If you are not happy with any part of the service you are receiving, please tell the staff providing the service. They will listen carefully to what you say and try to correct the problem quickly.

Generally, you will need to make your complaint within one year of the event you are not happy about.

The Children’s Act covers the statutory complaints process about our social care services. Some issues might not be covered in the  Children’s Act complaints procedure, but might be covered by our corporate complaints procedure.

Either way, we will help you take the right action, and let you know if we are not able to look into your complaint.

Contact us for a Stage 1 complaint review

Ask the member of staff providing the service if you want to make a formal complaint, or contact the Children and Young People social care complaints team: 

• by phone on 01202 118484
• by email on cscomments@bcpcouncil.gov.uk

A family member or friend can contact us for you.

We can help on a call, but it helps if you can write your complaint down. Contact us if you find it difficult to explain the issue. 

Please let us know what has gone wrong and what you would like us to do about it. 

We will record the details of your complaint and you will get a reply letting you know that we have it. We will investigate the problem within 10 to 20 working days. We will let you know what has been found, and what has been done about it. 

If the member of staff is unable to meet the 20 working day deadline, they will write and tell you why and let you know when you can expect a response.

Help with understanding the process

If you need help understanding how to make a complaint, we have guides for children and young people, as well as guides in other languages.

Printable versions of this advice for adults, young people and children, as well as those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), can be found below.