Complaints and representations procedure, adult social work

At Gateshead we are committed to getting things right and providing high quality services to all adults and families in Gateshead to support our vision for adults in Gateshead to live thriving lives, be independent and individual, support themselves and each other, and access personalised quality support when they need it.

We realise we don't always get it right, and if that happens, we want to try and fix any problems you may be experiencing. If you have a complaint about our service, we'd like you to get in touch with us first and we can try and resolve your complaint quickly and informally. 

The complaints that we receive are important to help us improve and develop services, one of the ways in which we can continue to improve our services is by listening to the views of all our people and by responding positively to representations and complaints,  putting any mistakes right at the earliest opportunity.     

Our principles when responding to complaints: 

• We will deal with complaints impartially, objectively, and professionally and all concerns will be taken seriously. 
• We will make sure that as many complaints as possible are resolved swiftly and satisfactorily at the earliest stage of the process and we will ensure adequate support for everyone involved in the complaint. 
• We will keep you informed about the progress of your complaint and will provide a full response without delay. 
• The identity of the person making a complaint will be managed in line with data protection legislation and only shared when it is necessary to do so to enable the investigation of the complaint. 
• We will secure sensible and effective links with other procedures in local government to ensure the effective resolution of complaints. 
• We will safeguard your rights of access to other means of redress, such as the Local Government Ombudsman. 
• We will monitor our performance in handling complaints, and we will learn from our mistakes to improve services for everyone who uses them.