Tell us what you think

If you have received good service, we are always pleased to hear positive feedback. You can pay your compliments to the service directly in person or in writing or forward your commendations or compliments to the Customer Services Team for Integrated Children’s Services who will ensure the relevant service/ staff member is informed.  Your feedback is recorded centrally and shared across our services so that we can learn when we do things well and promote good practice.

You can also tell us what you think by completing our parent / carer feedback questionnaire. 

Asking for help or advice

The Customer Services Team can also help you find answers to any questions about the service you or your child is receiving or may need.

Raising concerns and making complaints

If you feel you have experienced poor service provided by one of Integrated Children’s Services and you would like to raise your concerns, we would encourage you to speak to the service manager in the first instance. They will welcome the chance to put things right for you.

If you are still unhappy or if you feel uncomfortable raising your issue with staff locally, you can contact the Customer Services Team.  Our role is to listen to your feedback and ensure our services learn from and respond to your comments, concerns or complaints. 

If you prefer to remain anonymous, we can provide an informal and confidential service but this may limit the actions we can take to address any complaints.

Customer Services Team for Integrated Children’s Services
(Office hours: 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday)

Aimee Skerratt, Customer Services Manager
Alan Matthews, Customer Services Support Officer

Tel: 01392 356920

Email: d-pc.feedbackchildrensservices@nhs.net

Customer Services
Room 137
County Hall
Topsham Road
Exeter
EX2 4QD

For more information, please download one of our Tell us what you think leaflets - see links below under "Further information".

 
Your complaint and what you can expect of us?

In accordance with the NHS Complaint Regulations which came into force on 1 April 2009 following the Department of Health’s guidance document Making Experiences Count – Listening Responding Improving, where reasonably practicable, you can expect us to:

• Acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days
• Offer to arrange a meeting with you to discuss your concerns and resolve them straight away, if possible
• Agree with you the issues of your complaint and how you would like them resolved
• Respond to you in a manner agreed with you in a timeframe agreed with you
• Keep you informed if we require further information or an extension to the agreed timeframe
• Offer you independent help with making your complaint
• Be open and accountable
• Be fair and proportionate in our response
• Apologise if we have made a mistake or given poor service
• Try to put things right
• Learn from mistakes and feedback and change practise where warranted
• Keep you informed of further changes or improvements made as a result of your complaint.

If you remain dissatisfied

If you are unhappy with our response following our investigation into the concerns you have raised, we would welcome the opportunity to respond further. We would be happy to arrange a meeting with you to resolve any remaining issues.

If you remain dissatisfied with how your complaint has been managed, you are entitled to forward your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman for review.

Helpline: 0345 015 4033 (open 8.30am-5.30pm – Monday to Friday)

Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP

Email: www.ombudsman.org.uk

If your complaint concerned one of our residential short breaks units, you can also contact Ofsted.

Tel: 0300 123 1231

Email: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk

Ofsted
Picadilly Gate
Store Street
Manchester
M1 2WD

Help and support in making your complaint

We will do everything we can to guide you through the complaints process but you may wish to have independent support.  ICAS The Independent Complaints Advocacy Service provides free help and support for people bringing complaints to the NHS. This is an independent and confidential service available in this area through South England Advocacy Projects (SEAP).

ICAS can be contacted on 0845 120 3782.
(open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday, Thursdays open 9am-7pm)  

For more information please click on the links below:

• Tell us what you think leaflet
• How to raise your concerns poster
• Complaint Form
• Integrated Children’s Services Policy for the Management of Complaints, Concerns, Compliments, Comments and Formal Enquiries

This leaflet "Tell us what you think leaflet" is also available in the following languages - click on the links to download each one:

• Arabic
• Bengali
• Chinese - Cantonese
• Chinese - Mandarin
• Dari
• Farsi
• French
• German
• Lithuanian
• Polish
• Portuguese
• Slovak
• Spanish
• Turkish

For more information on the background and rationale behind the NHS complaints process please refer to the information below:

• NHS Complaints Regulations (England) April 2009
• The Department of Health’s guidance: Listening Responding Improving
• The Ombudsman’s Principles of Good Complaint Handling

If you need this information in a different format, such as Braille or audio, please contact us on 01392 356920 or email d-pc.feedbackchildrensservices@nhs.net
 

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