 2 stage process. A supplementary leaflet entitled Making a Complaint - A Guide for Parents and Carers provides further information.
If you are considering making a referral (complaint) to the GTCS about a teacher, please note that this has to go through the Council's complaints process first. If you would like to talk to someone about this, email education@clacks.gov.uk or phone (01259) 450000.
Complaints about Social Services issues follow the same 2 stage process. Please refer to our Social Services Complaints web page for additional information.
A complaint that a councillor has breached the Councillors’ Code of Conduct should be made to the Ethical Standards Commissioner.
If you are still unhappy after receiving our final response, you can ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman to look at your complaint.