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Complaints

Complaints procedure

How to raise a concern or make a complaint about our care, and what will happen next.

Last updated: 15 October 2026

Is a child at risk?

If your concern is that a child may be at risk of harm, do not wait for the complaints process. Call 999 in an emergency, or follow the steps in our safeguarding statement.

Our approach

We want to hear when something has gone wrong, so we can put it right and do better. We treat every complaint seriously, deal with it fairly and keep you informed. We also welcome compliments and suggestions, which help us understand what is working well.

This procedure meets regulation 39 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.

Who can complain

  • children and young people living in our homes, or who have lived with us
  • parents, family members and other people important to a child
  • social workers, independent reviewing officers and placing authorities
  • advocates and other professionals
  • neighbours and members of the public

Someone else can make a complaint on your behalf, such as an advocate, a friend or a family member.

For children and young people

If you are unhappy about anything, you have the right to say so, and you will not get into trouble for it. You can:

  • talk to any member of staff you trust, your key worker or the manager of your home
  • ask staff for a complaints form, or write it down in your own words
  • talk to your social worker, your independent reviewing officer or the independent visitor who comes to the home each month
  • ask for an independent advocate, who can help you say what you want and support you through the complaint
  • contact the Children’s Commissioner’s Help at Hand service on 0800 528 0731 or help.team@childrenscommissioner.gov.uk
  • call Childline at any time on 0800 1111
  • contact Ofsted, whose details are further down this page

Staff will help you make your complaint in the way that suits you best, and will tell you what is happening at each stage.

How to make a complaint

You can make a complaint in person, by phone, by email or in writing:

It helps us if you tell us:

  • your name and how to contact you
  • what happened, when, and who was involved
  • what you would like us to do to put things right

Please make your complaint as soon as you can, ideally within 12 months of the events. We may still look into older matters where we can.

What happens next

  1. 1

    Early resolution

    We acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days. Many concerns can be sorted out quickly by talking with the Registered Manager. We aim to resolve these within 5 working days.

  2. 2

    Formal investigation

    If early resolution does not settle things, a senior manager who was not involved investigates. You will receive a full written response within 20 working days.

  3. 3

    Review

    If you are still unhappy, ask for a review within 20 working days of our response. A director or the Responsible Individual will review the complaint and reply in writing within 20 working days.

If an investigation needs more time, we will tell you why and give you a new date. Our written response will explain what we found, what we will do, and what you can do next if you remain unhappy.

Fairness and confidentiality

  • No one who is the subject of a complaint will take part in handling it, apart from helping to resolve it at the early stage where appropriate.
  • No child will be punished or treated less well because they, or someone on their behalf, made a complaint.
  • Complaints are handled confidentially and shared only with the people who need to know.
  • If a complaint raises a safeguarding concern, we follow our safeguarding procedures first, which may mean informing the child’s social worker, the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) or the police. We will tell you if this changes how your complaint is handled.

Complaints about a local authority

Some decisions, such as a child’s care plan or where they live, are made by the local authority responsible for the child, not by us. Complaints about these decisions go through that authority’s own children’s social care complaints procedure. We will help you contact the right person.

If you remain unhappy once the authority’s procedure is complete, you can ask the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to look into it.

Contacting Ofsted

Ofsted registers and inspects children’s homes. You can contact Ofsted at any time, whether or not you have complained to us first:

Learning from complaints

We record every complaint, our response and the outcome. Managers review complaints regularly to spot patterns and improve our care, and we share a summary with Ofsted when asked.