Information and Performance - Compliments, Comments and Complaints

If you are a child or young person who receives a service from Cumbria Children’s Services, you or someone you choose to represent you, can make a comment, compliment or complaint about our work with you.  You can do this by writing, emailing, telephoning, or speaking to the person who you receive your service from (or their Manager).

If you decide to make a comment, compliment or complaint about the services we provide, you can expect:

• A prompt and speedy response;
• To be properly listened to:
• To be treated with courtesy and respect; and
• Confidentiality.

Any comments you make will not affect any current or future service you may receive from Cumbria County Council.

Social care services

While anybody can make a complaint if they are not happy with something that Cumbria County Council have done, failed to do or has done in an unacceptable way, only certain people have the right to use the complaints procedure which relates to children’s social care services.  Those eligible include children and young people, carers, parents and foster carers.  People who have been refused services may also complain.  You may ask a relative or friend to complain on your behalf.  If you are making a complaint on behalf of someone else, you must get their consent.

Other people, not eligible to complain using this procedure, may be entitled to make a complaint using the corporate county council compliments, comments, and complaints procedure.

How do I make a complaint?

If you have a problem about Children’s Services please talk about it first to the person who provides your service.  This could be social worker, manager, family worker or any other member of staff who you see regularly.  You can also use this approach for making suggestions about how our services could be improved.  Our aim is to deal with any complaints quickly and to your satisfaction.  Your complaint will be taken seriously, no matter who you are or how you complain.  Our staff can offer information and explain how the complaints procedure works.  You can make your complaint in whatever way you prefer.  If we need to have an interpreter to communicate with you, please do let us know.  Please note that complaints will not normally be accepted from complainants about matters that occurred more than 12 months earlier.  In exceptional circumstances and where adequate reasons are given, a complaint will be accepted outside this timescale.

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If you have a complaint about a school, your first step must be to contact the school directly to see if it can be resolved informally.  If you are still dissatisfied then requesting a copy of the school’s Complaints Procedure will help you to submit a formal complaint with the school.

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How does the complaints procedure work?

There are three stages to the procedure and if you are not happy with the council’s response at any stage you can choose to take your complaint further.  You can also withdraw your complaint at any stage.  Complaining will not guarantee that you get new or alternative services but you will get an explanation about the lack of services or decisions made.  Your complaint could help us to improve our services in the future.

Stage 1 - Local resolution/problem solving stage

Most complaints can be settled quite simply by discussing your problem with a member of staff on hand or at your local Cumbria County Council Children’s Services office.  You may prefer to write to us.  We will aim to settle your complaint as quickly as possible, usually between 10 and 20 working days.  If it is not possible to settle your complaint locally, or you remain dissatisfied with the answer you receive, you may want to take your complaint to Stage 2 of the procedure.

Stage 2 - Investigation Stage

If your complaint can’t be sorted out locally, you can request for it to be considered at Stage 2 with an Investigating Officer and Independent Person appointed to examine your complaint in detail.

Stage 3 - Review Panel

If you are not happy with the explanation or solution offered to you at Stage 2, you have the right to ask for your complaint to be considered again, this time by an Independent Review Panel.  A Review Panel will be held within 30 working days of your request.

Local Government Ombudsman

If you remain unhappy with the outcome of your complaint or the way the council dealt with it, you may refer your complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman.

Key documents

Title	Date	Size
Compliments, comments and complaints
Children's Services - Compliments, comments and complaints - booklet	09/12/2011	446k
Concerns and complaints involving a school - Information leaflet for parents	31/01/2012	222k
Corporate complaints - leaflet	09/12/2011	1156k
e-Form for sending compliments, comments or complaints by email	09/12/2011	7k
Children`s Services Annual Complaints Report
Children's Services Annual Compliments, Comments and Complaints Report 2010-2011	31/01/2012	444k