Forum Topic

Hounslow Council Online Complaint Form

Does anyone know how it works? I entered all the details they asked for but nowhere was there anywhere for details of the complaint itself.  It then said to press SUBMIT. I checked it all twice. The next I knew they said they'd contact me within 10 days. Have I got to wait up to 10 days before they ask me for details of my complaint?

James Petri ● 404d9 Comments

I remember going to the Ombudsman about a parking ticket many years ago.  It was clearly issued wrongly.  The Ombudsman didn't have a bad word to say about the Council, but I got the parking fine refunded.  Is anyone independent?

Maggie Dodge ● 401d

"The system is only any use for lazy councillors or useless officers"Agree with everything you've said, it is all very dispiriting and time wasting. Hounslow talks big but delivers nothing in terms of consultation/engagement/transparency. Too many decisions delegated to Chief Officers - councillors who do not seem to question those decisions and take the line of least resistance. Delegation is one thing, abdication quite another, and what's worse when questioned councillors have the brass neck to pass the buck to officers decisions! Many do not seem to understand a councillor is a representative and advocate for the local people they are elected by, Hounslow is becoming an autocracy, the sooner this 'cabinet system' is dumped the better, too much power in too few hands.

Vanessa Smith ● 401d

It seems to me from my experience that by allowing adepartment to handle it's own complaints system you are asking for the whole system to be pointless.  When therewas an independent complaints section theytook the complaint in logged it then asked the department for a reply which they had to give or it went up to the nxt stage.  If you were not happy with the reply you could point out where it was wrong and eventually an answer and hopefully a change would be made.  Now staff refuse to give you their names, the names of their managers or any contact details and if you complain no one answers you.  The senior officers have far too much control of the scrutiny and complaints in local authorities now and oftimes councillors never even hear about a serious matter or incident unless its as chat on social media.  The system is only any use for lazy councillors or useless officers

Caroline Carney ● 401d

Vanessa, Maggie, I totally agree with both of you on this.( talking from my own experiences with HC)

Cris Bur ● 403d

Sadly I think all the Post Office scandal privies is, it doesn’t matter if you’re right/innocent, they can keep you dangling for 20 years.

Maggie Dodge ● 403d

I think reporting bins not collected etc. is an entirely different process. Very serious complaints are another matter - it's like entering the seventh circle of hell, it seems Hounslow deliberately make the process as bewildering and drawn out as they can - and then there is no independent investigation, just them deciding that they are too brilliant for words and you are some sort of serial, deranged moaner. If the Post Office debacle should be teaching big organisations anything - it should be that the 'little people' are getting mighty fed-up with being treated like idiots, and they will not be fobbed off any longer.

Vanessa Smith ● 403d

I have to say my recent experience about non bin collection was delt with promptly, politely and efficiently. Sorry to hear you have an issue.

Adrian Irving ● 404d

How it works? They ( Hounslow council) ignore it.Full stop. Bee it domestic abuse, ASB, unlicenced HMO, etc. etc

Cris Bur ● 404d

The whole system is not fit for purpose - it is an absolute nightmare, and there are two stages, both of which will be pronounced upon by the very same department/person the complaint is about (marking their own homework - how fair). On top of that they give themselves quite a while in which to do this, you then have the option of going on to the Local Government Ombudsman - which incidentally is just what I am preparing to do. The good thing is you have a year in which to pursue through the LGO. Trust me Hounslow won't rush themselves, they're a joke, to them we are merely the 'little people', well, little people can bite too!

Vanessa Smith ● 404d