Are you happy with the services provided by Brighton & Hove City Council?

If you are, please let us know about it,we like to hear from you so that we can understand what is working well. We also want to hear from you when you have comments or suggestions where things are not going as well as you think they might,so that we can help put things right as soon as possible. Please use the address given below.

When there are complaints, either as a result of something the Local Authority has or has not done, or about a decision it has made, it is usually possible to resolve the issue informally through discussion with either the Supervising Social Worker or the Child’s Social Worker, depending on the nature of the problem.

Sometimes, the Fostering Team Manager or the Children’s Social Work Team Manager may be a more appropriate person to speak to about your concerns. However, if the matter cannot be resolved in this way the formal Complaints Procedure can be used. Your Supervising Social Worker will be able to give you a complaints leaflet, or if you wish, you can contact the council’s Complaints Team directly:

Visit: www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/complaints

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Tel: 01273 291229

Letter:
Brighton and Hove City Council
Complaints Team
Kings House
Grand Avenue
Hove
BN3 2LS       

1. Introduction to complaint procedures
2. Making a formal complaint – the Statutory Complaints Procedure
3. Making a formal complaint – the Corporate Complaints Procedure
4. Taking matters further for Statutory and Corporate complaints

1. Introduction to complaint procedures

The procedure for dealing with a complaint will depend on what it is about. Any complaints about services that are being provided to a child in your care would be dealt with under the Statutory Complaints Procedure, whereas complaints that you raise which relate to your role as a foster carer would be dealt with under the Corporate Complaints Procedure.

If you feel that we have been unable to work together to come to a solution that you are satisfied with, and you would like to go ahead formally with your complaint, this can be done by contacting the council’s complaints team in the ways set out above.

If you make a formal complaint directly to someone in Children’s Services, they will send your complaint to the Complaints Team on your behalf. The Complaints Team will keep a record of your complaint and the outcomes that are agreed.

The procedure for dealing with a complaint will depend on what it is about. Any complaints about services that are being provided to a child in your care would be dealt with under the Statutory Complaints Procedure, whereas complaints relating to your role as a foster carer would be dealt with under the Corporate Complaints Procedure.

Current and prospective foster carers are able to make a complaint about any aspect of the service which affects them directly. Prospective carers go through a 2-stage assessment process, and those in stage 1 can complain about process but not about outcome, using the Council’s Corporate Complaints procedure. Prospective carers in stage 2 can also complain as above, and they can additionally appeal to the Agency Decision Maker (ADM) or the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM) if the Fostering Panel has considered a brief report or full assessment, and the carer is not happy about the ADM’s decision and wants to complain about it. 

Records are kept of representations and complaints, how they are dealt with, the outcome and any action taken. These records are reviewed regularly so that the service’s practice can be improved where necessary.

2. Making a formal complaint – the Statutory Complaints Procedure

Stage One

When you make your complaint to the Complaints Team, please try to give us as much detail as possible, including names, dates, what has happened and what outcome you are seeking. A young person making a complaint has a right to have an advocate to help them explain why they are dissatisfied.

If the complaint is made directly to the Complaints Team we will acknowledge your complaint within two working days and tell you which team will be investigating your complaint.

The manager of that team will aim to resolve your complaint within 10 working days from the receipt of your complaint. If an advocate is working with the young person or where the case is complicated the council can have up to 20 days to reach a solution.

We may decide that the best way to respond to your complaint is to arrange a meeting with you, and we will always confirm the outcome of the meeting with you in writing.

Although we cannot guarantee to meet your expectations, being really clear about the outcome you are looking for will help us to respond more appropriately to your complaint. Most complaints are resolved at this stage, but if this is not the case, please let us know so we can talk about what can happen next.

Stage Two

If we have been unable to resolve the complaint at stage one, or you remain unhappy with the outcome, you can contact the Complaints Team andask for  your complaint to be taken toStage Two.

The Complaints Team will appoint an Independent Investigator and Independent Person. The Independent Investigator and Independent Person will meet with you to agree the exact reasons for the complaints and what you want to have happen to fix the problem.

They will write a report saying what should happen and what improvements they are recommending. The council has 25 working days to give you this report with a letter saying what it will do as a result. Sometimes this can be extended to 65 working days.

Stage Three

If it is notpossible to resolveyour complaint at Stage Two you can contact the Complaints Team who will organise a Review Panel which is made up of three people from outside the council who will try to resolve your complaint.

The council has 20 working days to from the date of the Panel to write to you saying what it will do in response to the Panel’s recommendations.

Mediation can be offered at any stage within the complaints process as an alternative way to resolve a dispute, and before the complaint is escalated to a higher stage, if it is considered an appropriate way forward to find resolution to your complaint.

3. Making a formal complaint – the Corporate Complaints Procedure

Stage One

When you make your complaint to the Complaints Team, please try to give us as much detail as possible, including names, dates, what has happened and what outcome you are seeking.

The Complaints Team will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within two working days and will tell you what team will be dealing with your complaint.

The manager will aim to respond to you within 10 working days. If there is likely to be a delay the manager will tell you the reason and give you a date when you can expect a full reply. Sometimes the best way to resolve your complaint may be to meet with you or speak with you.

The Manager should always confirm the outcome of the discussion with you in writing.

Stage Two

If you are not happy with the responses you have had you can contact the Complaints Team and ask for a Stage Two investigation. A Complaints Officer will look at the issues you have raised with a view to carrying out a formal investigation into your complaint.

The Complaints Officer aims to complete their investigation within 20 working days, if they require longer they will explain why.

4. Taking matters further for Statutory and Corporate complaints

The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) can investigate complaints if you are not satisfied with how we have handled your complaint.

You can make your complaint directly to the Ombudsman at any time, although the Ombudsman usually only take action once the Council has followed its own complaints procedures.

The Local Government Ombudsman can be contacted at:

PO Box 4771, Coventry, CV4 0EH

Telephone - 0845 602 1983

Website - www.lgo.org.uk