Complaints Policy Consultation

Feedback updated 26 Oct 2026

We asked

We asked for your view on Oxford City Council’s draft complaints policy before cabinet approval on 21st October 2026. The consultation ran from 18th June to 31st July 2026 and overall, we received 95 responses.

The complaints policy re-enforces the Councils commitment to listening to citizens and dealing with their feedback, concerns and complaints, in a fair and impartial way. Also to ensure fair and equal access for all citizens to the complaints process, whilst working in compliance to the Local Government Social Care Ombudsman’s code of conduct.

We asked you what you thought about the key principles of the policy, whether you had used our complaints process before and if so, what your experience was. Also, if you had any further comments regarding the policy content.

You said

  • 85% either strongly agreed or agreed with the principles set out within the policy with only 3% either disagreeing or strongly disagreeing
  • Only 19% said they had used our complaints process before with 69% saying they hadn’t
  • 58 people provided commentary, all of which have been reviewed with the following outcomes:
    • 24 did not relate specifically to the policy but were commenting on  previous experiences of how complaints had been managed
    • 8 provided positive comments in relation to the policy
    • 11 provided commentary that enabled a change to the policy to be made
    • 15 provided commentary in relation to the policy but after review, it was decided that no changes needed to be made

We did

The following changes were made to the policy after reviewing the comments:

  • To reflect that we will publish on our website quarterly any changes we make as a direct result of complaints
  • Removed wording “view complaints positively” as was confusing
  • Added a link to our website pages which details the different ways in which complaints can be raised
  • Reviewed and updated policy after checking for spelling, grammar and to ensure plain English was used
  • A section under “Service Requests” was removed and the wording updated after feedback that the content was confusing

Closed 31 Jul 2026

Opened 18 Jun 2026

Contact

MCHANDLER@oxford.gov.uk

Overview

Oxford City Council is developing its Complaints Policy 2026 and would like to hear your views on the draft policy.

Complaints play an important role in helping us identify where we can improve our services and how we respond to residents' concerns. By reviewing and updating our Complaints Policy, we aim to ensure that it is fair, accessible, and effective for everyone who uses our services.

We welcome your feedback on the draft policy. Your comments will help us shape the final version and ensure that it reflects the needs, expectations, and experiences of our residents.

Please share your views by completing the online survey below.

You can download and read the draft policy at the bottom of this page. Alternatively, you will be able to view it again as you progress through the survey.

Audiences

  • Anyone from any background

Interests

  • Policy