Serious look at council gripes

Oldham councillors want to make it easier for people to complain about the way the authority is run — and to learn from mistakes if complaints are justified.

Anyone unhappy with the council can make a complaint, although adult and children’s social care, and schools, are dealt with separately.

Complaints should be acknowledged in five days, followed by an action plan which will be shared and agreed with the person complaining.

Low level cases should be actioned and completed in 20 working days, more serious cases in 40 working days, and in 60 days for the most serious cases.

If there is no satisfactory outcome, the complainant should be directed to the local Government Ombudsman.

A regular review of complaints will be made by the Customer Service Strategy Board, to make sure procedures are robust, improvements are made and good practice is spread across the authority.

People whose case is justified and causes them time and trouble could be paid compensation ranging from £50 to £250, but anyone taking legal action or litigation would not qualify.

The new complaints procedure is likely to be approved by councillors at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.