Complaints and challenge

Council complaint — Stage 1

For: General complaints about council services, staff or contractors (not statutory social care, councillor conduct, council-housing landlord services or matters with their own appeal route).

In person, phone, letter, email, online form, social media, via a councillor or a representative (with consent).

• Complaint logged within 5 working days of receipt.
• Written acknowledgement within 5 working days of logging.
• Response within 10 working days of acknowledgement for straightforward complaints; complex complaints up to 20 working days, extensions beyond 10 working days exceptional.
• Complain within 12 months of the issue occurring or becoming apparent.

If that fails: Council complaint — Stage 2

Portsmouth City Council: Complaints policy (applies from 1 Nov 2024)

Council complaint — Stage 2 (final council stage)

For: Customers unhappy with the Stage 1 response.

Ask the council to escalate to Stage 2, ideally saying why.

• Acknowledgement within 5 working days of the escalation request.
• Response within 20 working days of acknowledgement; any extension normally no more than a further 20 working days.
• Investigated by the appropriate Director, or a senior manager with Director review.

If that fails: Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Portsmouth City Council: Complaints policy (applies from 1 Nov 2024)

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO)

For: Most council services and privately funded adult social care, after the council’s process is complete.

Online complaint form at lgo.org.uk or phone 0300 061 0614. Free.

• Normally will not look at a complaint if more than 12 months have passed since the person first knew of the problem.
• Can come to the LGSCO if the council has not responded within a reasonable time — "in most cases… up to 16 weeks".

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman: How to complain

Council housing (Portsmouth Homes) landlord complaint

For: Tenants, leaseholders, shared owners, former tenants and others affected by Portsmouth Homes landlord services.

Phone, email, in writing, online, in person or through a representative.

• Stage 1: acknowledged within 5 working days; response within 10 working days.
• Stage 2: acknowledged within 5 working days; response within 20 working days.
• Normally complain within 12 months.

If that fails: Housing Ombudsman

Portsmouth Homes: Landlord complaints policy

Housing Ombudsman

For: Residents of member landlords (including council landlords) about housing management: repairs, charges, estate management, complaint handling, antisocial behaviour affecting the home.

Online complaint form at housing-ombudsman.org.uk after completing the landlord’s process, or if the landlord is not responding.

• No time limit stated on the page opened; see the Ombudsman’s scheme.

Housing Ombudsman: Bring your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman

Complaint about a councillor’s conduct

For: Alleged breaches of the Members’ Code of Conduct only.

Complete the complaint form and email monitoringofficer@portsmouthcc.gov.uk. An assessment sub-committee of the Governance & Audit & Standards Committee considers it against published criteria.

• Not stated on the page opened.

Portsmouth City Council: Complaints about a councillor

Freedom of Information / Environmental Information request

For: Anyone requesting recorded information held by the council (EIR for environmental information).

Email foi@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or write to Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth PO1 2AL with name, address and the information wanted. Check the publication scheme and disclosure log first.

• Response within 20 working days (subject to exemptions).
• Internal review: ask within 40 working days of the response; council aims to reply within a further 20 working days.
• If still unhappy after internal review: Information Commissioner’s Office.

If that fails: Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

Portsmouth City Council: Making an FOI request

Petition (paper or e-petition)

For: People living, working or studying in Portsmouth, on matters the council or its partners are responsible for. Not accepted: planning or licensing matters, matters with an appeal route, duplicates, abusive petitions.

Register on the ModernGov e-petition system, or hand/post a paper petition to Democratic Services or a ward councillor.

• Acknowledgement within 3 working days; relevant Head of Service responds within 10 working days.
• Thresholds: 500 signatures for a Full Council debate on a matter not considered in the previous 24 months; 1,000 if it was; 500 for a senior officer to give evidence at the Scrutiny Management Panel.
• Submit at least 12 days before the relevant meeting; lead petitioner gets 6 minutes to present.
• If unhappy with how it was handled: ask the Scrutiny Management Panel to review (process only, not outcome); result within 5 working days of the review.

If that fails: Scrutiny Management Panel review (process only)

Portsmouth City Council: Petitions and e-petitions

Statutory social care complaints (adults; children and families)

For: Adult social care and children’s social care complaints, which follow separate statutory procedures.

See the council’s dedicated statutory complaints pages linked from the complaints policy.

• Not captured in this module.

If that fails: Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Portsmouth City Council: Complaints policy (applies from 1 Nov 2024)