Your feedback matters to us

It helps us to understand where we are doing things well, and how we could do things better.

Our commitment to you

Somerset Care is committed to providing an effective feedback management system that promotes a just learning culture, open and honest communication and admissions of failing and reparative actions if appropriate.

Everything we do at Somerset Care is underpinned by our four core values:

Connecting with people
Making a difference
Doing the right thing
Embracing change

Your feedback matters to us – it helps us to understand where we are doing things well, and how we could do things better.

At Somerset Care, we see complaints as an opportunity to develop and improve our services and our people.

We will welcome complaints in a positive way and recognise them as an important insight into how to improve services.
We will create a positive experience by making it easy for people to make a complaint and to make their voice heard.
Our workforce will have the freedom to resolve issues quickly and to the satisfaction of everybody.
Our process will be thorough and fair when investigating complaints and will give an open and honest answer as quickly as possible in light of the complexity of the issues.
We will make sure people who make complaints – and the workforce involved in the issues – have their say and are kept updated during the investigation.
We will make sure people can see what the investigator is doing to look into the issues in a fair and objective way and which is based on fact.
We will give fair and accountable responses that explain what happened and whether mistakes occurred or not.
We will ensure each response recognises the experience of everybody concerned to provide a culture of learning and accountability.
We will make sure our workforce have the confidence and freedom to offer fair remedies to put things right when needed, and to take action to make sure any learning is identified and acted on to improve services. We will do this by ensuring our workforce receive regular support and training to deliver best practice in handling complaints.
We will share the learning from complaints across the organisation and will share improvements made as a result with our Customers.
We will ask complainants how they felt about the management of their complaint and the response and resolution provided.

How can I submit my feedback?

We invite you to share your feedback in the format that is most convenient for you. This could be provided verbally to the relevant service manager, in writing to the address below, or via email at [email protected].

Somerset Care
Acacia House
Blackbrook Park Avenue
Taunton
Somerset
TA1 2PX

We will always acknowledge your feedback and respond to you via the same method that you used to contact us, unless you indicate that you would prefer us to do otherwise.

Please share your feedback with us within 12 months of the experience that it relates to, so that we can respond and act upon it accordingly.

How can I access advice and support?

We understand and respect that some people may need advice and support from an independent advocate to give their feedback, to understand the process and to cope with the outcome.

We acknowledge that this is particularly important for people who are vulnerable, find it difficult to make their views heard, for customers whose first language is not English and for those people with communication difficulties.

For further advice regarding advocacy please contact either the service manager or our enquiries team.

What can I expect to happen when I share my feedback?

At Somerset Care we want to hear about what matters to you. Whether it is a compliment, concern or complaint we will listen, acknowledge and use your feedback to continuously improve the care we deliver.

Compliments

My compliment will be acknowledged in the same format as I gave it
My compliment will be recorded on the Company’s data system
My compliment will be shared with the team

Concerns

My concern will be dealt with immediately if it can be
If my concern cannot be dealt with immediately, I will receive a call from the service manager or designate within 48 hours to discuss what has been found and my concern will be recorded on the Company’s data system
Any actions arising from my concern will be recorded on the Company’s data system
Learning from my concern will be shared with the team

What you can expect to feel

I felt confident to speak up
I felt that sharing my feedback was simple
I felt listened to and understood
I felt that my feedback made a difference
I would feel confident in sharing my feedback in the future

How can I make a complaint?

Formal Complaints – Stage 1

I will receive a call to discuss my complaint in more detail and to clarify the issues I want to be addressed – within 3 working days of receipt of my complaint
I will be asked how I would like to be communicated with going forward
I will be advised of the name of the person and their role in the service who will be investigating my complaint and who will be my point of contact going forward
If my complaint concerns the service manager, it will be managed by a suitably senior staff member from another part of the organisation
I will be offered the opportunity to attend the service to speak in person to the investigator at any stage of the complaints management process should I believe this is best for me
I will be advised of the independent organisations that are available should I require help to raise my complaint
The complaints management procedure will be confirmed with me during the call including the expected date of response
I will receive a formal summary of this conversation in an acknowledgment letter
I can expect a full investigation and response in the format of my choosing – verbal, email or letter – within 28 working days
In the event that the timescale for response is not able to be achieved, I will receive communication to advise of the reason for the delay and the new date by which I can expect a response
I will receive a response that offers sincere apologies, fully addresses the issues raised, identifies the cause and any actions put in place to address those issues
I will be advised of my right to appeal to the response and how to raise an appeal within 14 days of receiving the response
My complaint will be recorded on the Company’s data system
Any actions arising from my complaint will be recorded on the Company’s data system
Learning from my complaint will be shared with the team

Formal Complaints – Stage 2

My appeal will be acknowledged within 3 working days of receipt
My appeal will be managed by a suitably senior member of staff not previously involved in the complaint investigation
I will receive a response to my appeal within 28 working days
I will be advised of how to escalate my complaint should I remain unhappy with the response

Formal Complaints – External Appeal Stage 3
If you remain unhappy with the outcome of the response, you may wish to escalate your complaint externally to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) who provide a free, independent service.

The LGSCO will not usually investigate until the provider (in this case Somerset Care) has had adequate opportunity to respond and resolve your feedback. To request that the LGSCO investigates your feedback, please contact them using the details below:

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
PO Box 4771
Coventry
CV4 0EH

www.lgo.org.uk
0300 061 0614

How can I share feedback with Somerset Care’s regulator?

Somerset Care is registered with and regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The CQC cannot investigate individual items of feedback, but is happy to receive information about our services at any time. If you would like to share your feedback with the CQC, please contact them using the details below:

Care Quality Commission National Correspondence
Citygate
Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4PA

www.cqc.org.uk
03000 616161

Thank you for sharing your feedback

Whatever the nature of your feedback, we thank you for sharing it with us so that we can continue to improve our service.

Your experiences will help to shape the future of the care we deliver.