Complaints

1. Purpose

We want to hear when something has gone wrong, so that we can put it right quickly and do better. This policy gives a clear, staged and fair way to raise concerns and complaints, with set timescales and an independent review.

Our contracts with commissioning local authorities require us to run a complaints policy that is well-publicised and accessible, broadly reflects the approach of their corporate complaints policies, and provides for early contact, problem solving, transparency, timely resolution and review where appropriate. This policy does that for every AP learner, whoever commissions the place.

2. Scope

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about our service, something we have done or failed to do, or the conduct of our staff, which needs a response.

Anyone affected by our service can complain, including learners, parents and carers, referring schools, commissioning local authorities, neighbours and visitors. Someone else, such as a relative or advocate, can complain on a person's behalf with their consent.

Section 9 lists what this policy does not cover.

3. Law and guidance

• Our contracts with commissioning local authorities. A well-publicised, accessible policy reflecting the local authority's approach. If the local authority asks, we give it a copy of this policy, co-operate fully with its complaint investigations and give it the information it needs promptly. We co-operate fully and promptly with any Ombudsman investigation, including documents, explanations, access to our premises and interviews with staff. If the local authority is involved in court proceedings, an inquiry or an inquest connected with our service, we provide information and make staff available.

• Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO). Investigates complaints about services that councils arrange or fund, normally after the council's own complaints process.

• Equality Act 2010. We make reasonable adjustments so everyone can complain, and we never victimise anyone for complaining.

• Data protection law. Complaints about how we handle personal data have their own route (section 9).

4. Roles and responsibilities

5. Our approach

• Early contact and problem solving. Most concerns can be sorted out by talking. We try to resolve things at the first contact.

• Fair and open. We listen, look at the facts, explain our decision and say what we will do.

• Timely. We keep to the timescales below. If we cannot, we explain why in writing and give a new date.

• Review. If you are unhappy with our answer, you can ask for a review at the next stage.

• No detriment. Making a complaint will never affect how a learner is treated, and a placement is never ended because a family has complained.

• Learning. Every complaint helps us improve.

6. How to complain

You can complain in whatever way suits you:

• Email: hello@carecove.co.uk (mark it "Complaint")

• Post: Complaints, Care Cove Alternative Provision, 37 Townhead Street, Sheffield, S1 2EB

• Phone (families): 07879 818254

• In person: at reception, or to your child's key mentor or the Head of AP

• Care Cove Connect: a secure message through the Family portal

• Complaints about the Director: to the SWMC Chair, whose confidential email address is available from reception, or by post marked "Private: for the Chair of the Social Work Management Committee"

You can use the form in Appendix A, but you do not have to. Please tell us what happened, when, who was involved and what you would like us to do.

Please complain as soon as you can, normally within 12 months of the problem. We will still consider an older complaint if there is a good reason for the delay.

6.1 Help to complain

We will help anyone who needs it. This includes professional interpreters and translated letters (never using a child to interpret), easy read and large print, meeting at a time and place that suits you, writing down a complaint made by phone or in person and checking it with you, and letting you bring a friend, relative or advocate. Families can also get advice from the local SEND information, advice and support service.

7. The stages

7.1 Informal resolution

Speak to your child's key mentor or the Head of AP. We aim to sort things out within 5 working days. We record every concern raised this way. If you are not happy with the result, or would rather go straight to a formal complaint, you can use Stage 1.

7.2 Stage 1: formal complaint to the Head of AP

• We acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days, confirm what it is about and offer to talk or meet.

• The Head of AP investigates, speaking to staff and others involved and checking records.

• You receive a written response within 10 working days of receipt, explaining what we found, whether the complaint is upheld, what we will do, and how to ask for Stage 2.

If the complaint is about the Head of AP, the Director handles Stage 1. If it is about the Director, it goes straight to the SWMC Chair, who handles it at Stage 2; any Stage 3 review of that complaint is then carried out by another SWMC member.

7.3 Stage 2: review by the Director

If you are unhappy with the Stage 1 response, ask for a Stage 2 review within 20 working days, saying why.

• We acknowledge your request within 3 working days.

• The Director reviews how the complaint was handled and looks at the issues afresh, and will meet you if you wish.

• You receive a written response within 20 working days of receipt.

7.4 Stage 3: independent review by the SWMC Chair

If you are still unhappy, ask for a Stage 3 review within 20 working days of the Stage 2 response.

• We acknowledge your request within 3 working days.

