National Care Service - complaints co-design: findings summary

Complaints pathways

Complaints about social work

Complaints about social work services could be about:

• assessments of care needs
• financial assessments
• commissioning
• support (including self-directed support)
• services provided to children in local authority care

This is not a complete list. If people want to complain about a social work service, they should complain to the service first. If they are unhappy with the response, they can escalate their complaint to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. If people have concerns about an individual social worker’s ‘fitness to practice’, they can raise the concern directly with the Scottish Social Services Council.

Complaints about social care

Complaints about social care services could be about:

• care at home
• housing support
• children’s day care
• childminding
• school care accommodation
• nurse agencies
• adoption
• fostering
• secure accommodation
• offender accommodation services

This is not a complete list. If people want to complain about a regulated social care service, they can complain to the service. They can escalate their complaint to the Care Inspectorate if they remain unhappy. People also have the option to complain directly to the Care Inspectorate.

For complaints about local authority social care services, there is overlap between the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman and the Care Inspectorate. People could escalate their complaint to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman if they are unhappy with a local authority’s response. The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman and Care Inspectorate both might advise people if the other body would be better placed to consider their complaint. However, complaints about the quality of social care are generally handled by the Care Inspectorate. When people receive a final response from the Care Inspectorate, they can contact the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman if they remain dissatisfied.

If people have concerns about an individual social care worker’s ‘fitness to practice’, they can raise the concern directly with the Scottish Social Services Council.

Complaints about health care (including community health)

Complaints about health care services could be about:

• hospitals or acute care settings
• dentistry services
• general practice
• pharmacies
• optometry services
• the Scottish Ambulance Service
• NHS 24

This is not a complete list.

If people want to complain about their health care, they should complain to the service or relevant health board first. If they remain unhappy, they can escalate their complaint to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. The Patient Advice and Support Service is a free service to support people through the NHS complaints process. The Scottish Government provides funding for this service, and it is delivered by Citizens Advice Scotland and the Scottish Mediation Network. Everyone has the right to independent advice and support from the service to give feedback or make a complaint about the NHS.

If people want to complain about an independent health care service, they can complain directly to the service. They can escalate their complaint to the respective health board and Healthcare Improvement Scotland if they remain unhappy. People are also able to complain to Healthcare Improvement Scotland directly. Sometimes people have the option of taking their complaint to the Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service. This is a voluntary third party adjudication service that represents some independent health care services.

There are different ways for people to make a complaint about independent dental services or optical treatment.

If people have concerns about an individual health care professional’s ‘fitness to practice’, they can raise their concerns directly with the appropriate professional regulator.