1.6.1 Complaints

This chapter includes the links to four documents, which are all concerned with guidance, regulations and procedures that apply when someone, a child or an adult wishes to raise an issue or make a complaint about a service or a difficulty that they have encountered in relation to Bexley Council.

Bexley Council's commitment to put customers first means providing high quality services to all customers. Bexley Council guarantees to:

Take complaints seriously
Investigate complaints thoroughly and fairly
Use lessons from complaints to help improve services

To view the Bexley Council Complaints procedures in full go to: London Borough of Bexley website.

'Getting the Best from Complaints -Social Care Complaints and Representation for Children, Young People and Others' was issued by the government in 2006.

'Getting the Best from Complaints' builds on messages from the report of the Waterhouse inquiry, Lost in Care, which cited many examples of children who had attempted to complain but whose voices had not been heard. Every Child Matters: Change for Children sets out the Government's agenda for improving outcomes for every child.

It is also about making sure vulnerable children and young people get the help they need, when they need it, however large or small their complaint. This guidance follows the core principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Every Child Matters: Change for Children which puts children's views and wishes at the forefront of the decision-making process.

The document sets out in full detail the regulations, which should be followed when someone wishes to raise an issue or make a complaint. Click here to view Getting the Best from Complaints - Social Care Complaints and Representations for Children, Young People and Others.

To underpin the regulations, guidance and procedures in the above documents Bexley Children's and Young People's Services have two leaflets for young children and older children to use if they wish to raise a concern.

All complaints received by social workers/teams should be copied to the Complaints team for monitoring.

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