It is important to recognise, however, that a higher number in complaints does not always indicate poorer services or less effective complaint handling. A rise in the number of complaints might actually be an indication that the health and social care sector and local authorities are making it easier for those in care to give feedback. The Ombudsman addressed this in the report, explaining that a high number of complaints may reflect organisations with "an open and mature approach to the concerns of their service users". That said, listening to and responding appropriately to complaints is essential in order to improve overall services. It might be argued that this is going to become even more important with government plans to integrate health and social care next year, which is anticipated to save the care system from collapsing.

 

In an increasingly surveyed and scrutinised industry, it is important to remember that we are all working towards the shared goal of ensuring that those in need of health and social care can access the quality support services that they need, when they need them.  This is one of the most important things that councils can do and feedback plays a crucial part in ongoing efforts to keep improving and to guarantee that those in need of support and care receive a high quality service that treats them as dignified individuals – not just as ‘cases’ to be processed within a system. But to make sure that feedback is appropriately implemented will require better communication between service providers, an appropriate system to measure and document complaints, alongside an effort to move away from a culture of blame.

 

It has been well documented that a prevailing “blame culture” amongst health care organisations has provoked an unacceptably high number of medical errors (Khatri et al, 2009). The same might be said for social care services. Therefore, whilst promoting transparency and adopting an appropriate and thorough complaints handling policy procedure is essential, it is equally important for managers to facilitate a progressive working culture where employees can continually develop and learn how to take ownership of their work. We see this as becoming even more integral as the health and social care system seeks to offer a more joined up service.

Empower your staff (and yourself) by learning how to better handle complaints with the CareShield Complaints Handling Course. The course is designed to provide the learner with the skills and strategies for managing service users effectively and efficiently. On completion it is expected that learners will have the following skills:

 

1. Be aware of any existing comments and complaints procedures in accordance with agreed ways of working

2. Understand what can and cannot be done within an individual’s role in handling comments and complains and how you respond
3. Be aware of who to ask for advice in handling comments and complaints
4. Recognise the importance of learning from comments and complaints to improve the quality of service.

How do you think complaints should be handled?
If you work within the health or social care industry we would love to hear about your experiences. Please fill out the feedback form below and share your thoughts with us.