Complaints and feedback
We aim to provide the best possible services, but there are times when things go wrong. If you would like to make a comment or provide feedback on something that went well, we’d love to hear from you.
If something has gone wrong, please let us know, so we can put it right.
Your feedback matters to us because it helps us understand how we’re doing. We’re always looking for ways to improve.
Tell us about a problem for the first time
Before we can accept a complaint, we encourage you to give us an opportunity to resolve the issue you are raising quickly. You should contact the relevant team first, as they can often resolve the issue. You can find details of our services on our website by checking the quick links on the home page, searching for the specific topic you are unhappy about, or you can contact us.
If the team cannot resolve the issues you have raised, you can make a complaint. The complaints processes look at how we have delivered services or reached decisions. Please let us know if there is anything we need to do differently to help you access any of the complaints processes.
Common issues that are not complaints
Some issues cannot be handled as a complaint, if it must be handled differently, or if it if better directed somewhere else we will let you know.
Some examples:
- planning decisions – you will need to appeal
- planning enforcement – you can report a breach of planning control
- report a housing repair
- complaints about schools – need to be made to the school directly
- parking ticket (Penalty Charge Notice) – you'll need to challenge your parking ticket
- housing benefit decisions – are dealt with by appealing
- council tax issues – are often dealt with directly by contacting the Council Tax team
- insurance claims – contact the team directly insurance@lewisham.gov.uk
- report a missed bin - your bins