Children's Services complaints

Complaints

Redbridge Children’s Services is committed to providing the best possible service to its residents. The complaints that we receive are important to help us improve and develop services.

The following provides information to people who want to make a complaint:

a service you are receiving from Children’s Services or have received and/or
a decision made by Children’s Services involving an individual

Early Resolution

Most concerns can be resolved without making a formal complaint by contacting the member of staff who provides the service or their team manager. You can tell them your concerns and they will try to find a solution by the end of the next working day. If the matter is not resolved by the end of the next working day, you can request the issues to be dealt with as a formal complaint by contacting the Complaints Manager at the following:

Complaints Manager
Lynton House
4^th Floor Front
255-259 High Road
Ilford
Essex IG1 1NN

To contact the Complaints manager, email or complete our online form.

Complaints Process

What will the Complaints Manager do?

Upon receiving your complaint, the Complaints Manager will use the details you have provided to carry out an assessment based on risk. This will help decide the best method for taking your complaint forward.

The Complaints Manager will then contact you within three working days to explain the complaints process, what will happen next, the timescales for a response and, if appropriate, whether you are interested in having an independent advocate work with you on your complaint.

Your complaint will normally be investigated by a manager.

The manager will find out the facts about what happened in an orderly and reasonable way. The manager will collect and consider the evidence which may include interviewing staff and looking at the files. During the investigation, you may be asked whether you are interested in meeting with relevant staff to resolve your complaint. Once the investigation has been completed, the manager will send out a written response to your complaint.

Informal Resolution

The Manager of the service complained about will contact you to provide mediation and to solve your issues and will follow up with a written response within 5 working days.

If you are unhappy with the response, you can request an investigation at Stage 1. It is recommended that this is done within 20 working days following receipt of the response.

Stage 1 Local Resolution

The Manager of the service complained about will provide a written response within 10 working days (of receipt) or up to 20 working days if the details of the complaint are complex, for example if there is a lot of case history, if the complaint has lots of parts and require detailed work to be able to respond to you.

If you are unhappy with the response, you can request an investigation at Stage 2. It is recommended that this is done within 20 working days following receipt of the response.

Escalation from a Stage 1 to a Stage 2

You can request for a review of your complaint at Stage 2. However, to do so you must be able to explain the reasons for wanting to proceed to Stage 2. Simply stating dissatisfaction with the response received or exercising your right to escalate to the next stage is not sufficient basis for a Stage 2 investigation.

Stage 2 Investigation - Corporate

A Stage 2 investigation looks at your complaint and the response at Stage 1 and what it is that you continue to remain unhappy about. An investigating officer (IO) reviews files, carries out interviews and may ask you for supporting evidence.

The investigation officer will provide a written response within 20 working days.

Should you remain unhappy following the Stage 2 Investigation your next step is to contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Stage 2 Investigation - Statutory

A Stage 2 investigation looks at your complaint and the response at Stage 1 and what it is that you continue to remain unhappy about. An investigating officer (IO) will be appointed along with an Independent Person (IP) to work alongside. The IO and IP review files, carry out interviews and ask you for supporting evidence.

Once you have agreed a Statement of Complaint, the aim will be to provide a report within 25 working days (5 weeks), but it can take up to 65 working days if, for example, there are lots of parts to the complaint, if issues are complicated, or further work is needed to fully look at the aspects of complaint. You will then receive a response from the adjudicating officer based on the findings of this report. Generally, findings are upheld, not upheld, or partially upheld for each complaint. If you are unhappy with the response (only on points that were not upheld or partially upheld) you can request a Stage 3 review panel.

Stage 3 Independent Review Panel - Statutory

An independent review panel will look at how your complaint has been handed during the Stage 2 investigation. You will be invited to attend. You must request this within 20 working days after receipt of the Stage 2 adjudication. This should take place within 30 working days of receipt of the request.

Within 15 working days of receiving the panel’s findings, the Corporate Director of People will provide you with a written response.

Please note that a Stage 3 is only applicable within a Children’s Service complaint.

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Should you remain unhappy following the review panel and final response from the Corporate Director your next step is to contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Please note: the statutory complaints procedure is not an appeals procedure. Complaints relating to legal/court proceedings must be made within those proceedings and cannot be dealt with under the complaint’s procedure. It is unlikely that complaints relating to matters which will be discussed in court can be investigated whilst court proceedings are ongoing.

Complaints that cannot be considered - Corporate

There are certain types of issues and complaints that fall outside this policy. This list is a general guide but not exhaustive and includes matters such as:

a request for a service (e.g. a report of a single service failure); or issues that can be resolved informally.
objections about a provision for which there is an alternative process, e.g. appeals, reviews or tribunal processes;
a complaint where the complainant or Council has started legal proceedings in respect of the matter being complained about;
a complaint that has already been decided by a court or independent tribunal,
a Statutory complaint about Adult Social Services, Public Health or Children’s Services
allegations of fraud or corruption (which would be more appropriate to be dealt with by the Council’s Anti-Fraud or Whistle Blowing procedure);
a complaint about a Councillor. The Council’s Monitoring Officer, will consider these complaints;
a complaint about a personnel matter, including appointments, terms and conditions of employment (or disciplinary issues);
a complaint about a Council policy e.g. The Council’s implementation of a Government policy;
Insurance claims;
a complaint which the complainant has known about for more than twelve months before registering it;
a complaint that has been previously investigated, responded to and concluded;

When the Council cannot consider a complaint under this policy, you will be advised and provided with any alternative options that may be available

Education and Inclusion