Make a Children’s Social Care Complaint
Some complaints relating to Children’s Social Care are dealt with slightly differently depending on the nature of the concerns.
The Customer Care Team will be able to advise you as to which process your complaint sits within and will be able to offer advice in relation to expected timescales for a response.
Please note: If your contact relates to possible abuse or neglect and we are alerted to this, we have a duty to inform the Council’s Safeguarding Team. The Safeguarding Team will decide how to investigate and monitor outcomes. The handling of any associated complaint may be suspended whilst the safeguarding investigation is ongoing, as this is likely to take precedence.
How your complaint will be handled
The Council will attempt to resolve any complaints as soon as reasonably practicable and within the specific timescales.
We want to ensure that that our complaints procedure is effective and that children and young people can have their say. We will ensure that any issues or feedback we receive are taken forward and considered, with the ultimate aim of improving the services that we deliver.
When there is agreement from the child or young person and it is appropriate to, the Council may potentially look at other methods or involve alternative services, in an attempt to resolve matters, such as via mediation or conciliation.
The Council is obliged to have a formal complaints process in place; the timescale and stages that are accessible depend upon whether your complaint is considered as statutory or non-statutory and this is in accordance with the Government guidance: ‘Getting the Best from Complaints’.
Click here to find out more information about the statutory complaints process
Click here to find out more information about the non statutory complaints process.
Right to advocacy support
If you are a young person wanting to make a complaint, you are able to ask a relative or a friend to make a complaint, suggestion or compliment on your behalf.
If you are a ‘Looked After Child’, and you would like some assistance in making a complaint, you are able to contact Tameside Children’s Rights Service; they will be able to offer advice as to the support that is available to you throughout the process.
This service applies to ‘looked after children’ between the age of 5-19 years, or alternatively a child/young person on a Child Protection Plan aged 11-19 years.
The contact details for the Children’s Rights Service are:
Contact details:
Address: National Youth Advocacy Service, Unit 2-4 Tower House, 1 Tower Road, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 1FF
Telephone: 0808 808 1001
Email: help@nyas.net
Make a Complaint Online
You can make a Children’s Social Care Complaint online by clicking here