Our Feedback Procedure

Click to here to download our Feedback Procedure

We try very hard to get things right first time. If you feel we have provided a good service in any area, please tell us so that we can try to continue to do this.

Similarly if you have any suggestions that would help us improve our services, please let us know.

However if you are not happy with any of the services we provide, please tell us and we will do our best to put things right using our complaints procedure.

How to give feedback

You can give your feedback i.e. make a compliment, complaint or suggestion via:

How we deal with your compliments and suggestions

Compliments are passed on to the staff who provide the service.

Suggestions are evaluated by our management team, which includes the Chief Executive and Directors.

How we deal with your complaints

Your first step – Stage 1

We take up your complaint with the person or people responsible for providing the service you wish to complain about.

We will then do our best to resolve your complaint as quickly as possible and normally within 10 working days.

If we cannot resolve your complaint within 10 working days we will let you know.

Some complaints are covered by specific laws or procedures and may need to be dealt with in different ways. We will advise you if this is the case.

A service request such as reporting a repair or a heating problem will not be treated as a complaint unless we fail to take action within set timescales or resolve the issue to your satisfaction. Such requests will not normally go through the complaints procedure but will be dealt with as soon as possible by our staff.

Your second step – Stage 2

If you have not received an answer to your complaint within 10 working days or if you are not happy with our answer, please re-contact the person you were dealing with.

You should then request that your complaint be progressed to stage two of the complaints procedure Your complaint will then be forwarded to our Complaints Officer. Alternatively you can contact our Complaints Officer directly by letter:

Address: FCHO Complaints Officer,1 Medtia Square, Phoenix Street, Oldham, OL1 1AN

Our Complaints Officer will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and ensure that it is fully investigated. You should receive a full answer within 10 working days. If this is not possible we will let you know what is being done about your complaint, who is dealing with it and when you can expect a full answer.

When we are looking into your complaint it may be helpful to ask you for further information, either by phone or by arranging to meet you.

Your third step – Stage 3

If our Complaints Officer does not remedy your complaint, you can ask for your complaint to be considered by the OMBC’s Complaints Officer.

You can do this by asking a member of staff to refer your complaint onto the Council Complaints Officer or you can do this directly by writing to:

Corporate Complaints Officer, Chief Executive’s Department, O.M.B.C, Civic Centre, West Street, Oldham OL1 1UL.

Your complaint will be acknowledged within 5 working days. A full response should be given within 20 working days. If this is not possible you should receive a letter confirming what is being done, who is doing it and when you can expect a full answer.

Other ways to complain

Our complaints procedure does not affect your right to contact your Ward Councillor.

To find out who your Ward Councillor is, please telephone 0161 770 4013.

If you are not satisfied with the result of your complaint, or the way we have dealt with it, you can ask the Local Government Ombudsman to investigate. You should allow us reasonable opportunity to investigate and respond to your complaint before contacting the Ombudsman:

Address: The Local Government Ombudsman, Beverley House, 17 Shipton Road, York YO30 5FZ.  Tel: 01904 380 200  Fax: 01904 380 269

You can also  write to your Member of Parliament. To find out who your Member of Parliament is, please telephone 0161 770 4013

Contact Details

For more information please contact your local housing office.

Or email: fcho.feedback@oldham.gov.uk.