Home care and care home providers rarely make mistakes on purpose, but you are receiving a service and if there are problems, you may want to make a formal complaint.
Here's how to go about it.
How to complain
Before you start, think about what you want to achieve.
Are you trying to make sure you are?
- getting the help that’s needed
- to get an explanation for what went wrong and an apology
- to get someone disciplined or prosecuted
- to make the service better so that other people don't have the same experience
- to get compensation
No matter if the care is provided by the local authority, a private company, or a voluntary organisation, by law, every provider must have a complaints procedure. Ask for a copy and then follow the steps.
What happens next?
The service you've complained to should acknowledge your concern and tell you how they'll look into it. The investigation should happen quickly, and so should the solution. They should also keep you informed about how the investigation is going. You may be invited to a meeting to discuss your complaint, offered mediation or other routes to settle the issue. You don't have to go alone. Take someone with you.
They are required to respond to you once they have investigated. The response should:
- explain how the complaint was looked into
- what conclusions were reached, and what steps they plan to take next
- tell you how you can take your complaint further
What happens if you're still not happy?
You can talk to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman about a review if you're not satisfied with the outcome.
You can also inform The Care Quality Commission (CQC) - or the regulatory body in your part of the country (Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland). Even though the CQC won't follow up for you, if they get enough complaints, they will re-inspect the service.
People are often hesitant to complain because they fear retaliation but we've found that most care providers want to provide a great service, and if you complain in the right way, you can help them do just that.