Merton Council is to launch a new complaints leaflet in February entitled ‘Comments, Complaints and Compliments’, in response to the Council’s policy to update and maintain high standards of practice.

In 2000, Merton came second out of 33 London Authorities surveyed which praised Merton for the way in which it handles complaints.

The new leaflet, replaces the Council’s previous complaints leaflet and aims to encourage residents to tell the Council when it provides a good service as well as a bad one. Information in the new leaflet has also been updated to record complaints of racial harassment and discrimination.

Each leaflet provides free postage. Once Merton has received a completed leaflet, it will be forwarded to the relevant department and replied to within 15 days.

Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services, Councillor Geraldine Stanford, said: ?Residents feedback is vital in helping the Council provide efficient services for those who live and work in the borough. The new leaflet aims to encourage people to tell us where we’re going right as well as wrong.

‘Our residents are valued customers and it is important we listen to their views and experiences when dealing with Council, so we can learn to provide a service which is tailored to them.’

The ‘Comments, Complaints and Compliments’ leaflet is available from:

*Merton’s Libraries
*Merton Link – Merton’s new one stop shop based at the Civic Centre in Morden
*Tenants and residents associations
*Most voluntary organisations throughout the borough
*Department of Commerce
*Vestry Hall in Mitcham