The Duty of Care in the Company Policies

The policy and procedures are different for each care setting, the policy is to ensure all staff, residents, and other relevant parties are aware of how to raise any issues regarding the quality of service delivered. It is the responsibility of the home manager to ensure that people feel able to make complaints without the fear of incurring discretion and disapproval and provide any help or assistance needed. It is our policy to ensure all relevant people feel comfortable and able to raise concerns and to make comments and complaints freely. It is the the company policy to investigate fully and to deal with he complaint/concern compassionately and effectively. Many complaints can be avoided by dealing with concerns as they arise, sources of irritation can soon become major complaints if the irritations are not dealt with at the time.

Our procedure is any member of staff receiving a complaint either verbally or in writing must report this to their manager as soon as possible. If the complaint can be dealt with immediately by the staff member the complaint and the solution should be reported to the manager at the earliest opportunity. The concerns or complaints should then be recorded by the manager or head of care in the appropriate log. It is intended that wherever possible complaints should be dealt with within the individual service as this is the most satisfactory outcome from all points of view. Residents should be able to ask for assistance in finding an advocate without revealing the reason for making this request. All complaints must be recorded int he complaints book using the complaints form or using a complaints form in the complaints section of the computerised care management system. Any action taken to resolve the issue should also be recorded.

Where a complaint has any confidential information a brief description should be recored and any detailed description should be kept on file for specific access only. Where entry is made it should be signed by the person completing the entry. All complaints should be accessible and made available to CQC on request. Feedback should be given to the person raising the concern/complaint. If a more serious or more formal complaint is made the manager/head of care will acknowledge the receipt of the complaint in writing within 5 working days. The outcome of investigations (staying within confidentiality policies) will be communicate to the complainant within 15 working days. Where this is not possible an interim letter will be sent explaining that the investigation is ongoing and giving a likely timescale for its completion.