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Making a complaint

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We are here to help you.

Bury Housing Services is committed to delivering excellent services.

If something goes wrong, your feedback helps us to correct the issue and improve. We cannot investigate complaints if legal action has progressed to the courts, as these matters will be resolved by the court.

What’s a Service Request?

A service request is when you ask us to do something, like fix a repair, rearrange a missed appointment, or check on a service we provide.

  • It’s not a complaint.
  • It’s about getting something done.
  • We aim to sort it quickly, this is called early resolution.
  • If you're still unhappy after we try to fix it, you can ask for it to be treated as a formal complaint.

Click here to make a service request 

What’s a Complaint?

A complaint is when you're unhappy with something we’ve done or haven’t done and want us to investigate something that's happened within the last 12 months.

It’s an expression of dissatisfaction about:

  • Delays or missed actions to service requests.
  • The quality of service
  • How staff treated you or your home

Examples of complaints:

  • We didn’t follow our own policies or took too long.
  • We didn’t fix something properly or on time.
  • A staff member was rude or disrespectful.

What’s not a complaint:

  • You’re asking for a service for the first time.
  • Your request is still within the expected time.
  • The issue happened over 12 months ago (unless there are related ongoing unresolved issues).
  • It’s about anti-social behaviour (ASB), unless it is regarding the management of a case.
  • It’s a service we don’t manage.
  • It’s a legal matter or insurance claim.

We will usually treat any expression of dissatisfaction as a complaint. However, the following may not always be handled through our complaints process:

  • A first-time request for a service, such as reporting a repair, unless you are dissatisfied with how the request has been handled.
  • A service request that is still being dealt with within the published timescales, unless you are dissatisfied with the service provided.
  • An issue that occurred more than 12 months ago, unless there is a good reason for us to investigate it now.
  • A report of anti-social behaviour (ASB), unless you are dissatisfied with how we have managed your case.
  • An issue relating to a service that we do not provide. Where possible, we will direct you to the appropriate organisation.
  • Matters that are being dealt with from within a legal process. If you have an ongoing insurance claim, you can still make a complaint about the service you have received such as delays or communication.

Who Can Complain?

  • Any tenant or leaseholder of Bury Housing Services.
  • Someone else can complain on your behalf, but we would need written permission. Please see the 'Permission to Discuss' form at the bottom of this page.

How to Make a Complaint

If you’re unhappy with a service we gave in the last 12 months, you can:

  • Complain online. Scan the QR code below to complete the form on your smart phone or tablet:

  • Email us at complaintsandcomplimentshousing@bury.gov.uk 
  • Visit us at Bury Town Hall, Knowsley Place, Knowsley Street, Bury, BL9 0ST.
  • Call us at 0161 686 8000.
  • Write to us at Bury Housing Services, Bury Town Hall. Knowsley Place, Knowsley Street, Bury, BL9 0ST.
  • Send a private message to us on our Facebook page.
  • Face-to-face during community events, home visits, sign-up or walkabouts. 
  • Via a representative such as a councillor or MP.

What Happens Next?

Stage 1 – First Response

  • We’ll acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days.
  • A Complaints Investigator will respond within 10 working days.
  • If we need more time, we’ll let you know and agree a new date.

Stage 2 – Appeal

  • If you’re still unhappy, you can appeal.
  • It would be helpful to know what you remain unsatisfied with and what you expect to put it right.
  • We’ll acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days.
  • A Head of Service will respond within 20 working days.

What to do if you're still unhappy

If you still remain unhappy about your complaint, you have the option to take your complaint to The Housing Ombudsman Service. They will usually expect you to have told us about your complaint and have given us a chance to put things right. They’ll check if we’ve followed the right process and tried to resolve things fairly. The Housing Ombudsman Service can be contacted in the following ways:

Accessibility 

Multilingual videos have been created by the Housing Ombudsman to help residents understand how to make a complaint and access their service. You can find them here.

If you need information in a different format or require support, please contact us.

You can read more about our website accessibility here.

Make a complaint