Complaints Policy and Procedure

Policy Statement

This policy relates to complaints raised by service users or their families including, but not limited to, issues relating to the care or welfare of residents at Watermoor House.

Watermoor House believes that if a service user wishes to make a complaint or register a concern, they should find it easy to do so. It is the Home’s policy to welcome complaints and look upon them as an opportunity to learn, adapt, improve and provide better services. This policy is intended to ensure that complaints are dealt with properly and that all complaints or comments by service users and their relatives and carers are taken seriously.

The policy is not designed to apportion blame, to consider the possibility of negligence or to provide compensation. It is not part of the Home’s disciplinary policy.

The Home believes that failure to listen to or acknowledge complaints will lead to an aggravation of problems, service user dissatisfaction and possible litigation. The Home supports the principle that most complaints, if dealt with early, openly and honestly, can be sorted at a local level between the complainant and the Home. If this fails due to either the Home or the complainant being dissatisfied with the result of the investigation, the complainant can refer the complaint to the local authority (Gloucestershire County Council) or the CQC.

The Home’s complaints procedure complies fully with the current legislation and regulations.

Aim of the policy

We aim to ensure that our complaints procedure is properly and effectively implemented and that service users feel confident that their complaints and worries are listened to and acted upon promptly and fairly.

Goals

The goals of the Home are to ensure the following.

  1. Service users, their representatives and carers, are aware of how to complain and that the Home provides easy to use opportunities for them to register their complaints.
  2. A Registered Manager will be responsible for the administration of the procedure.
  3. Every written complaint is acknowledged within 2 working days.
  4. Investigations into written complaints are held within 28 days.
  5. All complaints are responded to in writing by the Home.
  6. Complaints are dealt with promptly, fairly and sensitively with due regard to the upset and worry that they can cause to both staff and service users.

The manager is responsible for following through complaints for the Home.

The Home believes that, wherever possible, complaints are best dealt with on a local level between the complainant and the Home. If either of the parties is not satisfied by a local process the case should be referred to the Local Authority and/or the CQC.

The contact details are as follows:

Gloucestershire County Council, Shire Hall, Westgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 2TG.

Adult Social Care Helpdesk Tel: 01452 426 868

https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/adult-social-care/contact-us/

CQC: https://www.cqc.org.uk/give-feedback-on-care

It is not always easy for a person to raise concerns, complaints or compliments and may require the help of an independent impartial party to help voice their opinion. For advocacy information or to make a referral call 0800 644 6448.

In the event of the complaint involving alleged abuse of a resident – or a suspicion that abuse has occurred – the Home will refer the matter immediately to the Local Safeguarding Team. The Board will usually call a meeting to decide on the actions to be taken next. This could entail an assessment of the allegation by a member of the Safeguarding Authority team.

Oral Complaints

  1. All oral complaints, no matter how seemingly unimportant, should be taken seriously.
  2. Front-line care staff who receive an oral complaint should seek to solve the problem immediately.
  3. If staff cannot solve the problem immediately, they should offer to get the manager to deal with the problem.
  4. All contact with the complainant should be polite, courteous and sympathetic. There is nothing to be gained by staff adopting a defensive or aggressive attitude.
  5. At all times staff should remain calm and respectful.
  6. Staff should not make excuses or blame other staff.
  7. If the complaint is being made on behalf of the service user by an advocate it must first be verified that the person has permission to speak for the service user, especially if confidential information is involved. It is very easy to assume that the advocate has the right or power to act for the service user when they may not. If in doubt it should be assumed that the service user’s explicit permission is needed prior to discussing the complaint with the advocate.
  8. After talking the problem through, the manager or the member of staff dealing with the complaint should suggest a course of action to resolve the complaint. If this course of action is acceptable then the member of staff should clarify the agreement with the complainant and agree a way in which the results of the complaint will be communicated to the complainant (i.e. through another meeting or by letter).
  9. If the suggested plan of action is not acceptable to the complainant, then the member of staff or manager should ask the complainant to put their complaint in writing and give them a copy of the Home’s complaints procedure.
  10. In both cases details of the complaints should be recorded in the

Written Complaints

Preliminary steps

  1. When a complaint is received in writing it should be passed on to the Home Manager who should record it in the complaints file and send an acknowledgment letter within two working days. The Home Manager will be the named person who deals with the complaint through the process.
  2. If necessary, further details should be obtained from the complainant. If the complaint is not made by the service user but on the service user’s behalf, then consent of the service user, preferably in writing, must be obtained from the complainant.
  3. A copy of the Home’s procedure should be forwarded to the complainant.
  4. If the complaint raises potentially serious mattersA dedicated email address is available for this purpose: complaints@watermoorhouse.org
  5. If the complainant is not prepared to have the investigation conducted by the Home, he or she should be advised to contact the local authority or Ombudsman.

Investigation of the Complaint

  1. Immediately on receipt of the complaint the Home should carry out a full investigation and within 28 days the Home should be in a position to provide a full explanation to the complainant, either in writing or by arranging a meeting with the individuals concerned.
  2. If the issues are too complex to complete the investigation within 28 days, the complainant should be informed of any delays.

Meeting

  1. When a meeting is arranged the complainant should be advised that they may, if they wish, bring a friend or relative or a representative such as an advocate.
  2. At the meeting a detailed explanation of the results of the investigation should be given and also an apology if it is deemed appropriate (apologising for what has happened is not an admission of liability unless explicitly stated).
  3. Such a meeting gives the Home the opportunity to show the complainant that the matter has been taken seriously and has been thoroughly investigated.

Follow-up action

  1. After the meeting, or if the complainant does not want a meeting, a written account of the investigation should be sent to the complainant. This should include details of how to approach the local authority or CQC if the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome.
  2. The outcomes of the investigation and the meeting should be recorded in the complaints register and any shortcomings in procedures should be identified and acted upon.

Training

All care staff should be trained in dealing with and responding to complaints. Complaints policy training should be included in the induction training for all new staff.

Related policies

  • Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults
  • Whistleblowing

Reviewed: February 2025