Make a complaint

How to make a complaint

Contents

Complaints about adult social care

Some complaints about adult social care services must be handled under a statutory complaints procedure. This procedure is set out in The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 and applies to:

•    Local authorities
•    NHS organisations
•    Primary care providers
•    Independent providers delivering NHS or social care services

We work closely with Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to make sure this statutory process is followed consistently across jointly delivered services.

There are two stages to the adults statutory complaints procedure:

Stage 1 - local or commissioned investigation.

When we receive a complaint about adult social care, our Complaints Team will:

  • Carry out an initial assessment. We check whether the issue can be dealt with under the statutory procedure and whether the eligibility criteria are met.
  • Identify the specific issues to be investigated - allocate the complaint to an investigating officer. This is usually the manager responsible for the service the complaint relates to.
  • We will write to you to explain:
    • That your complaint will be investigated under the statutory process
    • What will be looked at
    • Who will be completing the investigation and providing the response

If your complaint cannot be dealt with under the statutory procedure, we will inform you. Where appropriate, we will provide further advice or signpost you to an alternative process or organisation.

After the investigation is completed, you will receive a written response explaining:

  • How your complaint was considered
  • The findings of the investigation
  • Any actions we will take to resolve the issues you raised

Stage 2 – Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

If you have completed all stages of our procedure and are still unhappy with the outcome, you can ask the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to review your complaint. The Ombudsman is independent and looks at whether we acted fairly, followed proper processes, and responded appropriately.

Find out more about the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Appeals about Your Adult Social Care Assessment

If you don’t agree with a decision about your care, you can ask for it to be looked at again.

How to ask for an Appeal:

  • Talk to the person who made the decision.
  • Fill out the appeals form on our website.

Who can ask for an Appeal?  

  • Anyone affected by the decision can ask for an Appeal. You can also ask someone else, like a family member, friend, or doctor, to do it for you.

What decisions can be Appealed?

  • Decisions about the type or amount of care you get, under the Care Act 2014.

What decisions can’t be Appealed?

  • Decisions made more than six weeks ago.
  • Decisions that have already been reviewed.
  • Decisions made by other parts of the council or health services.

How we handle your Appeal:

  • We’ll let you know we got your request within three working days.
  • We’ll contact you within seven working days to explain your options.
  • If you’re still unhappy once the decision has been reviewed, you can contact the Local Government Ombudsman at 0300 0610614 or by mail at PO Box 4771, Coventry, CV4 0EH.
  • If you use British Sign Language, you can contact us through InterpretersLive! This is a free online service provided by SignSolutions.

If you are unable to use the online appeals form: