Representations and Complaints

Derby City Council is committed to high service standards which are developed and delivered in partnership with service users. We aim to receive and respond to complaints openly and promptly. We take allegations of abuse or inappropriate behaviour by employees seriously and will act to ensure both the safety of service users and the welfare of workers. Under no circumstances will there be any form of reprisal against a child as a result of making a complaint.

Any person who receives a complaint or who is made aware of concerns has a responsibility to listen and respond. There may be appropriate action you can take immediately, and in some cases this may be all that is required. In others you may need to refer the matter to someone else for action. In any event you need to be aware of the relevant procedures, record the details and action you have taken and inform your line manager. You will make a judgment as to the urgency of the matter and how and at what point your line manager should be informed.

Many complaints are of a relatively trivial or routine nature and can be sorted out quickly by the workers on duty. Responding to a complaint of this nature simply means listening to what the service user has to say, deciding what if anything needs to be done, and feeding that back. If the service user is satisfied the matter should end there and there is no need for it to be treated as a complaint.

Some complaints are more serious and need to be discussed with other people before they can be resolved. They should be clearly recorded in the Record of Complaints and should be dealt with by the senior person on duty. If necessary it can be recorded on a confidential record sheet. The Unit Manager should ensure that the complaint is resolved and recorded appropriately, and sign it off. It is particularly important to record that the child has been informed of the outcome of the complaint and of their right to access Derby City Council’s Complaints and Representations Procedure for Children and Young People. Confidential complaints record sheets should be stored in a secure place by the manager.

Complaints about the Home’s Manager should be recorded on a confidential record sheet and passed to the Service Manager.

The service user may not be satisfied by the response to their complaint. In this case they should be advised how to use Derby City Council’s Complaints and Representations Procedure for Children and Young People. Leaflets explaining the procedure should be available in each unit, and a short explanation is included in the young people’s information booklet.

Any serious complaint about the home or its staff must be reported to Ofsted.

The complaints procedure can be accessed by writing to or telephoning:

Customer Feedback
The Council House
Corporation Street Derby City Council
DE1 2FS

Tel: 01332 643498

Or

Director of Integrated Services (Children)
Children and Young People's Department
The Council House
Corporation Street
Derby City Council
DE1 2FS

Tel: 01332 640000

There are a variety of people who can help a child who wants to make a complaint. Staff should make sure they know who these people are and offer to help them get in touch:

Children’s Rights Service (Change, Grow, Live)

Tel: 01332 294534
E-mail: Gillian.Black@cgl.org.uk

Ofsted

Ofsted National Business Unit,
Piccadilly Gate,
Store Street,
Manchester
M1 2WD

Tel: 0300 123 1231
Website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

Independent Reviewing Office (IRO)

Tel: 01332 641082, 641083 or 641088
E-mail: CQAReview.clerk@derby.gov.uk

Children’s Commissioner

The Office of the Children's Commissioner
Sanctuary Buildings
20 Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT

Help at Hand – Support, advice and information for young people in care or living away from home.

Tel: 0800 528 0731 (free phone number)
E-mail: help.team@childrenscommissioner.gov.uk

Children must be told when they come to the home what to do if they are unhappy, and given the explanatory leaflet with their Welcome Pack and Children’s Guide. The information should also be clearly displayed at all times on a notice board where all young people can see it, and they should be reminded regularly in resident’s meetings and key worker sessions.

When children are away from the home, for instance on holiday, the same principles apply. The complaint should be recorded and responded to as far as practicable and necessary, and followed up on return to the home.