Comments and complaints

How to pass on feedback

We value all feedback and comments about our services; this helps us to understand what our service users and their families appreciate most, and to address the areas that need to be developed or improved. If you have a suggestion, a general comment, or positive feedback, please tell a member of staff or put it in a note or email to the service manager. You will find service contact details in the service leaflets, on letters, and on our website.

How to raise a concern or complaint

Talk to any member of staff; they will help you if they can, or they will pass the concern to someone else who can help. If the concern is about your care or your relative’s care or support and you do not feel able to talk about it with a member of staff, you can ask to speak to the Team Leader or Service Manager. If you find it easier to email or write to the service, you can send it to the service manager. Contact details are in the service leaflets, on our letters, and on our website. It helps to let staff know the way you prefer to be contacted about your concerns.

When to raise a concern

You can let us know any time if there is a problem, as we would like to put matters right as soon as we can. It becomes more difficult to investigate problems the longer they are left. You should normally make a complaint within 12 months of the event and ideally as soon as the matter first comes to your attention.

What we will do in response

1. We will find out what has happened and ensure this is put right as far as possible.
2. We will also give you an idea of how long we need to address problems and a timescale for any follow-up actions we will take.
3. We aim to investigate and respond to all complaints as soon as reasonably practical. It may take time to investigate, although in most cases the process should be completed within 25 working days.
4. We will explain to you what we did to investigate and, where appropriate, what actions we have taken to prevent it recurring or affecting other service users.

If you wish to, you can make a complaint anonymously. Although we will not be able to follow this up with you, the concerns will still be investigated.

If you are not happy with our response

If you are not satisfied with how the service has dealt with your complaint, or if your complaint is about the service manager, you can forward it to:

Mental Health Concern
Governance and Quality Department
Buttress House
36 Brenkley Way
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE13 6DS

You could also email governance@mentalhealthconcern.org. Your complaint will then be handled by a senior manager. You should provide as much information as possible to help the Governance and Quality Department investigate your complaint.

As a guide, please include:

• Your name and preferred contact details
• The main events of your complaint and when they happened
• Details of the response to the previous investigation and why you are not satisfied with this
• Copies of any relevant documents sent to you

How to take your concerns further

To take your complaint beyond Mental Health Concern, you can contact the following organisations.

Care Quality Commission
0300 061 6161
Click here for website

North of England Commissioning Support Unit Riverside House
Newburn
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE15 8NY
0191 217 2528
Click here for website

Newcastle Safeguarding Unit
0191 278 7878
Click here for website

South Tyneside Safeguarding Unit
Safeguarding Adults Unit
Hebburn Civic Centre
Campbell Park Road
Hebburn
NE31 2SW
0191 424 6000 (office hours)
0191 456 2093 (out of office)
Click here for website

Gateshead Safeguarding Unit
Safeguarding Adults
Gateshead Council
Civic Centre
Regent Street
Gateshead
NE8 1HH
0191 433 7033
Click here for website

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

You can also take your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman or the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, but they can only investigate your complaint once it has been investigated by us.

People receiving NHS-funded services should contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, who is independent of the NHS:
Call 0345 015 4033 or visit www.ombudsman.org.uk/make-a-complaint

People receiving local authority-funded services should contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman:
Call 0300 061 0614 or visit www.lgo.org.uk/make-a-complaint