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Complaints in Social Care. Helen Pettengell. Complaints procedure is required by law. It is a legal requirement to have a complaints procedure. Regulation 19 Outcome 17. Essential Standards of Quality & Safety – Glossary Complaint.
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Complaints in Social Care Helen Pettengell
Complaints procedure is required by law • It is a legal requirement to have a complaints procedure. • Regulation 19 • Outcome 17
Essential Standards of Quality & Safety – Glossary Complaint • ‘An expression of dissatisfaction with something. This can relate to any aspect of a person’s care, treatment or support & can be expressed orally, in gesture or in writing’.
Essential Outcome Areas • Outcome 1 – Respecting & involving people who use services. • Outcome 16 – Assessing & monitoring the quality of service provision. • Outcome 17 – Complaints. • Outcome 21 – Records.
Regulation 19 - Complaints In summary: • Must have an effective ‘complaints system’ in place. • Bring it to the attention of service users in a suitable manner & format. • Provide support where assistance is necessary. • Ensure complaint is fully investigated. • Send a summary to the Commission as requested.
Appendix B of Essential Standards of Quality & Safety • Need to comply with the principles of good complaint handling (Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman, 2008).
Monitoring Compliance • Once registered must continue to comply with the Essential Standards of Quality & Safety. • Focus of compliance will be on the 16 essential standards. • CQC will use complaints to monitor the quality. • Information will be included on the QRP. • Informal/formal enforcement action where required.
Since April 2009 • Common approach to complaints in Health & Social Care – except for private fee paying individuals. • Complaint procedures should now only have one stage before the complainant can go to the LGO. • Local resolution stage.
About the LGO • 3 offices – London, Coventry & York. • Coventry is also the customer call centre. • Role is to investigate complaints alleging maladministration & from October 2010 this includes complaints from fee paying individuals. .
Accessibility • Clear & understandable. • It is well publicised. • It is accessible.
Communication • Direct contact. • Effective communication. • Effective recording.
Timeliness • It is concluded within an agreed time. • Provide a set a time in which complaints will no longer be received. • Complaints plan.
Fairness • Clarity. • Impartial. • Proportionate.
Credibility • Is managed by someone who can take an overview. • Robust review process. • Learning from complaints.
Accountability • Information provided is clear. • Follow up. • Regular monitoring. • Periodic review of the process.
Complaints or SOVA? • Complaints/Safeguarding Of Vulnerable Adults. • Safeguarding will always take precedence over a complaint . • But the complaint must be investigated once SOVA investigation is concluded.
Complaints must include: • Reference to the LGO. • Reference must also be made to CQC
LGO – contact details • PO Box 4771 Coventry CV4 0EH Phone: 0300 061 0614/0845 602 1983 Email: advice@lgo.org.uk www.lgo.org.uk
CQC – contact details • Care Quality Commission Citygate Gallowgate Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4PA www.cqc.org.uk enquiries@cqc.org.uk