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Complaining to Adult Services
The Adult and Culture Services Directorate of Newcastle City Council is committed to putting the needs of its customers first and to providing a quality service. If you are not happy with the service that you receive, or if you feel that something has gone wrong, they need to know. Your feedback helps to evaluate the way that services are provided and how they can be improved.
If you feel that you need to make a complaint, the first thing you should do is to contact the Adult Social Care Direct Team using the details given below. Normally, they will see if they can sort out the problem straightaway, without you needing to do anything else. If this is not possible, they will begin a complaints process, which follows a statutory procedure. You can read more about this in the leaflet Not happy about something? How to make a complaint to adult services.
The Social Services Statutory Complaints Procedure
Most complaints made to Adult Services are governed by a procedure set down in law called the ‘Social Services Statutory Complaints Procedure’. This is different to the City Council's own general complaints procedure and is for people using the services of Adult Services, or their nominated representative, to make a complaint about the services received. Other people may make a complaint, but these will be dealt with under the Corporate Complaints Procedure. For more information about that procedure, visit the Newcastle City Council website.
You will always be advised which complaints procedure is being used and what you can expect from it.
Examples of statutory complaints are:
- A service not being delivered on time
- Receiving a poor-quality service (including services arranged by Adult Services but delivered by an independent care provider)
- Problems with staff attitudes or behaviour
- Problems with your assessment, care plan or the review of your services
- Decisions that you don't agree with
- The level of service Adult Services provides, the cost of your services, or how often you receive them
- Changes to your services or care plan
- The effect of Adult Services' policies on you and your services
- How the Adult Services' assessment and eligibility criteria affect you and your services
Your complaint will be treated in confidence and will be communicated to other people on a need-to-know basis only. For example, to enable Adult Services to investigate the complaint more thoroughly.
Making a complaint
There are several ways to make a complaint to Adult Services. For further information, visit the Newcastle City Council website.
After receiving your complaint, the team concerned will send you a letter and some leaflets explaining what will happen next.
Is there anyone else who can help?
If you are not comfortable making the complaint yourself, you can ask a friend or relative to speak or write to Adult Services for you.
You may also prefer to contact an independent person or organisation for advice, or to act on your behalf, such as:
- your local Councillor or MP (You can find your current Councillor on the Newcastle City Council website.)
- a solicitor
- the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) (using the contact details given below)
- Newcastle Advocacy Centre (using the contact details given below)
The Local Government Ombudsman looks at complaints about councils and some other authorities. It is a free service. Their job is to investigate complaints in a fair and independent way; they do not take sides. If you have a problem with a council service, you should first complain to the council. But if you are still not satisfied, they may be able to help. They can look at complaints about most council services, including social care. For further information, contact them using the details given below, or visit the Local Government Ombudsman website.
Contact Information
Adult Social Care Direct Team
Shieldfield Centre, 4-8 Clarence Walk, Shieldfield, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 1AL.
Telephone : 0191 278 8377, Fax : 0191 278 8312.
Email : scd@newcastle.gov.uk
Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)
St Cuthberts Chambers, 35 Nelson Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 5AN.
Telephone : 0844 499 4717, Fax : (0191) 232 0461.
Email : citycab@newcastlecab.og.uk
Local Government Ombudsman
PO Box 4771, Coventry, CV4 0EH.
Telephone : 0845 602 1983, Fax : 024 7682 0001.
Email : advice@lgo.org.uk
Newcastle Advocacy Centre
Newcastle Council for Voluntary Service, MEA House, Ellison Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8XS.
Telephone : 0191 235 7013, Fax : 0191 230 5640.
Email : advocacy@cvsnewcastle.org.uk
Article last updated February 3, 2012 8:26 pm
