Having your say

Information about the Complaints process for Barnardo’s Children’s Services

Barnardo’s wants to make sure that the Barnardo’s Services you use are helpful and if there are any ways that they can be improved. We want you to be involved in the decisions made about your service. We hope you can respond if you are asked for feedback by your worker. We appreciate your comments and representations, good or not so good, if you think there is an improvement which could be made. We take it seriously if you are not happy with the service we provide. Please tell us your concerns so we can put things right when we need to.

The Children’s Services Complaints and Representation process is to help you tell your concerns and this leaflet explains the process. We also have available a longer version of this leaflet with fuller details. You can ask a member of your service staff for a copy of this longer version at any time.

What happens if you want to complain?

If you have a concern or complaint, it is important that you share it with us at the first opportunity so that we can try to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Once you have spoken to someone from Barnardo’s or written, phoned, or emailed us using one of the Barnardo’s contact details on this leaflet, we will look into the matter and try to put things right, after we have discussed and agreed with you your concern or complaint.

We will respond to you within 10 working days.

What can you do if you are not happy with how we dealt with your complaint?

If you are not happy with the outcome of the investigation of your complaint, please contact Barnardo’s within 20 working days of getting our written response and let us know in writing why you are not happy and what you would like to happen if we were to investigate again. We will then send you a copy of the long version of Having your say which gives fuller details of the complaint’s investigation process.

If despite our efforts, you remain dissatisfied you again have 20 working days to contact us after you receive the result of the second investigation into your complaint. The long version of Having your say details what can happen next.

What else you can do?

There may be responsible[1] or statutory agencies you can contact if you are not satisfied with Barnardo’s final response. Their details are on this leaflet along with details of your Barnardo’s service and National Office.