1.2.1 Complaints and Representations

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In March 2022, this chapter was refreshed throughout in line with local guidance.

The complaints process is covered in:

Our Customer Feedback Policy
The "Have your Say" Leaflet covers the CYP specific process. (See Have your Say - Customer Feedback Leaflet);
The Government document "Getting the best from Complaints" also covers the CYP process in detail.

For staff training purposes the complaint process is as follows:

Service request – Has the service had an opportunity to address and rectify the issue? If not then try deal with the issue as a service request;
Stage 1 – Has the service attempted to resolve the issue but the service user is unsatisfied and wishes to escalate to an official Complaint? If yes then they need to contact the feedback team:
- Online here;
- Telephone - 01332 640000 Monday to Friday 09:00 to 15:00.
Ideally it should be completed within 10 Working Days but can take up to 20 Working days;
Stage 2 – If the user is dissatisfied with the Stage 1 response then they can request an escalation to a Stage 2 Investigation that is carried out by an Investigating Officer and a independent Person.

Ideally the investigation should be complete within 25 Working Days but can be extended to 65 working days.
Stage 3 – If the Service User is unhappy with the Stage 2 Investigation, then they can request that it be reviewed by a Panel. The panel consists of three independent people, none of which can have had any contact with the case previously, with one of them acting as the Panel Chair.

The Panel would aim to commence within 30 days of the request.
Compliments – These are often given direct to the Worker or Manager who can then pass them onto the Customer Insight Officer for recording.

The Service User can also make comments using the usual service specific feedback service.