Introduction and purpose

It is the aim of a complaints policy that the complainant should feel that their complaint is heard and they are satisfied with the outcome.

We often work with parent /carers and children who have things they’re concerned about and we encourage them to talk with us about these issues.

Addressing concerns and complaints develops an open culture and encourages working in partnership.

Clinical complaints will follow the Tavistock Clinical Complaints Procedure.

Scope

This policy applies to all complaints received by Gloucester House

Duties and responsibilities

Complaints Officer (currently the Head of Service)

  • Responsible for receiving and reviewing all complaints.
  • To inform Senior Leadership Team of all complaints at time of receipt.
  • The Complaints Officer will decide whether to handle or to allocate to an appropriate member of staff who would then proceed with investigation and respond to complainant.
  • Written records will be kept by the Complaints Officer, including outcomes, when and how resolved – e.g. informally at the preliminary stage or through a panel hearing.
  • Responsible for ensuring confidential records are kept and shown to HMI/IS/ on inspection.
  • Responsible for ensuring all complaints are responded to within agreed time-frame.
  • Responsible for ensuring where a complainant is not satisfied with the response, they are made aware of next steps in process

Complaints Investigating Officer

  • Is the allocated member of staff who is responsible for logging and investigating the complaint.
  • Responsible for reporting back to Complaints Officer with details of outcome of investigation and recommendations for action / reply.

Chair of Steering Group

  • To receive any complaints not resolved initially by the Complaints Officer.
  • The Chair of the Steering Group will appoint a panel to hear the complaint within 6 weeks of the Complaints first formal response.
  • The Chair of the Steering Group will invite parents/carers to attend.

Complaints Panel

The panel will make findings and recommendations and ensure that the complainant, the Chair of the Steering Group, the Chief Executive of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, the COO (Chief Operating Officer of the Trust),  the Head of Service and (where relevant) the person who is complained about are given a copy of any findings and recommendations.  This will be done within two weeks of the panel hearing.

Procedures for complaints made by parent/carers:

  • The first stage of a complaint is verbal and we encourage parents to approach an appropriate member of staff to discuss the issue. We regard this stage as informal and most issues can be resolved this way.
  • If the parent/carer is unhappy with the response the next stage of the complaint becomes formal and must be in writing.
  • Formal complaints made by a parent/carer should be logged in the complaints log as it occurs.
  • The parent/carer can complain to a case co-ordinator or a member of the Senior Leadership Team but the Head of Service (Complaints Officer) should be informed of all complaints
  • The complainant should be consulted on what they would like to happen with their complaint, i.e. How they would like it dealt with and what outcome they would like.
  • All complaints should be seen by the Complaints Officer (Head of Service) and filed in the complaints log.
  • The Complaints Officer should decide within a week who should deal with the complaint, investigate and respond to the parent/carer.
  • The outcome should be logged (in the complaints log) by the person who investigates (Complaints Investigating Officer).
  • All complaints should be responded to within 1 month.
  • When the outcome is discussed with the parent/carer, the parent/carer should be informed that if they are not happy with the outcome they can complain in writing to the Chair of the Steering Group.
  • The Chair of the Steering Group investigates the complaint.
  • The Chair of the Steering Group then responds in writing to the parent/carer.
  • If a parent/carer is not satisfied with the response from the Chair of the Steering Group a panel of 3 people, none of whom have been previously involved in the case, (possibly 2 from the Steering Group, I from outside the Tavistock & Portman NHS Trust) should be convened to hear the complaint.  This should happen within 6 weeks of the Chair’s first formal response (see 4.12).
  • The Chair of the Steering Group will appoint the panel and invite parents/carers to attend. Parents/carers are invited to bring someone to a panel hearing.
  • The panel will make findings a recommendations and ensure that the complainant, the COO, the Chief Executive of the Tavistock Clinic, the Head of Service and (where relevant) the person who is complained about are given a copy of any findings and recommendations. This will be done within two weeks of the panel hearing.
  • Written records will be kept by Gloucester House’s Complaints Officer, including outcomes, when and how resolved – e.g. informally at the preliminary stage or through a panel hearing.
  • Records of complaints including correspondence must be kept confidential but shown to HMI/IS/ on inspection. Copies will be made of the Registration Authority on request.
  • The parents/carers are also informed about the Trust’s Service Users Complaint System.
  • The Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS) should be advertised on the parent/ carer notice board (in the Parent/Carer Room) and parents/carers are informed of this service when their child is admitted.
  • Feedback is also sought via ongoing work with parents/ carers and at parent/carer meetings. In addition a questionnaire is sent to parents/carers on a twice annual basis, and practices modified where deemed necessary.Parents/carers can be signposted to the Trust’s Complaints Policy.

