Comments, Compliments and Complaints

We aim to provide high-quality services for our customers, including up to date and accurate information and our Customer Charter sets out the standards we will seek to achieve.

Customers may submit their comments, compliments or complaints in Welsh or English, in accordance with their language preference via the bilingual online forms available or by telephone, letter or e-mail.

We promise to listen courteously and try to understand the needs of our customers and help find a solution to meeting them. We promise to treat our customers with respect, to be fair and honest in our dealings with them and to acknowledge and learn from our mistakes if we get things wrong.

Feedback provided about ways the Council can improve its service delivery and/or customer care.

A compliment is an expression of praise concerning a high level of service delivery and/or customer care received, provided by the Council or by a person acting on behalf of the Council. All compliments received from service-users are recorded and monitored on a regular basis.

Such positive feedback is used to share and promote good practice wherever possible. Compliments are a source of encouragement that Council staff are delivering a valuable and high standard of service and we thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us.

Launch the online Compliment form

A complaint is not:

the reporting of a fault, e.g. a faulty street light
an initial service request, e.g. fly tipping to be removed
a first request for information, or an explanation of the Council’s policies or decisions
a representation about the merits of the Council’s policy decisions
a challenge for a ‘properly made decision’ for which there is a statutory right of appeal
a mechanism for lobbying or a means to seek legislative change

In accordance with our Concerns and Complaints Policy a complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction by one or more members of the public about the Council’s action or lack of action, or about the standard of service provided by the Council - or by a person or body acting on behalf of the Council.

For more information regarding the complaints procedures please visit the relevant page:

Alternatively, you can contact the Council’s Complaints Team by writing to Miss Marie-Neige Hadfield, Complaints & Freedom of Information Manager, Canolfan Rheidol, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 3UE. Or by telephone on 01545 574151 or via e-mail: complaints@ceredigion.gov.uk.

Additional Points to Note

Staff may assist a customer to make a written complaint at any stage. Alternatively, a friend, Councillor, Assembly Member, Member of Parliament or an organisation such as Age Concern, or the Citizen’s Advice Bureau may assist or act on your behalf and the procedures outlined in this policy will apply
Difficulties can occur trying to investigate complaints retrospectively, so the Council expects customers to raise their complaint within 6 months (under Corporate Policy) or 12 months (under Social Services Policy) of becoming aware of the problem. Complaints received outside this timescale will not be investigated, unless exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated
Complaints of a “cross-service” nature involving a number of Council service areas will receive one single co-ordinated response, wherever possible
Anonymous complaints received will be discussed with the Service manager to determine whether the issue raised warrants investigation and if there is sufficient information available to take this course of action. On account that the complaint is anonymous, it will not be possible for a response to be issued following investigation
Council employees will not participate in, or respond to (on behalf of the Council), feedback using open forum web-sites
Occasionally a customer pursues their case in a way which impedes the investigation of their complaint or creates significant resource issues for the Council in dealing with issues that they raise. The Unreasonable Actions by Service-Users Policy has therefore been devised to ensure Council services are not restricted or diminished by such customers, and to also ensure that all Council staff have the right and expectation to be treated courteously and respectfully by members of the public alike