Complaining to the council first What is the council??s complaints procedure? All councils have published complaints procedures that show how they investigate complaints. These vary from council to council but usually include two or more stages, each operated by a more senior member of staff than the last stage or, in some cases, elected councillors. At each stage of the complaints procedure the council will normally send you a written response and invite you to comment. The council will normally tell you when it writes to you if there is another stage of the complaints procedure. Where can I get details of the council??s complaints procedure? Look at the council's website, or telephone the council and ask for a copy. Do I have to go all the way through a council??s complaints procedure first before I complain to the Ombudsman? Yes, usually you do. The law says that we have to give the council a reasonable chance to consider your complaint and respond. If you write to us at the same time as or shortly after making a complaint to the council it is unlikely we will consider it, unless it is very urgent or you are particularly at risk. But, if the council is taking more than 12 weeks to investigate your complaint and give you a satisfactory answer, ring the Advice Team for further advice, as we may then be able to look at your complaint without you completing all stages the council's procedure. For complaints about children