{"id":71688,"date":"2025-09-29T16:30:33","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T15:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/children-families-education\/child-family-support\/feedback-and-complaints\/childrens-social-care-complaints-process\/"},"modified":"2025-09-29T16:39:57","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T15:39:57","slug":"childrens-social-care-complaints-procedure","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/children-families-education\/child-family-support\/feedback-and-complaints\/childrens-social-care-complaints-procedure\/","title":{"rendered":"Children&#8217;s Social Care complaints procedure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>What to expect after submitting a complaint about Children&#8217;s Social Care.<\/p>\n\n\n<section class=\"steps-block clearfix  in_content\" id=\"block_acf-block-68daa71e8db3a\"><div id=\"step-by-step-navigation\" class=\"dcc-step-nav dcc-step-nav--large dcc-step-nav--active\" data-show-text=\"Show\" data-hide-text=\"Hide\" data-show-all-text=\"Show all stages\" data-hide-all-text=\"Hide all stages\" data-show=\"true\">\r\n<div class=\"dcc-step-nav__controls hide-for-print\">\r\n<button aria-expanded=\"true\" class=\"dcc-step-nav__button dcc-step-nav__button--controls js-step-controls-button\" aria-controls=\"\">\r\n<span class=\"dcc-step-nav__chevron  js-step-controls-button-icon\"><\/span>\r\n<span class=\"dcc-step-nav__button-text dcc-step-nav__button-text--all js-step-controls-button-text\">Hide all stages<\/span>\r\n<\/button>\r\n<\/div><ol class=\"dcc-step-nav__steps\"><li class=\"dcc-step-nav__step js-step\" id=\"stage-1-1\">\r\n          <div class=\"dcc-step-nav__header js-toggle-panel\" data-position=\"1\">\r\n            <h2 class=\"dcc-step-nav__title\">\r\n              <span class=\"dcc-step-nav__circle dcc-step-nav__circle--number\">\r\n                <span class=\"dcc-step-nav__circle-inner\">\r\n                  <span class=\"dcc-step-nav__circle-background\"><span class=\"show-for-sr show-for-print\">Stage<\/span> 1<span class=\"hide\" aria-hidden=\"true\">:<\/span><\/span><\/span>\r\n              <\/span>\r\n\r\n              <span class=\"js-step-title\"><button aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"step-panel-stage-1-1\" class=\"dcc-step-nav__button dcc-step-nav__button--title js-step-title-button\">\r\n              <span class=\"dcc-step-nav____title-text-focus\">\r\n              <span class=\"dcc-step-nav__title-text js-step-title-text\">Stage 1<\/span><span class=\"invisible dcc-step-nav__section-heading-divider\">, <\/span><\/span><span class=\"dcc-step-nav__toggle-link js-toggle-link hide-for-print\">\r\n              <span class=\"dcc-step-nav__toggle-link-focus\">\r\n              <span class=\"dcc-step-nav__chevron js-toggle-link-icon \"><\/span><span class=\"dcc-step-nav__button-text js-toggle-link-text\">Hide<\/span><\/span>\r\n              <span class=\"show-for-sr\"> this section<\/span><\/span><\/button><\/span>\r\n            <\/h2 >\r\n          <\/div>\r\n\r\n          <div class=\"dcc-step-nav__panel js-panel show\" id=\"step-panel-stage-1-1\"><span class=\"dcc-step-nav__paragraph\"><ul>\n<li>We will write to you to confirm we have received your complaint<\/li>\n<li>We will tell you who will be responding to your complaint and when you will hear from them.<\/li>\n<li>A manager will investigate your complaint and then send you a written reply. This is usually within 10 working days unless your complaint is complex in which case it could take up to 20 days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/span><\/div>\r\n\r\n        <\/li><li class=\"dcc-step-nav__step js-step\" id=\"stage-2-2\">\r\n          <div class=\"dcc-step-nav__header js-toggle-panel\" data-position=\"2\">\r\n            <h2 class=\"dcc-step-nav__title\">\r\n              <span class=\"dcc-step-nav__circle dcc-step-nav__circle--number\">\r\n                <span class=\"dcc-step-nav__circle-inner\">\r\n                  <span class=\"dcc-step-nav__circle-background\"><span class=\"show-for-sr show-for-print\">Stage<\/span> 2<span class=\"hide\" aria-hidden=\"true\">:<\/span><\/span><\/span>\r\n              <\/span>\r\n\r\n              <span class=\"js-step-title\"><button aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"step-panel-stage-2-2\" class=\"dcc-step-nav__button dcc-step-nav__button--title js-step-title-button\">\r\n              <span class=\"dcc-step-nav____title-text-focus\">\r\n              <span class=\"dcc-step-nav__title-text js-step-title-text\">Stage 2<\/span><span class=\"invisible dcc-step-nav__section-heading-divider\">, <\/span><\/span><span class=\"dcc-step-nav__toggle-link js-toggle-link hide-for-print\">\r\n              <span class=\"dcc-step-nav__toggle-link-focus\">\r\n              <span class=\"dcc-step-nav__chevron js-toggle-link-icon \"><\/span><span class=\"dcc-step-nav__button-text js-toggle-link-text\">Hide<\/span><\/span>\r\n              <span class=\"show-for-sr\"> this section<\/span><\/span><\/button><\/span>\r\n            <\/h2 >\r\n          <\/div>\r\n\r\n          <div class=\"dcc-step-nav__panel js-panel show\" id=\"step-panel-stage-2-2\"><span class=\"dcc-step-nav__paragraph\"><p><strong>If you\u2019re not happy with the written reply<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Please inform us within 20 working days of receiving our written reply so that an independent reviewer can assess your complaint.<br \/>\nAfter the stage 2 investigation, the independent reviewers will send us a report with their views and recommendations. We will then write to you explaining how we plan to action these recommendations.<\/li>\n<li>Stage 2 usually takes up to 25 working days, but complex cases may take up to 65 working days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/span><\/div>\r\n\r\n        <\/li><li class=\"dcc-step-nav__step js-step\" id=\"stage-3-3\">\r\n          <div class=\"dcc-step-nav__header js-toggle-panel\" data-position=\"3\">\r\n            <h2 class=\"dcc-step-nav__title\">\r\n              <span class=\"dcc-step-nav__circle dcc-step-nav__circle--number\">\r\n                <span class=\"dcc-step-nav__circle-inner\">\r\n                  <span class=\"dcc-step-nav__circle-background\"><span class=\"show-for-sr show-for-print\">Stage<\/span> 3<span class=\"hide\" aria-hidden=\"true\">:<\/span><\/span><\/span>\r\n              <\/span>\r\n\r\n              <span class=\"js-step-title\"><button aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"step-panel-stage-3-3\" class=\"dcc-step-nav__button dcc-step-nav__button--title js-step-title-button\">\r\n              <span class=\"dcc-step-nav____title-text-focus\">\r\n              <span class=\"dcc-step-nav__title-text js-step-title-text\">Stage 3<\/span><span class=\"invisible dcc-step-nav__section-heading-divider\">, <\/span><\/span><span class=\"dcc-step-nav__toggle-link js-toggle-link hide-for-print\">\r\n              <span class=\"dcc-step-nav__toggle-link-focus\">\r\n              <span class=\"dcc-step-nav__chevron js-toggle-link-icon \"><\/span><span class=\"dcc-step-nav__button-text js-toggle-link-text\">Hide<\/span><\/span>\r\n              <span class=\"show-for-sr\"> this section<\/span><\/span><\/button><\/span>\r\n            <\/h2 >\r\n          <\/div>\r\n\r\n          <div class=\"dcc-step-nav__panel js-panel show\" id=\"step-panel-stage-3-3\"><span class=\"dcc-step-nav__paragraph\"><p><strong>If you\u2019re still not happy<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You can ask for a review panel to be set up. This is when three people who do not work for the Council will review your complaint and the what we have done so far .<\/li>\n<li>After meeting, the review panel will send us a report with their findings and recommendations. You can attend the meeting to give your views if you wish.<\/li>\n<li>We will then write to you, telling you how we are going to do what the independent panel recommended. Stage 3 in total can take up to 50 working days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/span><\/div>\r\n\r\n        <\/li><\/ol><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to do if you\u2019re still not happy after stage 3<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are still not happy with the answers you have received after your complaint has been through all three stages of the complaints process, you have the right to make a complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman who can be contacted at:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>PO Box 4771<br>Coventry, CV4 0EH<br>Telephone: 0300 061 0614 or visit the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What to expect after submitting a complaint about Children&#8217;s Social Care. What to do if you\u2019re still not happy after stage 3 If you are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":945,"featured_media":0,"parent":71684,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-71688","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-21 11:46:21","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/children-families-education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/71688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/children-families-education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/children-families-education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/children-families-education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/945"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/children-families-education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71688"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/children-families-education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/71688\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71698,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/children-families-education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/71688\/revisions\/71698"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/children-families-education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/71684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/children-families-education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}