You can help us to improve our services by providing your feedback.
We would like to hear from you if:
- You have an idea that will help the council to do things better
- We have done a good job
- We have done something wrong or you want to complain
We also have a direct reporting service for issues such as requesting Council Tax reviews, missed bins and other environmental issues, which can be accessed below:
How to get in touch to give formal feedback
By email to: complaints@rossendalebc.gov.uk
In writing: Corporate Support Team, Rossendale Borough Council, Futures Park, Bacup, Rossendale, OL13 0BB.
Other formats are available on request, please telephone 01706 217777 and ask for the Corporate Support Team for information.
We aim to:
- Write to you within 24 hours to tell you that your complaint/feedback is being dealt with.
- Send you a full reply within a further 10 working days, or keep you informed of the progress of your complaint/feedback should it take longer than 2 weeks to resolve. This is stage 1 of the process.
- Provide you with a right to have your case reviewed by a senior manager if you are dissatisfied with the reply you receive or the action taken. This is stage 2 of the process.
Complaints procedure
View the full complaints procedure in this section to find out more about how we will deal with your complaint.
Complaints to the Local Government Ombudsman
If after your complaint has been through stages 1 and 2 of our procedures and you are not satisfied with the council's response to your complaint, you can contact the Local Government Ombudsman.
Please note that if the council has not had the opportunity to investigate a complaint, then the Local Government Ombudsman is likely to refer this back to us for investigation in the first instance.
The Ombudsman usually cannot look at a complaint if you have the right of appeal or can take legal action. This might be through:
- a tribunal (such as the Housing Benefit Appeals Service or Valuation Tribunal)
- a government minister (such as a planning appeal)
- the courts
Further information about appeals, disputes and ways to challenge decisions of the council, can be found in the web pages for our individual service areas.
Customer service standards
Our customer commitment is:
"To put customers first, at all times and at every point of contact"
We will aim to:
- Deal with all enquiries effectively, provide accurate information and keep you informed throughout.
- Find the best way to resolve your query if we can't help you straightaway.
- Respond to enquiries fully and accurately within 10 working days, however if this is not possible we will keep you informed at all stages.
- Be polite and helpful and treat you with dignity and respect; in return we ask that you treat us in the same way.
- See you within 15 minutes of arrival, when you visit our One Stop Shop.
- Provide name and department details when answering telephone calls. Where this is not possible we will have voicemail available for you to leave a message.
- Communicate with you in plain English, without using technical jargon.
- Make appointments available on request if you wish to see us face to face.
- Work with you and involve you in the development and delivery of our service.
- Have a feedback scheme for when you wish to comment, compliment or complain about the service you have received.
Making a complaint about a councillor
We have our own procedure for handling complaints against councillors. Details on the code of conduct, which councillors must abide by, and how to make a complaint can be found in the making a complaint about a councillor section.