Our complaints process

We are continually striving to provide high quality service to every one of our customers. 

Customers are at the heart of everything we do and by listening to the people we care for, we will improve our services and continue to make them safer and more responsive. We will learn lessons that will benefit our residents and our staff. Sharing and learning from what our customers tell us will support our planning and the delivery of care in all our services and facilities.

If a complaint alerts us to possible abuse or neglect we will tell the Council’s adult safeguarding team. The safeguarding team will decide how to investigate and monitor outcomes.

You can provide your feedback – good or bad – quickly and easily through the feedback form on this site.

Care UK supports the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s initiative to provide a single statement that summarise how care providers will look into complaints, to view this statement please click here.

Raising a concern: Local resolution

If you are dissatisfied with any part of the service, please talk to us. By discussing your concern with the care colleagues or Home Manager, issues can usually be resolved swiftly without entering into the formal complaints process. They will be able to discuss the concern with you and together you can agree the next steps.

We take all concerns very seriously and do our best to work with our customers to resolve them as soon as possible. 

Making a complaint

The complaints process follows three stages and we find the majority can be resolved during the first stage. We ask that you give us the details of your complaint within 12 months of the incident, or within 12 months of you becoming aware of the problem. We will respond to your complaints considerately and as effectively as possible.

Stage one:

If you wish to make a formal complaint regarding any part of the service that you or your loved one has received, please use the feedback form below or contact the compliments and complaints team on 01206 237028/ complimentsandcomplaints@careuk.com.  You can also write to us at: Compliments and complaints team, Care UK Residential Care Services, Connaught House, Colchester, Essex, CO4 9QB. 

Feedback Form

The compliments and complaints team will allocate your complaint to the appropriate complaints investigator and support you throughout the process.

The compliments and complaints team will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days after the complaint has been received and allocate your complaint to a complaints investigator to conduct a thorough investigation. In most cases, resolution and a response should be sought within 20 working days of the complaint investigator receiving the acknowledgement and complaint details from the compliments and complaints team. A formal written response will be provided by the complaint investigator. 

In exceptional cases, we may request more time to conduct the investigation and if this is the case, you will be kept informed and provided with a revised response date. 

Stage two:

If you are dissatisfied with the response you receive from stage 1, you can contact the compliments and complaints team  within 14 working days of receiving a formal written response. The compliments and complaints team  will look into the matter further for you and allocate it to the appropriate stage 2 complaints investigator. 

The compliments and complaints team will acknowledge your stage 2 complaint within 3 working days after receiving the escalation and a formal written response will be provided within 20 working days of the complaints Investigator receiving the escalation. 

Stage three: External Ombudsman

If you remain dissatisfied with the response from stage 2, you can refer your complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) and ask for the complaint to be reviewed. The LGO provides a free, independent service. This service can be provided by various organisations depending on the geographical location of the service i.e. England, Scotland, Wales 

Contact Details:

The compliments and complaints team
 Care UK Residential Care Services,
 Connaught House, 850 The Crescent, Colchester,
 Essex, CO4 9QB
 01206 237028

Complaintscoordinator@careuk.com.

Local Government Ombudsman (services in England):

www.lgo.org.uk

The Local Government Ombudsman
PO Box 4771
Coventry
CV4 0EH
0300 061 0614

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (services in Scotland):

www.spso.org.uk

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
4 Melville Street
Edinburgh
EH3 7NS

Referrals can also be made by phone: 0800 377 7330

Public Services Ombudsman (services in Wales):

www.ombudsman.wales
 1 Ffordd yr Hen Gae,
 Pencoed
 CF35 5LJ

0300 790 0203

Please note: the complaints process does not cover Care UK employees wishing to raise a grievance regarding their employment. If you are a Care UK employee and would like to raise a concern regarding your employment please contact your regional HR manager, or you can contact the Employee Relations helpdesk on 01206 517284 / erhelpdesk@careuk.com.