Children’s Social Care, Early Help, Prevention and Sufficiency Services feedback
The Council aims to provide the best possible services to our children, young people and families. Your feedback is important to us, as it helps us understand if we are getting things right, and where we aren’t, it helps us to put things right as quickly as possible, by learning from your experiences.
If you receive a service from us, or have an interest in our service, the Customer Feedback Team want to hear from you.
How you can get in touch
If you have a concern about a children's home, fostering agency, or adoption agency you might want to contact Ofsted. Their address is Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester, M1 2WD.
Phone: 0300 123 1231. Text: 60085. Email: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.
What responses can you expect
- We will acknowledge that we have received your feedback within 3 working days. We will share both positive and negative feedback with the appropriate officers or managers
- If you are making a complaint we will discuss your complaint to understand it and find the best resolution. Details of your complaint and desired resolution will be recorded in a complaint plan. This plan will be shared with you and include who will respond and when. Typically, the appropriate manager will respond within 10 working days but this can be extended to 20 if needed
- If you consider your complaint to be serious, or if your complaint has not been resolved or has been delayed, the situation can be escalated to the next level
- We will communicate the outcome of your complaint to you. If your complaint suggests improvements, we will take action and may make changes to our services.
What happens if you are not satisfied?
If you remain dissatisfied, the Customer Feedback Team will discuss options with you to agree further action to be taken to resolve your complaint. This is dependent on which policy your complaint is being considered under.
If we cannot agree on appropriate action or if your complaint has progressed through all stages of the complaints procedure, and you are still not happy with our response, you can ask the Local Government Ombudsman to review our investigation.
The Local Government Ombudsman is an independent body, whose purpose is to provide impartial and prompt investigation and resolution of complaints of injustice through maladministration by local authorities.
You can consider referring your complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Please note: The Ombudsman is unlikely to investigate your complaint unless you have given us the opportunity to consider your complaint under our procedures.
The Ombudsman can be contacted by:
Do you need help to say what you think?
Advocates are independent from the council, and can help you to say what you think.
If a child or a young person wishes to make a complaint, we are required to provide them with information about advocacy services and help them to obtain an advocate.
If you are an adult and need help to express your views, we may be available to arrange for an advocate to help you.