How to contact us:

Customer Relations Team
Adult Services Directorate
Newcastle City Council
Civic Centre
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 8PA

Phone 0191 211 6340
Textphone 0191 211 6388
Fax 0191 211 4955
E-mail adultservices.customer@newcastle.gov.uk

What we do

The Customer Relations Team has responsibility for:

• Management, co-ordination and improvement of the  adult and children's social care services comments and complaints process from access to the procedure through to resolution for complainants and feedback into service improvements.
• Development of information for the public about adult social care services.
• Co-ordination of user and carer involvement and community engagement in adult social care services.

The Customer Relations Team is based in the Adult Services Directorate. The team also handles complaints about children's social care services on behalf of the Children's Services Directorate.

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Who's who in the Customer Relations Team

Margaret Ballarini, Complaints Manager
Responsible for:

• co-ordination and management of the complaints function for adult and children's social care services
• co-ordination of user and carer involvement activities
• community engagement and research governance
• equalities and diversity
• external and internal communication strategies including information for the public and web development .

Hilary Roberts, Customer Relations Officer (Children's social care services)
James Hillery, Customer Relations Officer (Adult social care services)
Responsible for:

• investigation and resolution of stage 2 social services complaints for adults and children
• development of complaints process ensuring lessons are learnt and acted upon
• children’s complaints officer role with special responsibility for complaints from looked after children and young people

Marie Calvert, Complaints Officer - Social Care
Responsible for:

• working with managers to ensure early resolution of complaints.

Richard Openshaw Admin Assistant
Responsible for:

• initial response to people making comments and complaints, administration of the comments and complaints process including maintaining database and web site, assisting with production and dissemination of information and admin support to unit.

Responsibility for communications transferred to the Corporate Communications and Marketing Unit in June 2007. The Customer Relations Unit will continue to respond to requests for publications.