We are committed to delivering excellent customer services. We will use data received to identify the root cause of complaints, learn from feedback and take action by implementing service improvements. We will report our performance in handling complaints regularly and publish this information on our website.

What is a compliment or comment?

•  A compliment is an expression of satisfaction concerning a function or service provided by us, or about a specific member of staff.
•  A comment is a suggestion or idea about how a function or service provided by us could be improved.
•  Feedback will be passed to those involved; we may contact you to discuss your comments further.

 What is a complaint?

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the organisation, its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting an individual or group of individuals that has been made within 12-months of an issue arising.

Complaints give us valuable information we can use to improve customer satisfaction.  Our complaints handling procedure will enable us to address a customer’s dissatisfaction and may also prevent the same problems that led to the complaint from happening again. 

Complaints may relate to:

• Failure to provide a service.
• Inadequate standard of service.
• Treatment by or attitude of one of our employees or contractors.
• Disagreement with the way a decision has been administered, though not the decision itself, where the customer cannot use another procedure (for example an appeal) to resolve the matter.
• Our failure to follow the appropriate administrative process, Council policy or procedure.
• Treat unfairly under a Council policy.

What is not a complaint?

• Service requests - A service request is a request that the organisation provides or improves a service, fixes a problem or reconsiders a decision.
• Something that has already been handled through the complaints process and has been closed.
• A historic matter which happened a year or more ago.
• Any issues which are being dealt with in court – such as where we are pursuing legal action against someone.
• Issues for which statutory appeal bodies or tribunals have been established.
• Complaints which amount to disagreement with us about our decision rather than the way the decision was administered.

(for an exhaustive list please refer to section 3.7 of our Compliments Comments and Complaints Policy.)

How to make a complaint

We want you to complain if you feel you've been poorly or unfairly treated by any of our services and we will do our best to put things right when things have gone wrong. 

You may use a third party to act on your behalf for the complaint process, as long as you have given your express personal consent. Please complete the third party authorisation form.

Complaints can be made via any of the following methods:

• Online via our Self Service (opens in a new window) portal
• Tel: 01246 242424
• This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (opens in a new window)
• In writing to Bolsover District Council, The Arc, High Street, Clowne, S43 4JY.
• In person at our contact centres
• Complaint leaflet available from our contact centres

Complaints naming officers will be assessed by the Customer Standards and Complaints Officer for action and may be directed to the Human Resources department to consider whether they need to be dealt with under their procedures or within the complaint’s procedure.

Complaints about councillors 

If you have a complaint or comment about one of our councillors (sometimes called elected members) please use our Self Service (opens in a new window) portal.

Complaints which constitute an allegation of fraud and/or corruption will need to be dealt with under the Whistleblowing Policy 2021, these are handled by the Monitoring Officer.  Please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.(opens in a new window) or telephone 01246 242424.

Complaints process

All complaints will be acknowledged within five working days. Acknowledgements will be sent in writing either via email or post.

Stage One – response within 10 working days

Simple complaints may receive a verbal response via telephone.

Tenancy related complaints and complex complaints will receive a written response.

If you remain unhappy with your response from the stage one complaint investigation you may escalate your complaint to stage two.

Stage Two – response within 20 working days

All stage two complaints will be responded to in writing. Complaints must be escalated to stage two within 20 working days of the stage one complaint response.

Please advise the reasons why you remain dissatisfied, or your complaint is not resolved so we can address this.

The stage two response may be in the form of an internal review. If an internal review is required, this will be done by one of our Assistant Directors or Directors.

Complainants will be kept up to date with any outstanding actions of their complaint.

If you remain unhappy with your complaint

Tenancy related complaints

If your complaint is regarding a housing issue, for which we are the housing landlord, you can complain to the Housing Ombudsman e.g. housing management, repairs, rent.

The Housing Ombudsman only deals with enquiries relating to us being a housing landlord, it does not deal with complaints for homelessness, the housing waiting list or the careline service. These complaints are dealt with by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

The Housing Ombudsman will only investigate a complaint once our procedure has been completed in full, in order to allow us to bring about a resolution.

• Online complaint form (opens in a new window)
• Tel: 0300 111 3000
• This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (opens in a new window)
• In writing to Housing Ombudsman Service, PO Box 1484, Unit D, Preston, PR2 0ET

Other council complaints

If you have been through all stages of our complaints procedure and are still unhappy, you can ask the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to review your complaint. The Ombudsman expects you to have given us chance to deal with your complaint, before you contact them. If you have not heard from us within a reasonable time, it may decide to look into your complaint anyway.

• Website (opens in a new window) 
• Tel: 0300 061 0614
• Online complaint form (opens in a new window) 
• Download postal complaint form (opens in a new window) 

You can download a copy of our Compliments Comments and Complaints Policy or please telephone us on 01246 242424 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (opens in a new window).

Ombudsman complaints

You can find out information regarding the ombudsman and  how to make a complaint via our ombudsman page.