Children's Social Care Complaints
Children Social Care provides a wide range of services for different people.
If you are happy with our service or a particular member of staff - please tell us.
If you are unhappy with our service or the way you have been treated - please tell us.
What to do if you are not happy
You can talk to your social worker or their manager about the problem you have.
If you are still not happy
Stage 1 - Local Resolution
You can talk to the Complaints Manager in private, who will try to deal with your problem.
You can make contact by telephone, letter, fax, email or in person.
If you need help making a complaint, compliment, or suggestion please let us know and we will arrange for someone to help you - this person is called an advocate. Alternatively, you can ask someone in your family, or a friend to write or speak on your behalf.
You will be sent a letter within two working days to let you know your complaint has been received by the Complaints Unit. You should then receive a full response within ten working days. If the complaint is detailed or if an advocate is required, a further ten working days can be added.
If you are still not happy, you can meet with the manager who sent the letter.
The Children & Young People's Service will consider mediation and conflict resolution at this stage and at all other stages.
If you are still not happy
Stage 2 - Investigation
Write to the Complaints Manager saying which part of your complaint has not been sorted out.
The Complaints Manager will arrange for someone independent of the service to investigate your complaint and write a report. The Complaints Manager will also appoint an independent person to oversee the investigation.
This person will not work for Hackney Council. They will write a report.
You should receive a response to your complaint within 25 working days of the complaint being received. (By law, we can take up to 65 working days for certain complaints.)
We will do all we can to make sure we reply quickly, and tell you if there are any delays.
If you are still not happy
Stage 3 - Review Panel
If you are unhappy with the investigation or the response to your complaint, you can ask for it to go before a Review Panel.
You must ask for this within 20 working days of receiving the letter at Stage 2.
The Review Panel will normally meet within 30 working days of your request, and will be made up of three independent panel members, one of whom will chair the meeting.
You can also ask your advocate, someone in your family, or a friend to speak on your behalf.
The Review Panel will send their recommendations to you and the Director of Children's Services within five working days of the meeting.
The Director of Children's Services will send you a letter with the final decision within 15 working days of receiving the Review Panel's recommendations.
If you are still not happy
Ombudsman
You may take the matter further by contacting:
Local Government Ombudsman
10th Floor,
Millbank Tower,
Millbank
London SW1P 4QP
Tel 020 7217 4620
Fax: 020 7217 4621
Contact the Complaints Unit
You can fill in the form at the end of the Children's Social Care complaints booklet (PDF, 2.65MB) and return it to us.
Tel us on: 020 8356 5800.
Email us at: children.complaints@hackney.gov.uk
Visit the office at:
Hackney Service Centre,
1 Hillman Street
London E8 1DY
This office is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, but if you want to visit you will need to phone first to make an appointment.
Our office is accessible to all disabled people. If you do not speak English or you use British Sign Language we can get a translator or a sign language interpreter to help you.
Useful contact details
There are other organisations that can help children and young people with their problems. Here are some of them.
Childline
Tel: 0800 111 111
www.childline.org.uk
Kidscape
Tel: 08451 205 204
www.kidscape.org.uk
Voice
Tel: 0808 800 5792
www.voiceyp.org
NSPCC
Tel: 0808 800 5000
www.nspcc.org.uk
The Children's Society
Tel: 0845 300 1128
www.childrenssociety.org.uk
Citizens Advice Bureau
Tel: 020 8525 6350
www.eastendcab.org.uk
Page updated: 5 Apr 2011
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