Top tips to complain about elderly care
Making a complaint to any organisation can be difficult, time consuming and stressful, so these tips may help to make the process easier both for you and for the person dealing with your complaint
Don’t delay
Complain as soon as possible after the event. It is much easier to remember all the details and there will be less argument as less time has elapsed since the incident you are complaining about
Check any time limit for your complaint to be lodged so you don’t miss any deadlines.
If you are unhappy with the reply, you may have the opportunity to take your complaint to a second stage. Again, do so as soon as possible and explain why you are not satisfied with the first reply.
Make checks
When you have decided to complain, make sure you are complaining to the right organisation and the right department within that organisation.
Usually, the head of the department that you are complaining about is the best first point of contact
Tell them it’s a complaint
Tell them straight away this is a complaint and that you want it put through the complaints procedure.
Ask for details of the complaints procedure and find out who will be handling your complaint.
Put it in writing
It is helpful to put your complaint in writing if you can.
If this isn’t something you feel comfortable doing, you could ask a friend, carer, family member, or an organisation like Citizens Advice to help you.
Make sure to write ‘complaint’ at the top of your letter or email, so there can be no doubt.
Be clear and brief
Cover all the relevant points, but be as brief as you can
Avoid writing long letters or emails – you may feel you need to write in great detail, but in most cases this is not necessary.
Make it easy to read by using numbered lists and headings to highlight the important issues.
Give your contact telephone and email details, as well as your address. Then, if the person dealing with the complaint needs more information, he or she can contact you and ask
Provide evidence
Send copies of relevant documents, but only if they will help the complaint officer understand your complaint, or if they provide evidence to support your complaint.
Make sure you keep copies of anything you send
Keep notes of any telephone calls about the complaint, including the name of the person you spoke to. This may be important later.
Check it through
Get family or friends to read your complaint before you send it. If they can’t understand it, then the person you send it to is likely to struggle too
Be clear about what you want
Explain clearly what you hope to achieve by complaining
Be realistic: your aims need to be fair and proportionate to the problems you have had
Be polite
Whether writing or speaking to a complaint officer, try to remain polite and calm
Be assertive, not aggressive. Your experience of making a complaint is likely to be more productive if you calmly discuss the issues with the complaint officer
Getting angry tends not to lead to a better outcome and just makes the complaint process unpleasant for everyone
Respond appropriately
Respond appropriately if asked to do so by the complaint officer and read any letters and documents that are sent to you.
If for some reason you cannot reply within the stated timescale, such as if you are unwell or away on holiday, tell them why and ask for more time
Be patient
It may take some time for your complaint to be considered
Don’t be afraid to chase politely if nothing seems to be happening to progress matters.
Who to complain to about adult services care
If you have a complaint about adult services care, the first thing to do is complain to the council or care provider
You can find out how to complain from your local council, or care provider via their website or by telephoning them
In most cases, the body complained about must have be given sufficient time to sort out the complaint
If there is still an issue, you can take the complaint to your Local Government Ombudsman.
The role of the Local Government Ombudsman ( LGO)
The Local Government Ombudsmen inEnglanddeals with complaints about local authorities and certain other bodies, including all types of adult social care providers.
The LGO can look at complaints about:
- Care arranged directly with a care provider by someone paying with their own/family money, or someone using money provided by a council
- Care provided by a council.
Everyone has access to the same independent Ombudsman service, regardless of how the care service is funded.
Contact your local council to understand their complaints procedure
Call the LGO Advice Team on 0300 061 0614 or 0845 602 1983
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