Louth Town Council

Complaints Procedure

Last reviewed September 2025

1. Introduction and Context

1.1. This procedure is designed to ensure that Louth Town Council (“the Council”) can investigate all complaints and escalate them as is reasonably deemed necessary. All complaints will be taken seriously and in conjunction with this policy.

1.2. The Town Council does not consider formal complaints against councillors. These are dealt with in accordance with the Town Council’s adopted Code of Conduct, by East Lindsey District Council’s Monitoring Officer.

1.3. All other complaints should be addressed to the Town Clerk and will be dealt with promptly.

1.4. Should the complaint be about the Town Clerk, it should be addressed to the Chair of the Personnel Committee.

1.5. The Council will seek to resolve all complaints informally prior to a formal complaint being lodged.

1.6. An informal complaint is made to the Town Clerk who will liaise with the complainant and relevant members/officers to seek resolution. Should it not be possible to resolve a complaint informally the complainant may escalate the complaint to a formal complaint.

1.7. The Town Clerk shall maintain logs of informal complaints about staff and the Council.

1.8. There is no defined process for an informal complaint; but full records will be kept of any communications and attempts at resolution.

1.9. Please be aware that any complaint will be treated as confidential, and that the council is obliged to comply with its duties under the Data Protection Act 1998 at all times to safeguard against the unlawful disclosure of personal data.

2. Formal Complaints

2.1. Where possible, the Town Council will endeavour to solve any complaint informally prior to a formal complaint being lodged.

2.2. All formal complaints shall be dealt with using the timescales outlined in section 7 below.

3. Formal Complaints about Councillors

3.1. The Town Council does not consider formal complaints about its members. Members are required to comply with an adopted Code of Conduct.

3.2. A formal complaint about a member should be addressed to the Monitoring Officer of East Lindsey District Council who will arrange the investigation of the complaint.

4. Formal Complaints about Officers/Employees

4.1. Formal complaints about an employee of the Council must be made in writing to the Town Clerk setting out the reasons for the complaint and providing any supplementary information that will assist an investigation.

4.2. Complaints about the Town Clerk must be made in writing to the Chair of the Personnel Committee, setting out the reasons for the complaint and providing any supplementary information that will assist an investigation. The Chair of the Personnel Committee will refer the complaint to the Personnel Committee for consideration.

4.3. The complainant will be informed that the complaint will be progressed under the council’s disciplinary policy and at the end of that process will receive a response to the complaint.

5. Formal Complaints about the Council, Committees or Decisions

5.1. Complaints about the activity or decisions of the council should be made to the Town Clerk in writing, providing any additional information that will enable the complaint to be investigated.

5.2. The complaint shall first be considered by the Town Clerk. Should the complainant be dissatisfied with the response from the Town Clerk, the complainant can request the complaint be referred to full Council. The complainant will be invited to address the Council if they would like to and will be offered the opportunity to be accompanied by a representative, if required.

5.2.1. At the meeting

5.2.1.1. The Council shall exclude the public and press whilst discussion of the matter takes place. Any decision on a complaint shall subsequently be announced at a meeting in public, whilst considering any duties to safeguard personal data as under (4) above.

5.2.1.2. The Chairman will introduce everyone at the meeting and explain the procedure to be followed.

5.2.1.3. The complainant will be asked to outline the grounds for the complaint, and thereafter, questions may be asked by (i) the Clerk and (ii) members of the Council.

5.2.1.4. The Clerk to the Council will then have an opportunity to explain the Council’s position and questions may be asked by (i) the complainant and then (ii) members of the Council.

5.2.1.5. The complainant will be offered the opportunity to summarise their position.

5.2.1.6. The Clerk will be offered the opportunity to summarise the position on behalf of the Council.

5.2.1.7. The complainant will be asked to leave the room whilst members decide whether grounds for the complaint have been made. If a point of clarification is necessary, the complainant will be invited back.

5.2.1.8. The complainant will be given the opportunity to await the outcome but if a decision is unlikely to be finalised quickly, will be advised when a decision is likely to be made and the arrangements in place to communicate the decision to them (see 7.4 below).

5.2.1.9. The Council’s decision on the matter is final and no further appeal process will be offered.

6. Vexatious complaints

6.1. A vexatious complainant is one who persists unreasonably with their complaints or makes complaints to inconvenience the Council rather than genuinely resolve an issue. This may include making serial complaints about different issues or continuing to raise the same or similar matters repeatedly.

6.2. If such complaints affect the Council’s ability to undertake its work and provide its services to others, the Town Clerk may alter the way that complaints are dealt with by not acknowledging or responding to vexatious complaints. Complaints will still be read in case they contain new information.

6.3. If a complainant is to be classified as vexatious, they shall be informed so and given a timescale of how long this will remain the case.

6.4. Should a vexatious complainant make a new complaint about new issues these will be treated on their merits.

7. Time Limits for the Council’s Response

7.1. The Council will always try to deal with complaints as quickly as possible, as it recognises that failure to respond can make a problem worse and harder to resolve. However, it is important that it is thorough in its investigation of a complaint, and this can sometimes mean that it is unable to respond as quickly as it would like.

7.2. If the complaint is straightforward the Council will offer an assurance of remedial action, or advise the complainant that no action is required, within 7 working days.

7.3. Formal complaints or those which cannot be resolved immediately will be acknowledged either by telephone, letter or email within 7 working days and the Town Clerk will endeavour to provide a full response within 21 working days of receipt of the complaint.

7.4. If a complaint is to be considered by full Council or the Personnel Committee, the date of that meeting will be confirmed with the complainant. The complainant will be given the opportunity to attend and wait for the outcome, or the outcome of that meeting will be communicated to the complainant within 7 working days of the meeting. The Council’s decision on the matter is final, and no further appeal process will be offered.