The Oxfordshire Specialist Advice Service Age UK Oxfordshire, Citizens Advice Oxford, Citizens Advice West Oxfordshire and Oxfordshire Welfare Rights have come together to provide a free, comprehensive and independent advice service.
• Are caring for someone with a disability or long-term illness.
The service helps with advice on benefits, money, budgeting and other welfare issues and will link you with services that can provide further support.
Oxfordshire Specialist Advice Service provides a dedicated advice line and email service. This is backed up by a team of specialist advisers, who can meet face-to-face with people unable to access advice by phone, email or in their local community, COVID-19 restrictions permitting.
The service is free and is focused on meeting the needs of people living in Oxfordshire who are struggling with their day-to-day lives due to disability or ill health. However, you don’t have to have a carer or anyone looking after you. The service can help you if you:
• Are a young person transitioning from children’s care services.
The service also supports social care professionals, through comprehensive and responsive training opportunities and a consultancy line for specialist case support.
• Have a disability or long-term illness. • Have someone in your family household with a disability or long-term illness.
Tel: 01865 410660 (9.00am to 5.00pm, weekdays) or email: advice@oxfordshiresas.org.uk
Having your say How to make a complaint or comment If you are unhappy or worried about any adult social care service, it is important to let someone know. Usually, talking to someone in the service can put it right. You can talk to the people who provide your care or their managers. They will have a process for managing complaints and listening to concerns that are raised. Wherever you raise a concern, it should be listened to and taken seriously. The good and bad things people raise can help improve services for everyone. You will not be treated unfairly because of anything you raise. It is never wrong to give the service a call. The Comments and Complaints team will help you decide what to do – you do not have to make a formal complaint to talk things through. Tel: 01865 323589 Email: commentsandcomplaints@oxfordshire.gov.uk Write to: Comments and Complaints Service,
Freepost RRYR-XTBE-GBTZ, County Hall, New Road, Oxford OX1 1ND The NHS Complaints Advocacy Service in Oxfordshire can support you to use the NHS complaints system. Email oxfordshireadvocacyhub@pohwer.net, visit www.pohwer.net/oxfordshire or call 0300 456 2370. 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 service dealt with your complaint about care that you pay for yourself. Tel: 0300 061 0614 • Web: www.lgo.org.uk You can call the County Council’s Comments and Complaints Service for advice about what to do or to raise a concern about a service. Contact details are above and adjacent.
To find more information about care and support services visit www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/livewell
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