www.wiltshire.gov.uk
Complaints (Stage 1 of the Adult Social Care Complaints Procedure)
Fact Sheet No: FS16
Name of Service: Complaints (Stage 1 of the Adult Social Care Complaints Procedure)
Abbreviation:
Service Type:
Summary of Service
The Department of Community Services Adult Social Care Services Complaints Procedure has three stages; the first stage is aimed at resolving problems swiftly and at a local level.
Details of Service
- When you make a complaint the Complaints Manager will write to you and acknowledge its receipt.
- Usually the Complaints Manager will ask the manager of the team or service that you are complaining about to look in to the matter and try to put things right.
- If you are able to tell us what you hope will be done to resolve things that will help the manager to respond to your complaint.
- If your complaint is about a service that the Department purchases from an independent provider for you, we will usually ask them to look into the complaint and sort it out. However, if you are not happy with their response we still have a responsibility to respond to your complaint and try to resolve it.
- The manager who looks in to your complaint will look at what led to the complaint and look at ways to resolve the situation. They will aim to send a written response to you within 10 working days. This may take longer where the matter is complex or if extra time is needed to help you access advocacy services. If for any reason it is likely to take more than 20 working days to respond to your complaint, the Complaints Manager will contact you to discuss this. You may agree to wait for an outcome or you may decide to move on to the next stage of the Complaints Procedure.
- If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive at Stage 1 you may request to proceed to Stage 2 by writing to the Complaints Manager within 20 working days of receiving the team/service manager’s response to your complaint outlining the reasons that you are unhappy with the response.
- You keep your right to approach the Local Government Ombudsman about your complaint at any time but usually they do not look into complaints until the complaint has been through the full Complaints Procedure of the local authority concerned. The Ombudsman who covers this area can be contacted at:
Local Government Ombudsman
The Oaks No. 2
Westwood Way
Westwood Business Park
Coventry
CV4 8JB
Phone: 024 7682 0000
Fax: 024 7682 0001
Email: enquiries.coventry@lgo.org.uk
You can also visit their website at www.lgo.org.uk
Or call their advice line: Lo-call 0845 602 1983
How and when can you contact us?
Adult Care Complaints Manager:
By Telephone:
01225 713953
By Fax:
01225 713953
By Email:
socialservices@wiltshire.gov.uk
Or contact the Social Care Help Desk:
By Telephone:
01225 713001
By Fax:
01225 713355
By Email
socialcarehelpdesk@wiltshire.gov.uk
Weekdays:
Monday – Thursday - 08:30 – 17:20
Friday - 08:30 – 16:20
If you need urgent help outside of these hours, you can call the Emergency Duty Service on 0845 60 70 888
For more information you can either:
- Contact the Social Care Help Desk 01225 713001, or
- Visit the Wiltshire County Council website www.wiltshire.gov.uk/factsheets
This Fact Sheet can be produced, on request, in other formats and languages. Please contact the Social Care Help Desk on 01225 713001.
