Making A Complaint
Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily, often at the time they arise with the person concerned and this may be the approach you try first.
When you are not able to resolve your complaint in this way and wish to make a formal complaint you should do so. Please complain in writing as soon as possible after the event and ideally within a few days, as this helps us to establish what happened more easily. In any event, this should be within 12 months of the incident giving as much detail as you can.
If you are a client of Counsellors Southwest, you can complain about your own care. You are unable to complain about someone else’s treatment without their written authority. See the separate section in this leaflet.
We are able to provide you with a third-party authority form to enable a complaint to be made by someone else. Please contact us direct for this. You can provide this in your own format providing this covers all the necessary aspects.
SEND YOUR COMPLAINT TO:
Ms Claire Lodge
Clinical Lead
Counsellors Southwest CIC
Pearl Assurance House
Brook Street Tavistock
Devon PL19 0BN
WHAT DO WE DO NEXT
We look to settle complaints as soon as possible.
We will acknowledge receipt within three working days and then aim to have investigated the matter within 10 working days. You may then receive a formal reply in writing, or you may be invited to meet with the counsellor or person(s) concerned to attempt to resolve the issue. If the matter is likely to take longer than this, we will let you know, and keep you informed as the investigation progresses.
When looking into a complaint we attempt to see what happened and why, to see what we can learn, and make it possible for you to discuss the issue with those involved if you would like to do so.
When the investigations are complete, the result of your complaint will be determined and a final response sent to you.
Where your complaint involves more than one organisation (e.g. social services) we will liaise with that organisation so that you receive one coordinated reply. We may need your consent to do this. If your complaint was initially sent to an incorrect organisation, we may seek your consent to forward it on to the correct person to deal with.
The final response letter will include details of the result of your complaint and your right to escalate the matter further if you remain dissatisfied with the response.
Complaining on Behalf of Someone Else
We keep to the strict rules of BACP client confidentiality. If you wish to make a complaint and you are not the client involved, we will require the written consent of the client to confirm that they are unhappy with their treatment and would like someone else to deal with their complaint on their behalf.
Please ask Counsellors Southwest by email or phone for the Client Complaint Third Party Consent Form – which contains a suitable authority for the client to sign to enable the complaint to proceed.
Where the client is incapable of providing consent due to illness or accident it may still be possible to deal with the complaint. Please provide the precise details of the circumstances which prevent this in your covering letter.
Please note that we are unable to discuss any issue relating to someone else without their express permission, which must be in writing, unless the circumstances above apply.
We may still need to correspond directly with the client, or we may be able to deal directly with the third party, but this will depend on the wording of the authority provided.
WHO ELSE CAN YOU COMPLAIN TO?
If you would prefer, you can contact The Devon Mental Health Alliance, who directly commission our services on:
https://www.mentalhealthdevon.co.uk/contact There is a ‘Contact Us’ and Complaints Process available on-line.
Or you can contact One Devon who commission the DMHA and our service on:
You can contact them using the details below. The service is open Monday to Friday 8.30am – 4.30pm, however the telephone line will only be available between 10am – 4pm.
Phone: 0300 123 1672 (local call rate number) – open between 10am – 4pm
Email: d-icb.patientexperience@nhs.net
Post:
Patient Advice and Complaints Team
NHS Devon
Aperture House
Pynes Hill
Rydon Lane
Exeter
Devon EX2 5AZ
Complaints about any of our Counsellors can be made directly to the counsellors’ professional Bodies. All our counsellors are members of and/or accredited by their professional body - BACP or UKCP. Please contact our office for the correct details to lodge a complaint regarding our counselling team.
IF YOU ARE DISSATISFIED WITH THE WAY IN WHICH YOUR COMPLAINT HAS BEEN HANDLED, YOU ALSO HAVE THE RIGHT TO APPROACH THE OMBUDSMAN.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Address: Citygate, Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3HQ, England
Phone: 0345 015 4033
Opening Hours: Monday–Thursday 8:30–17:00, Friday 8:30–12:00
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
The PHSO provides a free service, accessible to everyone, and offers support in multiple languages and formats to ensure inclusivity (NHS).
Please note that the Ombudsman can only investigate complaints that have been investigated and responded too locally first.
