Listening to you
We are committed to providing you with a good and fair services. Although we strive for that quality, sometimes we don't always get it right and when this happens it is important that you let us know. By doing this, we can put things right for you and for everyone else who uses council services.
Comments, complaints or suggestions?
You can use our online forms to make any comments, suggestions or complaints about council services or the way you have been treated. We are always aiming to improve our services so we need to know where we are performing well as well as where we could improve.
Bury Metropolitan Borough Council’s definition of a complaint
A complaint is a way of informing the Council that you are not happy with a particular service. It may be about the standard of service you have received, delay, lack of communication, discourtesy or failure to consult. So please let us know if:
- You think we have not got it right;
- We have not done something we said we would do; or
- You are not satisfied with a particular service or set of services that we provide.
Please note: We do not class an initial request for service as a complaint. For example, when you first let us know about a street light not working, this is not considered to be a complaint.
Complaints process
Step 1 - sorting out your complaint quickly - where to go first
- The first step is to speak to the member of staff responsible for providing the service you want to complain about.
- If you do not want to do this, or if you are not happy with the response you receive, ask to speak to that person's manager.
At this stage, we will record your comments and take action to make sure the problem does not happen again. We hope we can sort out most complaints in this way.
Step 2 - the formal process - what to do next
If we have not settled the matter at step 1, you can do the following.
- Put the complaint in writing by completing the on line form or printing off the form and complete by hand.
- When you have filled in the form, hand it in or send it to the customer care officer.
- Once we receive your complaint, the customer care officer will record it and then ask a senior member of staff to investigate it.
- Within five working days we will send you a letter telling you who is dealing with your complaint. Within 20 working days we will send you another letter explaining the results of our investigation. If we have not finished our investigations within 20 working days, we will tell you why and let you know when we hope to give you a full response.
Step 3 - if we cannot settle your complaint
If you are not happy with the results of our investigation you can take the complaint further. You can do this by contacting:
Other information
You do not have to make the complaint yourself - someone can complain on your behalf and be your representative or spokesperson. This could be for example a relative, a friend or someone from a voluntary agency.
You can use our online forms to make any comments, suggestions or complaints about council services or the way you have been treated. We are always aiming to improve our services so we need to know where we are performing well as well as where we could improve.
Online comments, suggestions and complaints form - For any comments, complaints or suggestions you would like to make or for general information requests.
Online report a problem form - Use this to report a problem (rather than to make a complaint) with council services e.g. bin not emptied.
Website feedback - For problems, comments or suggestions about our website e.g. unable to access a page, web page errors, broken links etc.
Employee achievement awards - Nominate a member of staff, or a team, who have gone the extra mile for you, your community or your organisation.
Please use the following link for comments, complaints and compliments regarding Bury Social Care Services, who follow a seperate process.
The complaints form is also available as a booklet,‘Your Voice Counts’. This information can be made available in large print or cassette and arrangements for translation or interpretation can be provided if required. To request a copy of the booklet or for more information please contact us by telephoning 0161 253 5236 (Town Hall Reception Desk).
We will deal with all complaints impartially, objectively, professionally and in confidence.
Report a Problem with our Service
If you wish to report a problem rather than make a complaint about Council services, for example your bin has not been emptied, you can use the online report a problem form which is a quick and easy way to report a problem.
