Complaints Policy

Purpose
Yad Voezer Day Centre operates an effective mechanism for the receipt, recording, investigation and resolution of all complaints in order to comply with the regulations.

Complaints and suggestions from service users or their relatives are a valued source of information regarding the quality of our service, and are a primary source of information regarding possible abuse.

Policy
Yad Voezer Day Centre accepts the rights of residents to make complaints and to register their comments and concerns about services they receive.

This policy is intended to ensure that all complaints made to Yad Voezer Day Centre by service users, relatives, advocates or employees are dealt with appropriately, effectively and are taken seriously in a sensitive and confidential manner.

Yad Voezer Day Centre believe that complaints and suggestions should be handled in a way to reach a satisfactory outcome with the complainant, and to turn a potentially difficult and damaging problem into a source of quality improvement.

A copy of Yad Voezer Day Centre’s complaints procedure will be provided to all service users and their representatives at the beginning of the service, and copies will be made available throughout the service. Upon request, this procedure will be made available in other languages or formats. Support staff must ensure that all service users are made aware of the procedures in place to deal with any complaints and that they are reassured that any complaint will be taken seriously and acted upon.

All formal or serious complaints will be investigated by a person not related to the immediate source of the complaint.

Complaints will be recorded on service users’ files in order to identify any pattern of complaints relating to an individual, including care or service provision in order to update and review the care planning process.

Employees who are the subject of a complaint should not communicate directly with the complainant unless accompanied by a senior member of staff, or requested by the complainant to do so.

Where a complaint gives rise to concerns regarding the wellbeing of one or more service users, serious consideration must be given to suspension of the persons complained about, and an investigation will be initiated immediately by the service manager in order to identify any risk to the health and welfare of the service user involved. Any attempt to conceal a complaint may give rise to formal disciplinary action.

Responsibilities
The procedure in place for dealing with complaints provides a hierarchical structure, with complaints being dealt with initially on site. However, should the service user not be satisfied it will be passed to the service manager and if necessary, to Yad Voezer’s Chief Executive. Finally, if a service user is still not satisfied with the response they received, they can raise the matter either with the Trustees or with the Hackney Council.

The manager will make a judgement as to its seriousness, and will immediately arrange a meeting with the support worker concerned, to discuss the complaint and to formulate a satisfactory response.

The manager or team leader will then contact the service user to discuss the grounds for the complaint and to explain how it is being dealt with. Follow-up meetings will then be arranged to consider further measures until the service user is satisfied.

The complaints process will only be regarded as “completed” when the complainant or their representative are satisfied with the outcome of the complaint procedure.

Written procedure
A complaint can be made by telephone, in writing, by email or in person to:

Yad Voezer Community Centre
9A Amhurst Park
London N16 5DH
Tel, 020 8802 8899
Enquiries@yadvoezer.com

Complainants will receive an acknowledgment by Yad Voezer Day Centre within 24 hours and the complaint will be recorded in the complaints book held at every site. This acknowledgment will identify who will be investigating the complaint.

All complaints will be dealt with by the day centre manager, or by a senior person within Yad Voezer Day Centre. They will provide the complainant assistance to help them understand the complaints procedure, or advice on where they may obtain such assistance.

All complaints to Yad Voezer Day Centre should be made no later than 12 months after.

If the complaint raises potentially serious matters, advice could be sought from a legal advisor. If legal action is taken at this stage, any investigation within Yad Voezer Day Centre under the complaints procedure immediately ceases.

Investigation by Yad Voezer Day Centre
The service manager or senior member of the organisation will start an investigation without delay and within 28 days should be in a position to provide a full explanation to the complainant, either in writing or by arranging a meeting with the individuals concerned.

If the issue is too complex to resolve or complete the investigation within 28 days, the complainant will be informed of any delays.

Where the complaint cannot be resolved between the parties, an arbitration service may be used. This service and its findings will be final to both parties. The cost of this will be borne by Yad Voezer Day Centre.

Meeting
If a meeting is arranged, the complainant will be advised that they may if they wish bring a relative or representative such as an advocate.

A detailed explanation of the results of the investigation will be given, as well as an apology if deemed appropriate. (Apologising for what happened need not be an admission of liability)

Such a meeting gives Yad Voezer’s management the opportunity to show the complainant that the matter has been taken seriously and has been thoroughly investigated.

Follow Up Action
After the meeting, or if the complainant does not wish to hold a meeting, a written account of the investigation will be sent to the complainant.

The outcomes of the investigation and the meeting are recorded in the complaints file and any shortcomings in the organisation’s procedures will be identified and acted upon. Where no action was taken, reasons for this will also be recorded.

A complaint that was made in person or by telephone and is resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction no later than the next working day after the day the complaint was made, and a complaint that has already been investigated and resolved, in those circumstances, Yad Voezer Day Centre will, as soon as possible, notify the complainant in writing of its decision to not investigate the complaint and the reasons why.

In an event where the service user, or the one making the complaint, is not satisfied with the outcome they can contact CQC or Social Services. See the contact details below.

Key Contacts
Care Quality Commission (CQC)
National Correspondence
Citygate, Gallowgate
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE1 4PA
Tel: 0300 061 6161
Fax: 0300 061 6171

Social Services (for Service Users funded by social services)
Learning Disabilities Service
Community Services
Hackney Service Centre
1 Hillman Street
London E8 1DY
Tel: 020 8356 7444

Independent Advocacy Services
PohWER
Tel: 0300 456 2370