Complaints
Policy Statement
Dynamic Social Support policy is intended to comply with Regulation 16 of the New Fundamental Standard Regulations.
Dynamic Social Support accepts the rights of clients to make complaints and to register comments and concerns about the services received. It further accepts that they should find it easy to do so. It welcomes complaints, seeing them as opportunities to learn, adapt, improve and provide better services.
The Policy
This policy is intended to ensure that complaints are dealt with properly and that all complaints or comments by service users and their relatives, carers and advocates are taken seriously. It is not designed to apportion blame, to consider the possibility of negligence or to provide compensation; it is not part of the company’s disciplinary policy. This organisation believes that failure to listen to or acknowledge complaints leads to an aggravation of problems, service user dissatisfaction and possible litigation. The organisation supports the idea that most complaints if dealt with early, openly and honestly can be sorted at a local level between just the complainant and the organisation. The complaints procedure is made available to service user and families in their service user Guide. A copy is always kept in their Care Plan in their homes and available in a format that can be understood.
Aim of the Complaints Procedure
We aim to ensure that the 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.
Specifically, we aim to ensure that:
- Service users, carers and their representatives are aware of how to complain and that the company provides easy to use opportunities for them to register their complaints
- A named person will be responsible for the administration of the procedure
- Every written complaint is acknowledged within 5 working days
- All complaints are investigated within 14 days of being made
- All complaints are responded to in writing within 28 days of being made
- Complaints are dealt with promptly, fairly and sensitively, with due regard to the upset and worry that they can cause to both service users and staff.
Responsibilities
The Registered Manager is responsible for following through complaints. However, there may be a specific post with responsibility for complaints. Communication between this post and the Registered Manager should be clear and transparent for the Registered Manager to demonstrate and evidence compliance.
Complaints procedure
Verbal complaints
- Dynamic Social Support accepts that all verbal complaints, no matter how seemingly unimportant, must be taken seriously.
- Front-line care staff who receive a verbal complaint are expected to seek to solve the problem immediately.
- If they cannot solve the problem immediately, they should offer to get their line manager to deal with the problem.
- Staff are expected to remain polite, courteous, sympathetic and professional to the complainant. They are taught that there is nothing to be gained by adopting a defensive or aggressive attitude.
- At all times in responding to the complaint, staff are encouraged to remain calm and respectful.
- Staff should not, make excuses or blame other staff.
- 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.
- After discussing the problem, the manager or member of staff dealing with the complaint will suggest a means of resolving it. 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).
- If the suggested plan of action is not acceptable to the complainant, then the member of staff or manager will ask the complainant to put their complaint in writing to the Registered Manager. The complainant should be given a copy of the company’s complaints procedure if they do not already have one.
- Details of all verbal and written complaints must be recorded in the complaints book, the service user’s file and in the home records.