Complaints Policy
Policy Statement
Brooks Health and Care believes that if an employee wishes to make a complaint or register a concern, they should find it easy to do so. The home’s policy is to welcome complaints and consider them an opportunity to learn, adapt, improve, and provide better services. This policy intends to ensure that complaints are dealt with properly and that all complaints or comments by residents, their relatives, and carers are taken seriously.
The policy is not designed to apportion blame, consider the possibility of negligence, or provide compensation. It is not part of the home’s disciplinary policy. Brooks Health and Care believes that failure to listen to or acknowledge complaints will lead to aggravating problems, resident dissatisfaction and possible litigation.
Brooks supports the principle that if dealt with early, openly and honestly, most complaints can be sorted locally between the complainant and the business. Suppose this fails due to either the business or the complainant being dissatisfied with the result. In that case, the complaint will be referred to the Care Quality
Commission, and legal advice will be taken as necessary.
Brooks Health and Care’s complaints procedure complies fully with current legislation and regulations.
Aim of the policy
Brooks Health and Care aims to ensure that its complaints procedure is properly and effectively implemented and that residents feel confident that their complaints and worries are listened to and acted upon promptly and fairly.
Goals
The goals of Brooks Health and Care are to ensure the following.
● Support workers are aware of how to complain to the management team
● Provides easy-to-use opportunities for them to register their complaints.
● A named person will be responsible for administering the procedure.
● Every written complaint is acknowledged within two working days.
● Investigations into written complaints are held within 28 days.
● All complaints are responded to in writing by the home.
● Complaints are dealt with promptly, fairly, and sensitively, with due regard to the upset and worry they can cause staff and residents.
Brooks Health and Care believes that, wherever possible, complaints are dealt with locally between the complainant and the home. If either party is unsatisfied with a local process, the case should be referred to the Care Quality Commission.
The Care Quality Commission can be contacted at 01234954004
If the complaint involves alleged abuse or suspicion of abuse, the business will immediately refer the matter to the Local Safeguarding Board manager. Usually, the board will call a strategy meeting to decide on the next steps. This could entail an assessment of the allegation by a member of the Safeguarding Authority team.
Oral Complaints
● No matter how seemingly unimportant, all oral complaints should be taken seriously.
● Front-line care staff who receive an oral complaint should seek to solve the problem immediately.
● If staff cannot solve the problem immediately, they should offer to hire a human resource manager to deal with the problem.
● All contact with the complainant should be polite, courteous and sympathetic. There is nothing to gain from staff adopting a defensive or aggressive attitude.
● At all times, staff should remain calm and respectful.
● Staff should not accept blame, make excuses or blame other staff.
● Suppose an advocate is making the complaint on behalf of the resident. In that case, it must first be verified that the person has permission to speak for the resident, especially if confidential information is involved. It is very easy to assume that the advocate has the right or power to act for the resident when they may not. If in doubt, it should be assumed that the resident’s explicit permission is needed prior to discussing the complaint with the advocate.
● After discussing the problem, the home manager or the member of staff dealing with the complaint should suggest a course of action to resolve it. If this course of action is acceptable, the staff member should clarify the agreement with the complainant and agree on a way to communicate the complaint results to the complainant (e.g., through another meeting or by letter).
● If the suggested plan of action is not acceptable to the complainant, then the member of staff or home manager should ask the complainant to put their complaint in writing to the home and give them a copy of the home’s complaints procedure.
● In both cases, the details of the complaints should be recorded in the complaints book.
Written Complaints
Preliminary steps
● When a complaint is received in writing, it should be passed on to the Human Resources Team, who should record it in the complaints book and send an acknowledgement letter within two working days. The Human Resources Team will be the named person who deals with the complaint throughout the process.
● If necessary, further details should be obtained from the complainant. If the complaint is not made by the resident but on the resident’s behalf, then consent of the resident, preferably in writing, must be obtained from the complainant.
● A leaflet detailing the home’s procedure should be forwarded to the complainant.
● If the complaint raises potentially serious matters, the home should seek advice from a legal advisor. If legal action is taken at this stage, the home’s investigation under the complaints procedure should cease immediately.
● If the complainant is not prepared to have the investigation conducted by the home, he or she should be advised to contact the Human Resources Team and be given the relevant contact details.
Investigation of the complaint by the home
● Immediately upon receipt of the complaint, the home should launch an investigation. Within 28 days, the home should be able to provide a full explanation to the complainant, either in writing or by arranging a meeting with the individuals concerned.
● If the issues are too complex to complete the investigation within 28 days, the complainant should be informed of any delays.
Meeting
● If a meeting is arranged, the complainant should be advised that they may, if they wish, bring a friend or relative or a representative such as an advocate.
● At the meeting, a detailed explanation of the investigation’s results should be given, and an apology, if appropriate, should be offered (apologising for what has happened need not be an admission of liability).
● Such a meeting allows the home to show the complainant that the matter has been taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.
Follow-up action
● After the meeting, or if the complainant does not want a meeting, a written account of the investigation should be sent to the complainant. This should include details of how to approach the HR Manager if the complainant is unsatisfied with the outcome.
● The investigation and meeting outcomes should be recorded in the complaints book, and any shortcomings in home procedures should be identified and addressed.
● The home should discuss complaints and their outcomes at a formal business meeting, and the home manager should audit the home’s complaint procedure every six months.
Training
The Manager is responsible for organising and coordinating training.
All of the home’s staff should be trained in dealing with and responding to complaints. Complaints policy training should be included in the induction training for all new staff, in-house training sessions on handling complaints should be conducted annually, and all relevant staff should attend.