Social Services

Your Views

Do you have something to say?

• Compliment
• Comment
• Complaint
• Question

If so, we want to hear it!

Please tell us…

At Wrexham Social Services we are doing our best to provide services of a high standard to a large number of people every year. Much of the time, we cannot know that anything has gone wrong unless you tell us. Equally, we also like to know when we are getting it right!

You may wish to make a suggestion about how things could be improved, or pay a compliment to our staff if you have appreciated their efforts, or you may be dissatisfied with a service you received and wish to make a complaint.

To do this, you could telephone or send us an e-mail:

Customer Services Manager
2nd Floor
Crown Buildings,
Chester Street,
Wrexham
Tel: 01978 292007
Freephone: 0800 587 6708

E-mail: socialservices@wrexham.gov.uk

What to do if you want to speak to someone

Stage One - Local Resolution

• Your complaint will be forwarded to the team manager who is responsible for the service you are complaining about.
• The team manager will check relevant files and speak to staff members concerned.
• The team manager may contact you for further information.
• Once the team manager is clear about what has happened and why, he/she will send a letter of response explaining the outcome and describing any further action that may need to be taken to reach resolution.
• The letter of response will be sent to you within:
• 10 working days (Adult Services)
• If more time is required, the Team Manager may contact you to ask for your agreement (this will be up to a maximum of a further 10 working days).
• Should you remain dissatisfied once you have received the response, you can request for the matter to be dealt with at the second stage of the procedures

Stage Two - Formal Consideration

• You should contact someone in the Customer Services team to confirm that you wish the matter to be dealt with at Stage Two.
• You can either do this by letter or by telephone.
• If there is a break down in relationships between the service user and/or their family and social services staff, it may be appropriate to appoint an independent mediator to try to assist in reaching resolution.  If this is the case, this option will be discussed with you.
• If it is more appropriate for your complaint to be investigated, the Customer Services team will arrange for a person who is independent of the service your complaint is about to investigate. 
• They will write to you to advise who will be investigating your complaint.
• The role of the Investigating Officer is to review all documentation relating to the complaint, interview all relevant people and produce a report for the Head of Service you are complaining about.
• The Head of Service will then write to you with his/her response.
• You will also be sent a copy of the investigation report.
• This process should take 25 working days.  With more complex cases, additional time may be required.  If this is the case, either the Investigating Officer or the Customer Services Manager will contact you to request an appropriate time extension.
• Should you remain dissatisfied at this stage, you can ask for the matter to be reviewed by an independent panel.

Stage Three - Independent Panel

• The Independent Panel is the third and final stage of the Social Services Complaints Procedure.
• The request for an Independent Panel should be made within 20 working days of receiving the response to your complaint from the Head of Service at the Second (Formal Consideration) stage.
• You will be asked to complete a form giving the reasons for your dissatisfaction.  If you require assistance with this, you should advise the Customer Services Manager.
• Details of your request will be sent to the Independent Complaints Secretariat (who have been appointed by the Welsh Assembly Government) to handle the Independent Panel stage of complaints regarding Social Services.
• The Independent Complaints Secretariat will write to you within two working days to confirm receipt of your request.
• The Independent Panel will be convened within 20 working days of receiving the request (or as soon as possible afterwards with the consent of the complainant).
• The Independent Panel comprises of an Independent Chair and two Independent Panel members (one with a background in Social Services and the other a Lay Member). 
• The Panel, having considered the issues, will write a report and, if appropriate, will make recommendations to the Social Services Department.
• The report will be sent to you and to the Chief Social Services Officer (CSSO).
• The CSSO must then give consideration to the recommendations and decide what action should be taken.
• The CSSO will write to you and other appropriate people within 20 working days.

If after the Review Panel you feel that your complaint has been handled incorrectly or has been the subject of maladministration, you may wish to contact the local Ombudsman at the following address:

Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
1 Ffordd yr Hen Gae
Pencoed
CF35 5LJ

Telephone: 0845 601 0987
Fax: 01656 641199

e-mail: ask@ombudsman-wales.org.uk
website: www.ombudsman-wales.org.uk

Compliments

Please contact us when you think we have done well. It will help us in trying to make sure that the standard of service you have received can be provided to other people in the future.

• You could tell the staff themselves; or

• Tell someone at one of our offices.