Ceredigion County Council website

All complaints received regarding Social Services within the Council will be considered in accordance with the statutory Social Services Complaints Procedure (Wales) Regulations 2014 introduced by Welsh Government.

You have every right to question any decision we make and to let us know if you’re not happy with anything. We aim for high standards but sometimes things do go wrong. Unless you tell us we will not know that you are unhappy.

If you contact us, we will be able to work with you to put things right as soon as possible. Finding out if you are pleased or disappointed with the service we provide will help us to improve the way we help you and other people in the future.

This page explains how, with your help and that of the staff working with you, we can sort out your complaint.

We can only look at complaints that are raised within 12 months of the matter of concern coming to your attention, unless there are exceptional circumstances. Depending on the nature of your concern your complaint may be dealt with under another process, for example, where someone may be at risk. Any decision to investigate your concern under an alternative process will be discussed with you.

We will not be able to look at your complaint if:

• Investigating your complaint may jeopardise a police investigation (i.e. safeguarding children or adults investigations)
• If an investigation is being undertaken by Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW)
• If there are any legal proceedings underway or intended

Having help to make your complaint

You have the right to ask a representative or an advocate (someone who will help you state your point of view) to help you with your complaint. If you are under 18 we will find you an advocate.

The Social Care Complaints Procedure is a two-stage process and more information can be found in our "Are we getting it right?" booklet.

Stage 1: Informal Resolution

The first step in sorting out a problem is to contact someone involved in providing the service or, if you prefer, our Complaints Officer. This is known as local resolution. You may contact us in any way you choose – you don’t have to write it down.

You will be offered a discussion about the issues you have raised and this can either be done by telephone or face to face in an attempt to resolve the issues. This must be done within 10 working days of the receipt of your complaint. Should we be unable to meet this timescale, we will contact you to request that we are able to extend the deadline.

Following this discussion and any further investigation that is necessary, we will write to you within 5 working days when your problem has been resolved.

If your complaint is about a change to your service, we will usually try to deal with the problem before making this change. If we are unable to postpone the change, we will explain why.

Stage 2: Formal Investigation

You may ask for your complaint to be investigated by someone who is totally independent of the Local Authority. This is known as Stage 2 or formal investigation.

The Local Authority must compile a formal written record of the discussion which will be sent to you within 5 working days to enable you to comment on its accuracy. You will also be provided with details of how your complaint will be investigated, the name of the Investigating Officer and if appropriate, the Independent Person.

The Formal Investigation stage must be completed and a full written response issued to you within 25 working days of the start date. If, due to exceptional circumstances, this timescale cannot be met, we will write to you to advise you of the delay and to advise you when the response will be provided.

Please complete the online form below if you wish to register your complaint:

Launch the online Concern/Complaint form

If you require more information regarding the complaints procedure, please write to The Complaints and Freedom of Information Team, Canolfan Rheidol, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 3UE. You can telephone us on 01545 574151 or email us at complaints@ceredigion.gov.uk.

The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales

If you are not satisfied with the way your complaint has been handled or if you believe the Council has not fully addressed the issues you have raised, you may wish to refer matters to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.

The Ombudsman will usually expect you to bring your concerns to our attention in the first instance; however he does have discretionary powers to consider and accept your complaint for immediate investigation if he believes the circumstances warrant it.

If you wish to make a complaint to the Ombudsman or if you are unhappy with the way the Council has managed your complaint, please write to The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, 1 Ffordd yr Hen Gae, Pencoed, Bridgend, CF35 5LJ. Alternatively you can telephone them on 0300 790 0203 (local call rate) or email them at ask@ombudsman.wales. You can also visit their website which is www.ombudsman.wales.

Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW)

As your complaint relates to Social Care services, you can also complain directly to Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) who regulate all care services in Wales. You can complain to them about social care received from care homes and home care agencies, as well as services run by the Council. Further information regarding CIW can be found on their website.