Complaints

This page tells you how to complain to Godalming Town Council or Godalming Joint Burial Committee; and how we will deal with your complaint.

How do I make a complaint?

If you feel the Council has done something wrong or badly, or failed to do something, the first thing you should do is contact the officer you have been dealing with. You should ask them to put things right for you or explain why the Council has acted in this way. If you remain dissatisfied, you may wish to make a formal complaint by following the advice on this page.

To help us deal effectively with your complaint you will need to tell us:

  What the problem is and how it has occurred.

  How it has affected you.

  What you consider we should now do to put the matter right.

What can I complain about?

A complaint must be about something specific. It is most likely to be about one or more of the following:

  The standard of service provided by the Council
  Failure by the Council to provide an agreed service
  Failure by the Council to respond to a request for a service
  That the Council has exceeded its powers
  That the attitude or conduct of an officer has been unacceptable
  The Council has not followed an agreed procedure
  Maladministration by the Council (ie. delay, muddle, bias or confusion)

What can I not complain about?

This procedure does not cover:

  Requests for a service
  Requests for information or an explanation of Council policy or practice
  Complaints about Councillors
  Complaints made more than 12 months after the events complained about unless there are exceptional circumstances as to why the complaint could not have brought within this time.

If, after reading the guidance above, you are not sure if your complaint is covered by this procedure, please write to the Town Clerk explaining what you complaint is. She will look into the matter and notify you accordingly.

Complaints about Councillors should be made directly to:

The Monitoring Officer
Waverley Borough Council
The Burys
Godalming
Surrey GU7 1HR
Tel: 01483 523333

How will you deal with my complaint?

Complaints differ widely in nature and complexity and in dealing with any complaints made in accordance with the Complaints Procedure we will seek to apply three basic principles:

1. To investigate a complaint as quickly and impartially as possible. This will initially be done by the officer you have been dealing with.
2. To provide you with a full response that outlines the findings of the investigation and, wherever possible, resolves the matter to your satisfaction.
3. To keep the steps of the Complaints Procedure, as set out below, separate from each other.

What happens in the Complaints Procedure?

Step 1
You should first contact the officer you have been dealing with and explain the issue to them. The officer you talk to may be able to help you there and then, or at least indicate if the matter can be resolved.

If you are not satisfied, you should write to the Town Clerk. She will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days of receipt and will provide you with a full response within 10 working days of receipt.

Step 2
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of Step 1, you can write to the Chairman of the Policy & Management Committee or the Chairman of the Joint Burial Committee and ask him/her to review your complaint. If your complaint relates to the Town Clerk, the Chairman of the Policy & Management Committee will review the complaint. The Chairman of the Policy & Management Committee or the Chairman of the Joint Burial Committee will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days of receipt and will provide you with a full response within 30 working days of receipt.

You can write to the Town Clerk at:
Godalming Town Council
Municipal Buildings
Bridge Street
Godalming GU7 1HR
Telephone: 01483 523575
E-Mail townclerk@godalming-tc.gov.uk" />townclerk@godalming-tc.gov.uk

You can write to the Chairman of the Policy & Management Committee or the Chairman of the Joint Burial Committee at the address given above or e-mail them at office@godalming-tc.gov.uk