National Care Standards: School Care Accommodation Services

17-18 Expressing your views

17 Concerns, comments and complaints
18 Advocacy

Expressing your views

Introduction to standards 17 and 18

This section refers to issues that may be present at any time. They are standards relating to comments, concerns and complaints and advocacy. They are very important to your experience of the support and care you receive, and to the way in which you feel you can influence and contribute to how services are delivered.

Together, the standards for comments, concerns and complaints, and advocacy, show that the school or hostel takes the principles of the national care standards seriously and will put you first when they plan and run the school or hostel.

Concerns, comments and complaints

Standard 17

The school or hostel welcomes your views so they can continuously improve the quality of services. Staff encourage you to give your views and suggestions whether positive or negative.

1 You are encouraged to express your views on any aspects of the school or hostel.

2 You can be confident that staff listen to, and take seriously, your wishes and concerns about any part of your care.

3 You and your parents or others responsible for your care have access to complaints procedures that are easy to understand and set out who you can complain to, both in the school or hostel and elsewhere.

4 You can be confident that the school or hostel will make sure you and your parents or others responsible for your care know how to contact the Care Commission.

5 If you are disabled or your first language is not English, you have access to translation, interpretation and communication support that you need to help you make your representation or complaint. These services are also available to your parents or others responsible for your care.

6 Any complaint is dealt with in line with clear procedures and is investigated thoroughly by a person who is not involved in the complaint. A record is kept of all complaints and their outcomes.

7 A summary of complaints and outcomes is provided regularly to external managers and is outlined in the annual report.

8 You have access to Care Commission reports about the school or hostel.

Advocacy

Standard 18

You have access to other agencies and services who can support you in making your needs and preferences known. They can, with your permission, represent you and give your views.

1 You have access to information about your local Children's Rights Officer (if your local authority has one) and other services that might represent you.

2 You receive information on these services in a way that you can understand.

3 If you have an advocate, people will listen to what he or she has to say on your behalf as if the views expressed were your own.