Compliments, Suggestions and Concerns

We want everyone who uses our services, and the people close to them, to feel able to tell us what they think. Whether you would like to say thank you, suggest an improvement or raise a concern, we will listen, take it seriously and use what you tell us to improve the care we provide.

Raising a concern will never affect your care. We will not withdraw or reduce our services because someone makes a complaint in good faith.

Compliments and Suggestions

If one of our carers has made a difference to you or your loved one, we would love to hear about it. Compliments are shared with our team and help us recognise and celebrate good care.

Suggestions are just as welcome. If you have an idea that could make our service better, please speak to your carer, call the office or email us. We record every suggestion and let you know what we have done with it.

Raising a Concern or Complaint

If something has not gone as it should, please tell us. Where possible, speak to your carer first, as many issues can be put right straight away. If you would rather not, or the problem is not resolved, please contact our office directly.

Who can make a complaint?

• Anyone receiving care from Dignicare
• A family member, friend, advocate or other representative, with the consent of the person receiving care
• A representative acting for someone who is unable to make a complaint themselves, or who has died

How to get in touch

You can raise a concern in whichever way suits you best:

• By phone: 01943 818274 (office hours: 8.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday)
• Out of hours: 07703 754270 (on call)
• By email: info@dignicare.co.uk
• By post: The Registered Manager, Dignicare, Marsel House, Stephensons Way, Ilkley, LS29 8EZ
• In person: through any member of our team, or through an advocate or representative

If you raise a concern verbally, we will make a written record of it and send you a copy within 3 working days, by letter or email.

What Happens Next

1. We try to put it right straight away. If your concern can be resolved immediately, we will do so.
2. We log your complaint. Every complaint is recorded, whatever its size, and passed to a senior member of our team.
3. We acknowledge it within 3 working days. We will tell you who is looking into it, what the investigation will focus on and invite you to meet with us if you would like to.
4. We investigate. We aim to complete our investigation within 28 working days. If it is likely to take longer, we will let you know why and keep you updated.
5. We write to you with the outcome. Our response will explain what we found, whether your complaint has been upheld, any action we have taken and an apology where we have got things wrong.
6. We learn from it. We review all complaints regularly to spot patterns and make lasting improvements to our service.

Support to Make a Complaint

We want our complaints process to be easy for everyone to use. If you need help, we can:

• Explain the process and help you put your concerns into words
• Help you find an independent advocate to speak on your behalf
• Provide information in easy read, large print, audio or other languages
• Arrange an interpreter if English is not your first language

Please let us know what would help and we will do our best to arrange it.

Anonymous complaints

We investigate anonymous complaints in the same way as any other. However, if you leave your contact details, we can let you know the outcome.

Time limits

Please raise your concern as soon as possible, ideally within 12 months of the event or of you becoming aware of it. If more time has passed, we will still consider whether we can look into it fairly.

Complaints about the Registered Manager

Our Registered Manager, Gizelle Armstrong, also holds the role of Nominated Individual. To make sure any complaint about her is handled fairly and impartially, it will be investigated by an independent health and social care professional. 

If You Are Not Happy With Our Response

Ask us to review it

If you are unhappy with the outcome or with how your complaint was handled, you can appeal. A member of our team who was not involved in the original response will review it, and we aim to reply within 20 working days. You might want to appeal if you feel something was misunderstood, the investigation missed something, you have new information, or the decision seems unfair.

Take it further

If you remain dissatisfied after our review, you can contact the following organisations:

• Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman: a free, independent service for people whose care is self funded or arranged by their council. Tel: 0300 061 0614, website: www.lgo.org.uk. The Ombudsman will usually expect you to have given us the chance to respond first.
• Your local council: if your care is funded or arranged by North Yorkshire Council or City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, you can also contact their complaints team.
• Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman: if your care is NHS funded. Tel: 0345 015 4033, website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
• Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): if your complaint is about how we have handled your personal information. Tel: 0303 123 1113, website: ico.org.uk

Care Quality Commission (CQC)

Dignicare is registered with and regulated by the Care Quality Commission. The CQC does not investigate individual complaints, but welcomes feedback about the care you have received, as it helps them monitor services. Tel: 03000 616161, website: www.cqc.org.uk

Safeguarding

If a concern suggests someone may be at risk of harm or abuse, we will follow our safeguarding procedures and inform the local authority Safeguarding Adults Team, alongside our complaints process.

Get in Touch

However you would like to share your feedback, we are here to listen. Call us on 01943 818274 or email info@dignicare.co.uk.