COMPLAINT FORM
		Ref. No.	

Please send to:	
Department of Assessor and Electoral Registration Officer
Moray House, 16-18 Bank Street, Inverness, IV1 1QY

Telephone: (01463) 575395		
			
	Your name:

Your address:

Your daytime phone number:	
		
	The substance of your complaint:

Continue overleaf if required	

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HIGHLAND & WESTERN ISLES VALUATION JOINT BOARD – COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

Introduction
Although our statutory obligations in local taxation and electoral registration mean that we cannot always bring the outcome you want, we should be able to deal with your case fairly, knowledgeably and courteously within a reasonable amount of time.

The Electoral Registration, Council Tax Valuation and Rating Valuation functions all have their own formal appeal procedures, but if your concern relates to other matters such as service, quality, courtesy and professionalism, and you feel dissatisfied with the service you have received from us, please feel free to make a complaint by completing the form overleaf and sending it to the address shown.	
	
How does the complaints procedure work?
	
	-	Stage one: We aim to resolve complaints quickly and close to where we provided the service.  This could mean:
•	an on-the-spot apology and explanation if something has clearly gone wrong
•	and immediate action to resolve the problem
•	an explanation from us that the service you seek from us is unreasonable

We will give you our decision at Stage 1 in 5 working days or less, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

If we can’t resolve your complaint at this stage, we will explain why. You may then wish to take your complaint to Stage 2 whereby you should detail the nature of your complaint in writing. 
	
	-	Stage two: Stage 2 deals with two types of complaint: those that have not been resolved at Stage 1 and those that are deemed Stage 2 which are generally more complex and require detailed investigation.

When using Stage 2 we will:
•	acknowledge receipt of your complaint within three working days
•	contact you if  we are unclear on any aspect of your complaint
•	give you a full response to the complaint as soon as possible and within 20 working days
If our investigation will take longer than 20 working days, we will tell you.  We will advise you of when we expect to complete our investigation.	
	
What if I remain dissatisfied with this response?

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After we have fully investigated, if you are still dissatisfied with our decision or the way we dealt with your complaint, you can ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) to look at it.

The SPSO cannot normally look at:
•	a complaint that has not completed our complaints procedure (so please make sure it has done so before contacting the SPSO)
•	events that happened, or that you became aware of, more than a year ago
•	a matter that has been or is being considered in court or part of proceedings yet to be heard before a committee of a valuation appeal panel

You can contact the SPSO:

In Person:					By Post:
SPSO						FREEPOST SPSO
Bridgeside House			        	
99 McDonald Road
Edinburgh				
EH7 4NS					

Freephone:  0800 377 7330
Online contact www.spso.org.uk/contact-us
Website:  www.spso.org.uk
Mobile site:  http://m.spso.org.uk

		Getting help to make your complaint

We understand that you may be unable, or reluctant, to make a complaint yourself.  We accept complaints from the representative of a person who is dissatisfied with our service.  We can take complaints from a friend, relative, or an advocate, if you have given them your consent to complain for you.

You can find out about advocates in your area by contacting the Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance.

Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance

Tel: 0131 260 5380 Fax: 0131 260 5381 Website: www.siaa.org.uk	

We are committed to making our service easy to use for all members of the community.  In line with our statutory equalities duties, we will always ensure that reasonable adjustments are made to help customers access and use our services.  If you have trouble putting your complaint in writing, or want this information in another language or format, such as large font, or Braille, tell us in person, contact us on 0800 393783, email us at assessor@highland.gov.uk 

If your complaint relates to any equality matter please let us know.