Compliments and complaints
Introduction
Banstead Commons Conservators strive to provide good value and professional services related to the discharge of our statutory duties on the Commons. Despite our small operational team, we aim to always respond to queries and complaints about our service promptly and with professionalism.
For clarity, a distinction is made between a general enquiry, which is a request for information, and a complaint, which is an expression of dissatisfaction by the public about the conduct, standard of service, action or lack of action by Banstead Commons Conservators (BCC).
The purpose of this procedure is to enable both general enquiries and formal complaints to be properly considered within agreed timescales with the intention of resolving the matter to the satisfaction of the individual as far as reasonably possible. The complaint process also provides the opportunity for escalation in the event that an individual feels that a complaint has not been properly addressed.
General enquiry procedure
General enquiries, which include management queries, comments and compliments, can be submitted to the Conservators via the contact us page on our website or by sending an email to enquiries@bansteadcommons.org.uk. We aim to respond to general enquiries either by telephone, email or letter within 14 working days.
If your enquiry is more complex, we will initially acknowledge your enquiry and provide a timescale for when you can expect a full response. It may be that some enquiries will have to be investigated or addressed by the Conservators at our next Quarterly Meeting, details of which will be provided in our acknowledgement.
Complaints procedure
If you wish to make a complaint, please ensure you provide the following information:
• Your name and contact details
• What you are complaining about
• When it happened or when it should have happened
• Why and how you think we should have done things differently
• What you think we should do to put things right
Banstead Commons Conservators operate a two-stage complaint procedure to ensure complaints about our services and performance are dealt with impartially, objectively and professionally. The objective is always to resolve matters as quickly as possible, ideally when first considered by BCC, having considered the merits of the complaint and any confidentiality issues. If the initial response from the Clerk (Stage 1) does not resolve the matter to the satisfaction of the individual, a further review of the complaint will be made by the Conservators (Stage 2). At this point, the Conservator’s decision will likely be made final.
Stage 1: Complaint submission and initial response
If you have a complaint about Banstead Commons Conservators services or performance, please submit your complaint in writing, either by using the contact form on our website, email (enquiries@bansteadcommons.org.uk) or a letter (address below). By approaching the BCC in this way, your concerns will be dealt with efficiently and every effort made to resolve your complaint.
You will initially be sent an automated email or acknowledgement that registers your communication within 14 working days of receipt of your complaint. You will be provided with a full written response either by email or letter within 30 working days of receipt. If it is not possible to respond in the agreed timescales, you will be sent an email or letter setting out the reasons for the delay.
Stage 2: Conservator review
If you are unhappy with the outcome of your initial complaint, you will have 30 working days from the date that you receive our response to ask for your complaint to be reviewed by the Conservators. You will need to submit an email to the Conservators via the email enquiries@bansteadcommons.org.uk or a letter (address below) telling us what you think went wrong and what you think we should do to put it right. We will look at how your initial complaint was handled:
• did we address the issues of your complaint;
• did we convey the outcome clearly;
• were we thorough and fair-minded.
You will receive an email or letter that registers your complaint within 10 working days of receipt of your complaint and normally receive a written response by email or letter within 30 working days, subject to any necessary investigative work. If it is not possible to respond in the agreed timescales, for example, if your complaint is required to be addressed at our next Quarterly Meeting or it requires independent Counsel Advice, you will be sent an email or letter setting out the reasons for the delay.
This is the last stage in our complaint process and it requires the Chairman or Conservator(s) appointed by the Chairman to review your complaint in an impartial manner, undertaking a full and independent review of your concerns.
Policy on Dealing with Vexatious Complaints/Enquiries and Persistent Complainants
Banstead Commons Conservators are committed to dealing with all complaints equitably, fully and in a timely manner.
Complainants who, in the event of the unreasonably frequent or vexatious nature of their complaints, seek to hinder the work of BCC, will have all further contact on the complaint or complaints withdrawn. This decision, which shall be made by the Conservators, will be communicated to the complainant by email or letter.
Examples of such complaints include inter alia:
• Refusing to co-operate with the complaint procedure while still wishing the complaint to be resolved;
• Refusing to accept that issues raised are not within the remit of the Conservators;
• Insisting that the complaint is dealt with in ways incompatible with the complaint procedure;
• Pursuing groundless complaints about staff and/or seeking their dismissal;
• Seeking replies to a large number of complaints or details of one complaint within a short space of time, or making unreasonable demands on staff by insisting on immediate responses of factual information;
• Oral or written harassment of staff, volunteers or Conservators dealing with their complaint;
• Raising new issues while a complaint is being addressed;
• Repeatedly arguing a point that has already been determined by the complaints process.
Contact us
All electronic correspondence regarding complaints should be sent to enquiries@bansteadcommons.org.uk or via the contact us page on our website.
All hard copy correspondence regarding complaints should be sent to the address set out below:
Banstead Commons Conservators
PO Box 680
Epsom
Surrey KT17 9PR
Complaints Raised with Councillors, Members of Parliament, Local Authority and Other Bodies
Should a complainant wish to refer a complaint to a third party such as a Member of Parliament, local authority or other organisation, the complainant must notify Banstead Commons Conservators of this decision. Upon receipt of such notification, Banstead Commons Conservators will only investigate that complaint in response to a referral from that third party.
Please note, Banstead Commons Conservators are a statutory body and not able to be politically influenced. Reigate and Banstead Borough Council has no jurisdiction over Banstead Commons Conservators or the discharge of our statutory duties related to Banstead Commons.
Enquiries raised under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004
In the spirit of openness and transparency, Banstead Commons Conservators (BCC) aim to proactively publish information that we believe is of interest to the public and to respond to requests for particular information. For the purposes of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR 2004), BCC is considered a public authority and the guidance here sets out the process that BCC will follow for the handling of information requests made under this legislation.
For avoidance of doubt, BCC is not considered a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA 2000).