We are responsible for services for adults including:
- care and support for older people
- people with physical disabilities or learning disabilities, and
- people with mental health needs and their 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.
We want to hear about your experience of our services within Adult Social Care
We want to ensure we can hear:
- your voice
- your views, and
- your thoughts
on what is both positive about our services, and where we can do better.
This feedback will be gathered either by:
- phone after a phone call, or
- by completing an online survey
We hope you will share your experiences with us. With this information we will regularly show you what has been said and the actions we have taken as a result. Throughout the survey please click on the relevant image like those shown below.
We really look forward to hearing from you.
Compliments and Comments
Please complete the online form below if you would like to:
- compliment one of our employees or teams
- 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
- a member of staff that have not met the standard you would expect
You can read more about how we handle complaints here:
Read our Adult Social Care Statutory Complaints Policy
Read our Adult Social Care Statutory Complaints Procedure
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
- home care
If your care is funded or arranged by Adult Care and Support, we can look into these complaints you have. However, you may wish to raise the issues with the care provider in the first instance.
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.
There is also an independent advocacy service which can supply someone to be with you, who is not employed by the council. You can contact them on our Advocacy page.
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
Within three working days of us receiving your complaint, we will:
- acknowledge your message or email
- offer to discuss how we handle your complaint
If you accept, we will discuss with you how long it is likely to take to respond to your complaint. There is no set timeframe, and this will depend on the nature of your complaint.
If the response is delayed for any reason, we will keep you 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 of our investigation
- provide an apology, where appropriate
- give you information about what's being done as a result of your complaint
- tell you how the complaint has been handled
- give you details of what to do if you are unhappy with the result
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
If you have been through all stages of our complaints procedure and are still unhappy, you can ask the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to review your complaint.
The Ombudsman has issued a Complaint Handling Code which sets out advice and guidance for councils on how to handle complaints. You can find more information about this on the Ombudsman’s website.
The Ombudsman investigates complaints in a fair and independent way - it does not take sides. It is a free service.
The Ombudsman expects you to have given us the chance to deal with your complaint before you contact them. If you have not heard from us within a reasonable time, it may decide to look into your complaint anyway.
About the Ombudsman
The Ombudsman looks at individual complaints about other organisations providing local public services. It also investigates complaints about all adult social care providers for people who self-fund their care. This can include care homes and home care agencies. There are some limits on what the Ombudsman can look at.
Visit the Obmudsman's website to see these limitations
Contact
- Website: www.lgo.org.uk
- Telephone: 0300 061 0614
You can also download a version of this wording in Easy Read (pictures and words) format.
Annual Report
Local Authorities are required by legislation 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 people 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.