Introduction

In adult social care, our vision is to “Make the difference that matters” by enabling people to help themselves and each other, doing the best we can to help build resilience, thrive and live a good life.

1.1    This policy explains how to make a complaint about Adult Social Care and how the council will respond. Key terms are identified in bold and defined in Appendix 1. If you need more information or support, please contact the complaints team. 

1.2    Gloucestershire County Council (we / the council) is committed to creating a continuous learning environment, as such we welcome compliments and complaints about its Adult Social Care service as these are valuable opportunities for growth, learning and continuous improvement.

1.3    The council strives to ensure the people who draw on care and support are enabled to live independently and with dignity, with choice and control over their care, however sometimes people may be dissatisfied with decisions or services. We encourage anyone dissatisfied with Adult Social Care to:

• raise their concerns with the staff member they have been dealing with, or
• ask to speak to their manager instead 

1.4    We will treat anyone who wishes to make a complaint with courtesy and respect. We will try to resolve concerns quickly and informally if we can or explain why this is not possible. If it is not possible, or if preferred, people may make a complaint.