Procedures for complaints made by children

Children can complain in a general way with the School Council and Community Meetings with in Gloucester House. Any serious complaint will need to follow the complaints procedures or safeguarding procedures as appropriate.

Procedures for complaints made by referrers/professional network

  • The first stage of a complaint is verbal and we encourage referrers to approach an appropriate member of staff to discuss the issue.
  • If the complainant is unhappy with the response the next stage of the complaint must be in writing.
  • Any complaint made by a referrer or a member of the professional network should be taken seriously and a record of complaint logged in the complaints book.
  • Complaints can be made to case co-ordinator or a member of the Senior Leadership Team  but the Head of Service is  to be informed of all complaints.
  • The complainant should be consulted on what they would like to happen with their complaint, i.e. How they would like it dealt with and what outcome they would like.
  • All complaints should be seen by the Complaints Officer and filed in the complaints log.
  • The Complaints Officer should decide within one week who should deal with the complaint, investigate and respond to the complainant.
  • The outcome should be logged in the complaints log.
  • When the outcome is discussed with the complainant s/he should be informed that if they are not happy with the outcome they can complain in writing to the Chair of the Steering Group.
  • Our complaints system should be supplied as part of the information provided to referrers when a child is admitted and it should be made explicit that we welcome feedback as part of an improving service.
  • Regular feedback is part of our system including questionnaires seeking the views of stakeholders. These will be analysed and our practice modified accordingly.

Procedures for complaints about parent/carers and children:

Staff should speak with their supervision / line manager in the first instance. The Complaints Officer would then decide how best to take forward after consulting Senior Leadership Team. Note any Child Protection issues relating to a complaint a staff member has about a parent/carer should be reported to both the Complaints Office and the Child Protection Lead in the first instance.

Procedures for staff concerns at work

Staff complaints should go to the direct line manager in the first instance.  Formal complaints should be managed by the Complaints Officer. Staff can also refer to Tavistock & Portman NHS

Trust Policy – ‘Raising Concerns and Whistle Blowing Policy and Procedures, procedures are also referenced in our local Safeguarding Policy.

Procedures for complaints about a manager:

Should be taken to the Complaints Officer and if not satisfied to the Trust’s COO.  If staff are not satisfied with the response from the COO, staff should be referred to the Trust Policy – ‘Raising Concerns and Whistle Blowing Policy and Procedures ’.

Training Requirements

Complaints procedures introduced in staff induction and reading the policy is a requirement at this stage.

Process for Monitoring Compliance with the Policy

The Head of Service will monitor complaints process via the Senior Leadership Team and in regular feedback from staff, parent/carers, referrers and children. The Head of Service reviews responses and actions with the Senior Leadership Team An audit of the recording of relevant documents / paperwork is carried out at the end of each academic year by the Complaints Officer and any complaints raised will be

Associated documents

    • Trust Policy and Procedure for the Management of Formal Complaints
    • Gloucester House Behaviour Policy
    • Gloucester House Safeguarding Policy and Procedures (Local)
    • Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust Policy – ‘Raising Concerns and Whistleblowing Policy and Procedures