Making a complaint

Complaints about care homes and social care services

If you have a complaint about a care home, care home with nursing or any other social care service, the first thing you should do is tell the home or service. This applies whether you pay for your care or your local council funds it.

By law, every care home and social care service must have an efficient procedure for dealing with complaints. Ask for a copy of the service’s complaints procedure so that you know what you must do and how they will deal with your complaint.

Care funded by your local council

If you are not happy with the reply you receive from a care service when you complain, you can take your complaint to your local Adult Social Care department. You will need to follow their complaints procedure – your social worker, care manager or the department itself will explain what to do.

Central Bedfordshire Council

Visit www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk and search ‘how to complain about our services’. Or, contact Customer Relations by emailing

customer.relations@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

or calling 0300 300 4995.

Bedford Borough Council

Visit www.bedford.gov.uk and search ‘complaints and feedback’.

Luton Borough Council

Visit www.luton.gov.uk and search ‘adult social care compliments, comments and complaints’. Or, contact the Information Governance by emailing feedback@luton.gov.uk or calling 01582 546398. The care service or the Adult Social Care department should try to sort out your complaint themselves and put things right to prevent the same thing happening again.

If you are not satisfied with the final reply from the care service or your local Adult Social Care department, you can speak to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO).

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Please visit the website below in the first instance. Tel: 0300 061 0614 Web: www.lgo.org.uk/making-a-complaint

Complaints about care that you pay for yourself You can ask the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to take up your case if you are not happy about how a care home or service dealt with your complaint about care that you pay for yourself.

The lifestyle site for parents and carers of children with additional needs and those who support them.

www.myfamilyourneeds.co.uk

• Birth to adulthood • Real life blogs • Directory • Ask the experts • Monthly columnist

hello@myfamilyourneeds.co.uk @WeAreMFON Subscribe today