Complaints procedures

Since 1st April 2009 there has been a new single statutory complaints procedure for Adults Social Care and NHS complaints. Westminster City Council no longer has a three staged complaints process for Adults Services. Adults Services will now respond to your complaint through a single stage. If you remain dissatisfied you can go to the Local Government Ombudsman. This should give you a faster and more direct service.

You can also discuss your concerns with your local Councillor or MP.

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Westminster Adults Service procedure

When we receive your complaint we will discuss it with you and establish how best to proceed. The complaint will be risk assessed and the level of investigation will be determined by the nature of the complaint and the likelihood of it recurring. For example, if the complaint is a low risk it might be able to be resolved by a member of staff ringing you and resolving the problem over the phone. If a complaint is risk assessed as high then it may be necessary to have a more indepth investigation of your complaint.

This new process focuses on involving you more in the complaints process and ensuring that your wishes are incorporated wherever possible. Once Adults Services has done all they can to resolve your complaint a closing letter will be sent to you outlining what the complaint was about, how it was investigated and resolved and whether there were any learning points or recommendations for the Service. You retain the right to contact the Local Government Ombudsman at any time.

Local Government Ombudsman