We are responsible for services for children, young people and their families in relation to:
- education
- community health
- social care
We welcome all feedback from our service users. It is not within our remit however to investigate complaints about schools. We recommend that you contact your child’s school direct.
Compliments and Comments
Would you like to compliment one of our employees or teams? Would you like to make a comment on any aspect of our service? If so, please contact us using the details on the page.
Complaints
Should you need to make a complaint about our services, please note that the Complaints Procedure cannot be used to challenge the opinion of a professional. We are also not permitted to look into matters that are current:
- Court proceedings
- Tribunals
- Disciplinary proceedings
- Criminal proceedings
In some circumstances a complaint investigation can be deferred until these proceedings have concluded. However, it is not possible to challenge a decision made by any of the above proceedings through the Complaints Procedure. This is a matter for you to discuss with your legal representative.
How to make a complaint
Procedures: Non Statutory
Procedures: Statutory
You can also view our Customer Feedback Policy.
View our Easy Read guide on how to make a complaint
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
You can contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) at any stage of your complaint. However, the LGSCO will usually recommend that the complaint is initially pursued via our Complaints Procedure.
The LGSCO has a fast track procedure for dealing with complaints made by, or on behalf of, children and young people up to the age of 19 (or 25 if they have a disability).
You can contact the LGSCO at:
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
PO Box 4771
Coventry
CV4 0EH
Phone: 0300 061 0614
Online: www.lgo.org.uk/making-a-complaint
- Please complete a Get it Sorted form - remember if you print this leaflet yourself you will need to seal the edges
- If you are in care, please contact our Beeline service at 0800 0288228 which is a freephone telephone service. It is answered personally through the working day, and if you ring outside office hours you can leave a message. You can also:
- Fill in a complaint form and send it to the address on the form.
- Write to the Complaints Manager
- Ask someone else to complain for you
If you would like the support of an independent advocate to help during the complaints procedure please let the Complaints Manager know.
- If you are a parent or carer, please complete a Listening and Learning form - please note if you print this leaflet yourself you will need to seal the edges
Alternatively, you can contact the Complaints Manager.
Local Authorities have a Statutory Duty to publish an Annual report in respect of social care complaints. The purpose of this report is to ensure complaints information for the Together for Families Directorate is available to the public, our Elected Members and our employees.
The report is an indication of the importance of feedback from service users and their representatives on the Directorate’s performance. Through monitoring and evaluating compliments, comments and complaints, our leadership team gains information on the services that are delivered to good standard and also those that need some improvement. We then make changes to policies, procedures and practices as a result of the learning recorded from your feedback.
Our latest report includes both statutory and non-statutory complaints which have been concluded.