Adult Social Care complaints and feedback

Complaints

We aim to provide you with the best service and we like to know when we are getting it right. We also recognise that, at times, things can go wrong. When they do, we want to put things right quickly, and use the experience to improve and prevent future problems.

Who can make a complaint to us

Any adult who currently receives or has received a service from West Berkshire Council can make a complaint to us. If another organisation is involved, such as a care provider, we'll also include them. There is a separate process for children's services complaints.

You can complain on behalf of someone who is unable to make a complaint themselves. If you do, we will want to understand their view of the issues you are raising. We will need to get the consent of the person you are complaining on behalf of before going ahead, unless in exceptional circumstances.

If your complaint is about an independent care provider you should complain first to the manager of that service. If you have not been able to resolve your problems and West Berkshire Council arranged your care service, you can use our complaints procedure.

How to make a complaint

To make a complaint you can:

• speak to your care worker or manager responsible for the service you are unhappy with
• write to, call or email our our complaints team
• register your complaint online

We cannot investigate complaints that:

• are 12 months old or over
• have already been through the complaints process
   

Understanding the process

You can contact our complaints manager for help. They will explain the complaints process and what it can do for you. They can also help you make your complaint. Talking to them does not mean you have to make a formal complaint.
 

There are 3 stages to the process:

1. speak to your care worker or manager responsible for the service you are unhappy with - they will try to sort out any mistake or misunderstanding straight away and resolve your complaint informally
    
2. if we have been unable to resolve your complaint informally:
   • we will acknowledge receipt of your formal complaint within 3 working days
   • we will agree with you how your complaint will be handled and agree a timescale for a response
3. we will provide a written response to your complaint - we will tell you what we found out and any further action that is needed
    

If you are not satisfied with our response

If you are not satisfied with our response, we will discuss it with you and listen to what you have to say.

If you are still not satisfied after a discussion, you can ask the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) to look at your case. They are completely independent of the Local Authority and the government. They will not usually take on a case which has not been through our complaints process.

Anyone who funds their own care, including those using a direct payment, also has the right to refer their complaint to the LGSCO. Visit the Local Government Ombudsman website for further information.

You can download this information in our Adult Social Care complaints leaflet [147KB] .

You can also download the  Easy Read version of our complaints leaflet [484KB] .
 

Compliments and comments

We value your comments and share compliments with staff. Please use the contact details at the bottom of the page to submit a compliment or comment about our Adult Social Care services or staff.
 

Getting someone to help you speak up (advocacy)

If you need someone to help you speak for yourself, or to speak on your behalf, you can get help from an advocate. You can find out about getting support to speak up here.

If you are complaining on behalf of someone who is unable to make the complaint themselves, then we will want to understand their view of the issues you are raising.
 

Healthwatch

Healthwatch is the patient and public champion for health services and social care.

Healthwatch West Berkshire works to help people get the best out of their local health and social care services. They use feedback from people to influence how those services are commissioned. It gives you a chance to have a say and influence the way that local services are delivered and developed.

To get involved, visit the Healthwatch West Berkshire website.