First check that you have given the department all
the information that they need or have asked for. Then work through
the following steps until you are satisfied that your complaint has
been properly
dealt with:
• Contact the department in person or by telephone
and then write stating your complaint briefly and clearly. Always
address your letters to the Director of the department concerned
and keep copies of any correspondence.
• In all meetings with officers, state your case as
clearly and calmly as possible.
• Write to the Chief Executive of the council and ask
for your problem to be put through the local authority's complaints
procedure.
• It can often be helpful to seek your local
councillor's help in pursuing your complaint.
• If, after following all these steps, you are still
not satisfied, write to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (see
useful contacts section).
If you believe that a local authority has acted
wrongly you may be able to challenge this decision in court by way
of Judicial Review. You should seek expert legal advice as soon as
possible to prevent any delay being held against you by the court.
Normally you should exhaust all other remedies, such as internal
complaints procedures, before raising judicial review proceedings.
This might not be necessary in urgent cases. Judicial Review
proceedings are complex and very expensive. Legal aid may be
available to cover these proceedings and you should ask to be
assessed for legal aid.
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