We are responsible for services for adults including:
- care and support for older people
- people with physical disabilities or learning disabilities, and
- mental health service users and carers
It is important that we hear feedback about your experiences of adult social care, so that we know what we are doing well and where we need to improve. Feedback can be positive, negative or neutral. Compliments and comments are as important as complaints.
Compliments and Comments
If you would like to:
- compliment one of our employees or teams, or
- make a comment on any aspect of our service
Please complete the following online form:
Complaints
A complaint can cover:
- any concerns you have about a service
- or member of staff that have not met the standard you would expect
The Adult Social Care Statutory Complaints Policy and Adult Social Care Statutory Complaints Procedure explains how we handle complaints.
You can also read the Easy Read 'Have Your Say' document.
The procedure is different from the main Cornwall Council procedure
If you are unhappy with a social care service, it is often worthwhile discussing your concerns early on with the provider of the service.
Most problems can be dealt with at this stage, but in some cases you may feel more comfortable speaking to someone not directly involved in your care.
How long do I have to make a complaint?
Complaints should normally be made within 12 months of an incident or of the matter coming to your attention.
The time limit can be extended provided;
- you have good reasons for not making the complaint sooner
- and it is possible to complete a fair investigation.
How can I make a complaint?
You can make a complaint:
- by completing our online form
- verbally
- in writing
- by emailing the Complaints Manager
Please use the contact details below in the contact section to send your complaint.
If you make your complaint verbally, a record of your complaint will be made and you'll be provided with a written copy.
What if I am making a complaint on behalf of someone else?
If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we must have their permission, in writing to investigate the complaint.
Who can make a complaint?
You can make a complaint to Adult Care and Support if we:
- have done an assessment with you
- give you a service
- give you a direct payment or individual budget
If you're unhappy with:
- a care home, or
- home care
and your care is funded or arranged by adult social care, you may wish to raise the issues with the care provider in the first instance.
But if you'd prefer not to do that, you can raise your concerns directly with us.
Getting help with your complaint
You don’t have to be alone when you make a complaint. You can choose someone you know to speak for you if you want to.
If you need help making your complaint, our complaints team can provide support. Please contact us using the contact details below for details.
What to expect
You should expect
- an acknowledgement
- and the offer of a discussion about the handling of your complaint
within three working days of receiving your complaint.
If you accept, the discussion will cover the period within which a response to your complaint is likely to be sent. There is no set timeframe and this will depend on the nature of your complaint.
If, in the end, the response is delayed for any reason, you will be kept informed.
Within the discussion we may ask you to clarify the details of your complaint, and your desired outcomes. The local manager handles investigating your complaint.
After investigation you will receive a written response from the local manager.
The response will set out:
- the findings and, where appropriate, provide an apology
- and information about what's being done as a result of your complaint
It will include information about how the complaint has been handled and details of what to do if you are unhappy with the result.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
You can contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) at any stage of your complaint. The LGSCO will usually recommend that the complaint is initially pursued via our Complaints Procedure.
The LGSCO has a fast track procedure for dealing with complaints made by, or on behalf of, children and young people. This is up to the age of 19 (or 25 if they have a disability).
You can contact the LGSCO at:
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
PO Box 4771
Coventry
CV4 0EH
Phone: 0300 061 0614
Online: www.lgo.org.uk/making-a-complaint
Annual Report
Local Authorities have a Statutory Duty to publish an Annual report in respect of social care complaints. The purpose is to ensure complaints information is available to the public, our Elected Members and our employees.
The report shows the importance of feedback from service users and their representatives on our performance. Through monitoring and evaluation we gain information on what is working well and what we need to improve. We then make changes to policies, procedures and practices as a result of the learning recorded from your feedback.
The latest report relates to the year 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023.
