Museums and Heritage - Service Standards and Comments Cards

Our Service Standards

North Lanarkshire Council's Museums and Heritage section is part of North Lanarkshire Council's Learning and Leisure Service. 

We look after and promote the cultural heritage of North Lanarkshire through exhibitions, events, research and collections.

Our main responsibility is to protect North Lanarkshire's heritage for future generations. We also strive to educate and stimulate our visitors and local communities through creative use of our facilities.

We will work to ensure that everyone can benefit from the museums' diverse collections, services and expertise.  We aim to do this by improving access and creating a welcoming environment both on-site and on-line for all our customers.

We operate the following services:

Two Visitscotland 'Four Star' visitor attractions:

• Summerlee - Museum of Scottish Industrial Life, Heritage Way, Coatbridge
• Motherwell Heritage Centre, High Road, Motherwell

Together with a smaller 'two star' attraction within Shotts Library:

• Shotts Heritage Centre, Benhar Road, Shotts

The service also runs three other museum facilities. One in Cumbernauld Library, one in Kilsyth Library and the museum room within Colzium House, Kilsyth.

• We also operate the North Lanarkshire Archive & Records Centre at Lenziemill, Cumbernauld. Public access is welcomed here for enquiries into the records of former Councils, family histories, businesses and industries of the area.
• Local history services are also available from dedicated local history rooms at Airdrie Library and Motherwell Heritage Centre.

Our Promise to you:

 Our collections will be cared for in accordance with national standards set by the Museums Association (MA) accreditation criteria, the MA Code of Ethics and North Lanarkshire Council's Acquisitions and Disposals Policy.

• We will adhere to all standards set out within the Learning & Leisure Service.

• Our visitor attractions of Summerlee Museum and Motherwell Heritage Centre will continue to meet the standards set by the VisitScotland 'star' grading scheme, or any future equivalent.

• All staff will be trained and knowledgeable in their operational areas and be helpful and courteous in dealing with customer enquiries at all times.

• All our exhibitions will have clear and accurate information on display.

• All our facilities, exhibitions and events will comply with current UK health, safety and access legislation.
• We will strive to ensure that all letters and emails in response to enquiries are helpful, efficient, concise, polite and as friendly as the subject allows. We aim to ensure all information is correct and no personal opinions be offered.

• Written and verbal requests for facility or event bookings will be confirmed in writing in not more than 5 working days of the request.
• We aim to provide a response within 10 working days, for all other types of enquiry, unless dictated by legislation such as Freedom of Information requests or requests covered by the Data Protection Act.
• If a suitable response cannot be offered within 10 days, then a holding response will be sent stating the reasons for this delay in response

• We will consult with you on our performance through ongoing surveys, meetings and consultation groups throughout the year. We will publish the results on the Council's web-site and in leaflets at facilities as appropriate.
• Our services will be open and accessible to all. We will promote equality and diversity in all our activities and the way we treat customers and employees
• We are committed to being open about corporate information following the principles of Freedom of Information.
• Confidentiality of customers personal information will be maintained in accordance with Data Protection legislation
• We shall also adhere to all current child protection legislation

To help us achieve this we ask you to:

• Treat all museum and archive materials with care
• Be courteous to other users and staff
• Follow the council's management rules
• Help improve our services by giving us your feedback.

How to make comments or register complaints:

We welcome feedback from customers, both formal and informal. Please speak to our staff about any aspect of the service you have received, be it either good or bad.

Our staff will do their best to resolve any problems personally and will speak to the relevant  person or department if they cannot resolve it directly

If the complaint is not resolved you will be referred to a senior member of staff.

Points of view cards are available from publicly displayed dispensers at all facilities for you to register your comments. These cards are seen and reviewed by senior management as part of our aim to continually improve the service delivered to you. In addition a formal Complaints Procedure is available to you, should you require it. Copies are also available at facilities.

If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint you have the right to contact Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. 

However, If you wish to make direct contact with our Museums and Heritage service manager over any aspect of our service delivery, then please use the contact us box in the top right hand corner.

Thank you for your help