DIFFERENT CARE LTD – COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

POLICY STATEMENT

All Service Users, relatives, carers or any person who has been affected by a decision, action or omission of the Company has the right to make full use of the Different Care Ltd Company complaints/concerns procedure. Complainants will be encouraged to speak openly and freely about their concerns and complaints. They will be assured that whatever they say will be treated with appropriate confidence and sensitivity. All concerns and complaints will be treated seriously and investigated promptly in accordance with the agreed procedures. All front-line staff will be adequately trained in dealing with concerns and complaints and will ensure that all service users have access to guidance on the procedures for raising a concern or making a complaint. The company is committed to ensuring that everyone is able to raise their concerns or complaints.

The company will ensure that service users, relatives, carers and significant others are assured that any concern or complaint they make will not prejudice the treatment and care provided to them. The company will not discriminate on grounds of gender, marital status, race, ethnic origin, colour, nationality, national origin, disability (both mental and physical), sexuality, religion or age. The company will oppose all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination. This will be achieved by the training of staff who manage and investigate complaints. Training will include Equality and Diversity training.

The company is committed to ensuring that lessons learned from concerns and complaints are used as a means of improving the quality of care and services to service users.

Any recommendations made as a result of a concern or complaint will be shared with the services involved in order that changes can be considered and implemented where appropriate.

Consideration will also be given to applying recommendations in other relevant areas of the company.

Any issue regarding possible discriminatory behaviour by staff arising from a complaint will be dealt with through the disciplinary procedure.

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE: HOW TO MAKE A COMPLAINT

Complaints should be made within twelve months of the event giving rise to the complaint. Consideration will only be given to complaints made outside this timescale when the company is satisfied that the complainant has good reasons for not make the compliant within the time limit and that, notwithstanding the delay, it is still possible for the complaint to be investigated effectively and fairly.

Complaints may be made verbally, including via the telephone, or in writing, including via email or fax. The company will publicise information about how people can raise a concern or make a complaint about the company. Concerns and complaints can be made known to any member of staff, or directly to the company’s Registered Manager.

Registered Managers contact details

Emma Wilkinson

106 Allerton Road

Liverpool

L18 2DG

Tel:- 0151-733-5378

Mobile:- 07375547741

Email:-emma@differentcare.co.uk

If complaints are made in writing the company finds it easier to see exactly what the complaint is, who is making the complaint and how best to move forward.

It allows the company to record the complaint for our regulators to see and means that the company cannot hide any complaints, this ensures we are monitoring responsibility and accountability of our staff and that we can use the complaints to drive our Quality Assurance Procedures.

Service users are more than welcome to pass on a complaint verbally, however whomever the complaint is made to will put it in writing for our complaints department.

CONCERNS/COMPLAINTS MADE TO FRONT LINE STAFF

This process will apply to situations where service users, relatives, carers and significant others, indicate directly to front line staff they are dissatisfied or have concerns about aspects of the service (in the case of visitors this will be about service to service users) or where they make a verbal complaint in person or, in the case of a relative or friend acting on the service user’s behalf, by telephone.

All serious verbal complaints and those made in writing should always be referred to the Registered Manager.

Many concerns arise out of a need for information. The offer of an explanation or an apology will often achieve resolution.

On receipt of complaints or concerns the investigating manager will ensure the service users immediate health care needs are being met. An apology that a person is dissatisfied with the service and an explanation as to what happened may resolve the concern or complaint. It may be that immediate action is taken the staff member receiving the complaint to resolve the concern or to try to prevent it happening again.

All complaints and concerns dealt with in this manner must be recorded at service level, separate from any service user records and using an agreed method of recording. The written record must set out details of the complaint, how it was resolved and any further actions required.

Where the complainant remains dissatisfied or the matter cannot be resolved quickly the complaint should be forwarded to the Managing Director.

COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION AND RESPONSE

Action on receipt by the companies Managing Director.

All complaints which are not resolved by front line staff, regardless of to whom they are addressed, will be passed immediately to the company’s Registered Manager. Subject to ensuring the confidentiality of the service user, the complaints department will register the complaint, acknowledge it within three working days of receipt and allocate an individual reference number which will be used on all correspondence. The acknowledgement may be either verbally or in writing. If verbally, the company will keep a record of this. At the same time an offer to discuss the way the complaint is to be handled (most appropriate level of investigation) and the length of time this may take including the written response regarding the findings, will be made. The outcomes the complainant wishes to achieve will be identified. A copy of the action plan will then be provided to the complainant. A reasonable timescale for responding to the complaint will be agreed with the complainant, but will be no later than six months from receipt of the complaint, unless there are good reasons for a longer period which must be communicated to the complainant. At all stages, the complainant must be informed if the agreed timetable cannot be complied with and an explanation given for this.

Striking the right balance between a timely response and one that is informed by comprehensive local action will provide the best response to the service user and the best opportunities for learning within the company.