Help for Carers > Unhappy with a service?

Unhappy with a service?

Problem solving tips
The Carers Charter

Most organisations encourage people to comment on the services they provide. You may be pleased with a service or have a suggestion to make - many organisations will use these comments to help make improvements and give feedback to their staff.

If dissatisfied many people are reluctant to complain. Complaints, like comments, give organisations vital information about how well they are doing and what they might do better.

If you feel you want to complain or make a comment, here's what you could expect as a result:

• An apology (if appropriate)
• An explanation of why things have happened this way
• Where possible, improvements in things that are being done for you now
• Quite possibly changes in the way things are done normally to prevent this type of problem happening again

A stitch in time
If things are not going well, generally it is better to talk about things sooner rather than waiting until circumstances become unbearable.

Many organisations will have procedures to help you and them go through the process of making sure a comment or complaint gets to the right people and that good decisions and actions are made as a result.
A record will very likely be made of the details of this process to help you and them just in case you need to take the complaint further.

In most situations it is worth talking with your contact for that service first. Tell him or her what difficulties you are having and what you'd like to see change to make things better.

You can get more information from:

Challenging decisions factsheet - This factsheet from Carers UK provides information on the ways that you can resolve problems and make complaints about local council or health authority decisions and services. It also contains suggestions to help you to argue your case clearly. Download a copy from: www.carersuk.org

West Sussex Carers Support Services

www.carersfederation.co.uk

- independent, free and confidential support when making an NHS complaint.

WSCC: Social Care and Health - West Sussex County Council website containing a wealth of information about services and facilities in West Sussex Information about services provided by West Sussex Adults' Services.

PALS - the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk - NHS Direct provides information about health, illnesses and health services

; put the word 'complaint' in the search box

NHS Complaints Procedures - information about the NHS complaints procedure

www.lgo.org.uk - the Local Government Ombudsman's website guide

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