How we deal with complaints
Time limits
You should raise your complaint within 12 months of:
- when the issue happened, or
- when you first became aware of it.
We may accept complaints after this time if:
- we can still investigate it properly
- it would have been unfair to expect you to complain sooner.
Our complaint process
We aim to handle all complaints fairly and within set timeframes. Most complaints follow these steps:
1. Make a service request
Before making a formal complaint, please report the issue to us. This gives us a chance to fix it.
A service request is when you ask us to:
- provide or improve a service
- fix a problem
- reconsider a decision.
If you're not happy with the outcome, you can move on to a formal complaint.
2. Stage One complaint
- A senior staff member from the relevant service will review your complaint.
- You’ll get a response within 10 working days of our acknowledgement.
- If you're not satisfied, you can ask for a Stage Two review.
3. Stage Two complaint
- The Manchester Feedback and Complaints Service will handle this stage.
- They are independent of the service you’re complaining about.
- You’ll get a response within 20 working days of our acknowledgement.
- We’ll tell you who to contact if you’re still unhappy.
What you can expect at every stage
We will:
- acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days
- let you know if we need more time:
- up to 10 extra working days at Stage One
- up to 20 extra working days at Stage Two
- share the name of the person who investigated your complaint
- explain their decision
- advise you on taking a complaint further if needed.
Representatives
You are welcome to seek help from a representative when raising your complaint. However, to make sure your complaint is handled in line with our policies, if you send a complaint to a Senior Council Officer, a Council Member, or to your MP, it will then be sent on to our Feedback and Complaints Service.
More information on how we deal with complaints is included in our policy.