Home > Customer Relations

Customer Relations

Newcastle Borough Council prides itself on the quality of service delivered to our customers.  We welcome any feedback; it enables us to recognise our achievements and pinpoint areas for improvement.

Compliments and Comments

To make comments or to compliment a service or member of staff please complete the on-line form, email crelations@newcastle-staffs.gov.uk or telephone the Customer Contact Centre on 01782 717717.

Complaints

The Council’s complaints system is an agreed three-stage process:

Stage 1 – solving the problem directly with the relevant department
Stage 2 – escalate to the Customer Relations Officer for investigation and resolution
Stage 3 – submit case to the Local Government Ombudsman if resolution is not  considered satisfactory

How do I complain?

Stage 1

Most problems can be resolved informally by speaking directly to staff in the section responsible.  Please refer to the online ‘A-Z of Services’ for contact details or submit the online form.  If you have put your complaint in writing you should receive an acknowledgement within 3 working days of receipt, and a full resolution within 20 working days of receipt.

If you are not satisfied with your response you can progress your complaint to Stage 2.

Stage 2

You can submit your complaint in writing using the online form to the Customer Relations Officer who will, independently of the department concerned, investigate it.  Your complaint should be acknowledged within 3 working days and responded to in full within 20 working days.  If it is anticipated that a response will take longer due to the complexity of the situation, the Customer Relations Officer will keep you informed of progress.

If you experience any difficulties filling in the online form please contact crelations@newcastle-staffs.gov.uk

Stage 3

If the Council has taken all reasonable measures to resolve your problem but you are still not satisfied you can take your case to the Local Government Ombudsman.  The LGO will only investigate instances of ‘maladministration’ and only where the Council has been given full opportunity to resolve the issue.  For more details please refer to www.lgo.org.uk or telephone 0845 602 1983 or 02476 821960.

You can write to the LGO at:

Local Government Ombudsman
The Oaks
No 2 Westwood Way
Westwood Business Park
Coventry
CV4 8JB

The Standards Board for England

If you want to complain about the way a Councillor or Member of Newcastle Under Lyme Borough Council has behaved, you can complaint to The Standards Board for England.

The Standards Board for England independently investigates allegations of breach of the Council’s Code of Conduct, helping to promote the ethical behaviour of Members and Co-opted Members who serve on Local Authorities.  For more details please refer to www.standardsboard.gov.uk.