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Reforming the social services complaints procedure
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Last modified date:13 April 2007
Regulations and guidance, background, and timing of reform.
Regulations and guidance
Proposals for a reformed social services complaints procedure received Parliamentary approval as part of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003. Regulations which will form part of the legislative basis for the complaints procedure will come into force on 1 September 2006. The regulations impose time-limits on making complaints, new timescales for handling stages of the process, and greater independence at the final review panel stage. Guidance to support the regulations has also been issued.
- Learning From Complaints - guidance issued 4 August 2006
- The Local Authority Social Services Complaints (England) Regulations 2006 (opens new window)
- Download in Portable Document Format the explanatory memorandum to the Local Authority Social Services Complaints (England) Regulations 2006: 2006 No.1681 (opens new window)
Background
The Department of Health consultation 'Listening to People' identified key areas for improvement and through a Department of Health Social Services Complaints Working Group, involving national representatives from NCOG, ADSS, LGA, various independent groups and the new Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), proposals were developed for a more consistent and effective procedure for handling complaints, providing more satisfactory outcomes for service users, carers and their representatives, and building on identified areas in need of improvement. These proposals formed the basis for the consultation undertaken by the Department 'Learning From Complaints' October 2004. Consultation ran until 10 January 2005.
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