Comments, compliments and complaints
If you want to make a comment about social services, or if you want to compliment any of our services, you can:
- Tell the person who provides you with the service.
- Fill in the form at the back of the council’s ‘Welcoming Your Views’ leaflet (available at all council offices).
- Submit a form on-line at www.salford.gov.uk/complaintsform.
- Write to the manager of the service with your comments or compliments.
Anyone can make a comment or compliment. Someone can do it for you.
If you are unhappy with a service you may wish to make a complaint.
Making a complaint
We need to know what you think about our services, so that we can improve them. Making a complaint will not result in worse treatment or services for you.
Who can complain?
You can make a complaint if you are an adult receiving or wanting social services (defined by the NHS and Community Care Act 1990). A relative or carer can also make a complaint for you if you agree to this. Some advocacy organisations will help you to make a complaint.
How you can complain
- Try to explain to the member of staff with whom you are in contact or to their manager what the problem is and what you would like to happen.
- Write your complaint at the back of the ‘Welcoming Your Views’ leaflet (get a copy from any council building or phone 793 2241). You should hand it in to the service you are complaining about.
- Fill in an online form at www.salford.gov.uk/complaintsform.
- Contact the Customer Care Manager for Community, Health and Social Care.
Customer Care Manager
Community, Health and Social Care,
Salford City Council,
Crompton House,
100 Chorley Road,
Swinton, M27 6BP
tel: 0161 793 2233
textphone: 0161 793 2111
email: social.services@salford.gov.uk
Getting help to make a complaint
If you need help to explain your complaint or to write it down, ask a member of staff to help you or ask the Customer Care Manager. We can arrange for someone independent (an advocate) to help you make the complaint. We can also arrange interpreters or any communication aids if you need this.
What happens next?
If the complaint is about an organisation providing services outside of the council, we will pass the complaint to that organisation. The organisation should deal with your complaint using its own procedures.
If the complaint is not about social services, but is about another part of the council, we'll pass the complaint to the right person.
If the complaint is about social services and another part of the council or about social services and part of the NHS, we'll tell you that we have received your complaint and who will be looking into the problem.
In Community, Health and Social Care, there are three stages to the complaints procedure. Most complaints are sorted out at the first stage.
Stage 1 Problem solving
When we receive your complaint, a member of staff (usually the manager) will meet with you to see if things can be sorted out. They will look into what has happened and try to put things right. When they have looked at your complaint fully, they will contact you and explain what they have found and what they will be doing to make things better, if anything.
We aim to sort out complaints at Stage 1 in 10 working days.
Stage 2 Formal investigation
If the problem can't be sorted out and you are still unhappy, you should tell us. An independent person will complete a formal investigation and produce a report. We will write to you telling you what will happen next, if anything, and send you a copy of the report.
We aim to complete the report within 25 working days.
Sometimes the work cannot be done this quickly, in which case we will let you know the reasons for this.
The report must be completed within 65 working days.
Stage 3 Review panel
If you're still unhappy then you can ask for a review panel. You need to tell us, in writing if possible, what it is that you are still unhappy about. The panel will look at how your complaint was investigated and what the directorate has done. The panel will write a report about what it has found and what it recommends should happen. The panel will send the report to the Strategic Director of Community, Health and Social Care. You will also get a copy of the report.
The Strategic Director will write to you within 15 working days of receiving the report from the panel.
After the Review panel
The Review panel is the end of our process, but if you are still unhappy you can contact the Local Government Ombudsman.
Local Government Ombudsman
Beverley House,
17 Shipton Road,
York, YO30 5FZ.
tel: 01904 663200
www.lgo.org.uk
Commission for Social Care Inspection
If your complaint is about a residential or nursing home you can contact the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) which is responsible for registering and inspecting these establishments.
Commission for Social Care Inspection,
11th Floor West Point,
501 Chester Road,
Old Trafford,
Manchester, M16 9HU
tel: 0161 880 2300
www.csci.org.uk
This page was last updated on 05 December 2007
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