• The SWMC Chair, who is independent of day-to-day management, reviews all the papers and will meet you if you wish.

• You receive a written decision within 20 working days of receipt. This is Care Cove's final response.

7.5 After Stage 3

If you remain unhappy, you can take your complaint to the organisation that commissioned the placement:

• Placements arranged or funded by a local authority: contact that local authority through its complaints procedure. Once the local authority has considered it, you may be able to ask the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to look at it (lgo.org.uk; 0300 061 0614). The Ombudsman usually expects complaints within 12 months of you becoming aware of the problem.

• Placements arranged by a school: use the school's complaints procedure.

Care Cove co-operates fully and promptly with any local authority or Ombudsman investigation and acts on its findings.

7.6 Putting things right

When a complaint is upheld, in full or in part, we put things right. That may mean an apology, an explanation, changing a learner's plan, retraining staff, changing how we work, or another remedy that fits.

8. Complaints from learners

Learners can complain too, and we make it easy:

• tell any adult they trust, their key mentor or the Head of AP;

• use the "tell a trusted adult" route in the Student app;

• raise it at the termly pupil forum.

The Head of AP or another trusted adult talks with the learner, in private if they want, and explains the outcome in words they understand. Parents are told unless that would put the learner at risk. Looked-after learners can also get help from their social worker or Independent Reviewing Officer, and every learner is told about Childline (0800 1111). If anything a learner says suggests they may be at risk, the adult tells the DSL immediately.

9. What this policy does not cover

Some matters have their own procedures. If a complaint includes one of these, we deal with that part under the right procedure and tell you.

10. Unreasonable or persistent complaints

Almost everyone who complains does so reasonably. Occasionally, contact becomes so frequent, repetitive or hostile that it stops us working for other learners, or staff are abused or threatened.

In that case the Director (or the SWMC Chair if the complaint concerns the Director) may limit contact, for example to one named person, to writing only, or to set times. We explain the decision and the reason in writing and review it at least every 6 months. A restriction never affects the learner's education, safeguarding or our communication about the learner, and we will always consider a genuinely new complaint. Threats or violence towards staff may be reported to the police.

11. Confidentiality and records

Complaints are shared only with people who need to know. A member of staff who is complained about is told and given the chance to respond. Complaint records are kept separately from the learner's record and retained under the Data Protection, Retention and Information Sharing policy.

12. Recording and learning

Every complaint, including concerns resolved informally, is recorded on the complaints log: date, who complained, what about, stage, timescales met, outcome and actions. The Head of AP reviews the log monthly. The SWMC reviews themes, timescales and learning termly, and checks that actions have been completed. Lessons feed into training, supervision, plans and policies.

13. Reporting to commissioning local authorities

The Director reports complaints to the commissioning local authority's contract manager: numbers, stages, themes, outcomes, timescales and actions taken, without naming families unless the local authority needs it. We tell the contract manager promptly about any complaint likely to go to the Ombudsman or attract public attention. We give the local authority a copy of this policy and any information it reasonably needs about a complaint whenever it asks.

14. Publicising this policy

This policy, and a short family-friendly guide, are:

• on our website, carecove.co.uk;

• in the welcome pack, and explained by the key mentor at the initial meeting;

• on the Family portal, with a child-friendly version in the Student app;

• shared with referring schools through the Partner portal;

• displayed at reception.

15. Monitoring and review

The SWMC reviews this policy every year, or sooner after a complaint that shows a gap, a change in law or guidance, a change to a commissioning local authority's corporate complaints policy or a contract change.

16. Related policies

• 01 Safeguarding and Child Protection
• 03 Managing Allegations Against Staff and Low-Level Concerns
• 04 Whistleblowing
• 17 Data Protection, Retention and Information Sharing
• 18 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• 21 Staff Code of Conduct
• 30 Referrals, Admissions and Ending Placements

Appendix A: Complaint form

You do not have to use this form. You can also tell us by phone, in person or through the Family portal.

Please send the form to hello@carecove.co.uk or to Complaints, Care Cove Alternative Provision, 37 Townhead Street, Sheffield, S1 2EB, or hand it in at reception.

For office use: date received; stage; acknowledged on; response due; response sent; outcome; logged by.

Document control and ratification

This policy is signed off by the Designated Safeguarding Lead and the Head of Alternative Provision, and ratified by the Social Work Management Committee. It is reviewed every year, or sooner after an incident or a change in law, statutory guidance or contract requirements, and it is available to any commissioning local authority on request.