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Policy Statement 

Rehability UK is committed to delivering high-quality social care. Complaints provide an opportunity to learn from people receiving care and support, their relatives and other professionals concerning their experience of the services we provide. Complaints provide a way to improve the care and services we deliver continuously.

1. Aim
1.1 This policy aims to provide a consistent approach to the handling of all complaints across all Rehability UK locations. This policy applies to all organisations under the Rehability UK umbrella.
The policy is compliant with:
• Care Quality Commission
• Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: Reg 16
Receiving and Acting on Complaints

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1.2 All staff who have concerns or complaints about a service are encouraged to make these known to their Line Manager or a Senior Manager. This enables Rehability UK to learn directly from staff of their concerns. The Whistleblowing Policy also details the procedures for raising concerns about service delivery.​​

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6. Core Principles

6.1. 1 Rehability UK accepts the CQC statement that Complaints matter: They matter for people using services, who deserve an explanation when things go wrong and want to know that steps have been taken to make it less likely to happen to anyone else. They matter for health and social care organisations, because every concern or complaint is
an opportunity to improve. Complaints may signal a problem – the information can help save lives, and well-handled concerns will help improve the quality of care for other people Taken from: CQC Complaints Matter 2014.
 

6.2.1 Rehability UK seeks out the views of people receiving care and support and their families and carers. Complaints are a way of learning about how a person experiences our services.
 

7. Procedures
7.1 Receiving a Complaint:
7.1.1 All complaints received including oral complaints are acknowledged and receive a
response within an agreed timeframe.
7.1.2 The manager of the location provides assistance, when required, to people receiving care and support and those acting on their behalf with help to bring a complaint or make a comment. They also support access to independent complaints advocacy services.

7.2 Responding to a complaint
Complaints Policy Amended December 2022 (Reviewed and amended March 2023)
7.2.1 All complaints are acknowledged within 7 working days of receipt of the complaint. The complaint must be made within 12 months of an incident or the complainant becoming aware of the issue. Discretion can be used with the approval of the Head of Operations.
7.2.2 An acknowledgement of the complaint is made verbally and in writing. When acknowledging the complaint an offer is made to discuss the following issues, 

• How the complaint is to be handled
• When the investigation is likely to be complete
• When the response is likely to be sent to the complainant
• If the complainant indicates that they do not want to discuss the complaint at this
stage, they must be notified of the process in writing
7.2.3 The complainant is supported throughout the procedure or supported to access independent advocacy services.
7.2.4 The complainant is kept informed of progress of their complaint.
 

7.3 Outcome of a complaint
7.3.1 Once the investigation has been completed:
• A letter is sent to the complainant detailing the initial findings
• They informed of action that has been taken during the investigation
• They are informed of the findings of the investigation and whether their complaint
is upheld
• They have informed them of the internal appeals process and the external appeal process
7.3.2 The response is sent to the complaint within a maximum of 21 working days. If this is not possible a letter is sent to the complainant detailing the reasons for the delay. A new timescale for the response is agreed. The response to the complaint is sent as soon as reasonably practicable. The complainant is notified of any subsequent delays.
 

7.4 Appeals Process
7.4.1. The HR Manager or Managing Director is responsible for organising the appeals process.
They will ensure that:
• All aspects of the complaint are considered
• Whether a review is appropriate based on correspondence the investigation
7.4.1.2 The Managing Director ultimately either upholds the original decision or proposes an alternative resolution to the complaint.

7.4.2 The complainant is informed that if, after the internal appeals process, they remain dissatisfied, they have the right to refer the matter to: The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman www.lgo.org.uk Telephone 0300 061 0614 if the outcome of the complaint is not resolved locally.
7.4.2.1 If the initial complaint is about poor quality or standards, the complaint should be referred to the CQC. Rehability UK locations are registered with and regulated by the Care Complaints Policy Amended December 2022 (Reviewed and amended March 2023) Quality Commission (CQC). Care Quality Commission National Correspondence,
Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4PA. Telephone 0300 061 6161.