Making a complaint

In order to ensure that we have all the information we need to be able to process your complaint, please complete our online complaints form.
Potential Complainants are encouraged to explore whether the matter can be resolved without the need to submit a formal complaint under this process and also encouraged to think about the outcomes and/or remedy they are seeking.

Complaints submitted online will be automatically acknowledged immediately. If submitted by any other means, we will acknowledge your complaint within five working days. Reasonable adjustments can be made to assist anyone who has a disability that prevents a complaint being made online. Please contact the Monitoring Officer, at monitoringofficer@northdevon.gov.uk or North Devon Council, PO Box 379, Barnstaple, EX32 2GR.  

Complaint confidentiality

When we receive a complaint, the Member who is being complained about will, in normal circumstances, be told who has complained about them.
Confidentiality may be permitted where the Monitoring Officer is satisfied that there are very good grounds for withholding the Complainant’s identity. If you ask for your identity to be kept confidential, the Monitoring Officer will consider your request before telling the subject Member that a complaint has been made. Anonymous complaints will not therefore be accepted for consideration unless they are exceptionally serious or significant.

Where a Complainant asks for their identity to be kept confidential, the Monitoring Officer will consider the request before informing the subject Member that a complaint has been made. If the Monitoring Officer doesn't think it is appropriate to grant a request for confidentiality the Complainant will be offered the opportunity to withdraw the complaint rather than proceed with it. In a case where confidentiality is granted, the Monitoring Officer will decide how the complaint should be taken forward.