Compliments, Concerns & Complaints

Dorothy House always aims to maintain the highest standards of professionalism and we encourage both positive and constructive feedback on all our services and activities.

There may be times when we fall short and we recognise that, from time to time, individuals may be dissatisfied or concerned about the way the organisation, its staff or volunteers have acted. When this does happen, we want to hear about it as quickly as possible, to respond and to put in place measures to stop it from happening again.

 

We also welcome feedback from people who have benefitted from our services as this is encouraging to staff and volunteers. You can share your experiences and feedback online by visiting this link iWantGreatCare.

What we will ensure if you make a complaint

We will ensure that any complaint is:

  • treated seriously
  • investigated in an unbiased, non-judgmental, transparent and appropriate manner
  • resolved (where possible) in a timely way

The outcome of any complaint investigation, along with any resulting actions will be explained to the complainant.

What is the process for making a complaint?

In many cases a concern or potential complaint is often best initially raised informally with the person most directly involved, and we always encourage open discussion in person, by phone or email, or use of Dorothy House Suggestion Boxes.

You may feel though that you wish to make a more formal complaint. If so, this can be done verbally or in writing by email or letter, ideally within three calendar months of the incident about which the concern or complaint relates.

If you can suggest how the concern or complaint could be resolved it may help us to seek and secure a positive outcome.

How will Dorothy House respond to my complaint?

When a concern or complaint is raised with any member of staff or volunteer, they must report it to their Line Manager. When appropriate, the Line Manager will contact you to establish whether your concern has been satisfactorily addressed and resolved.

If not, your complaint will be referred internally to the relevant Executive Team Director who will confirm that they have received your concern or complaint within three working days of receipt. Your concern or complaint will then be fully investigated, and a full written reply will be sent to you within 5 working days. If the concern or complaint is of a more serious or complex nature, a reply will be supplied within 20 working days.

If you are still not satisfied with the report from the Executive Team Director you should make this clear in your reply, within 5 working days, and your concern or complaint will then be passed on to the Chief Executive and the Chair of the Board of Trustees, in turn.

All complaints, at whatever level, are recorded within the Dorothy House Register of Complaints along with the resolution offered and any action taken.

The Register is reviewed by the Executive Team on an ongoing basis. An anonymised summary of complaints is also reported to our Board of Trustees and relevant clinical and patients groups, along with the Care Quality Commission, if such information is requested.

Getting help to complain

Some people are not well enough to make a complaint or may feel unsure about the process. Please feel free to bring a friend or relative with you to talk about the concern or complaint or ask them to help you write your letter.

Alternatively, we can arrange for a member of staff to help or we can provide you with details of an independent advocacy service, so please ask for assistance.

Useful contacts

If you have any queries or require further information from the Hospice, please ask the professional person responsible for your care, or write to:

Chief Executive
Dorothy House Hospice Care
Winsley, Bradford on Avon
Wiltshire BA15 2LE
Tel: 01225 722 988

Alternatively, you may wish to contact the Care Quality Commission which is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. It makes sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and encourages care services to improve.

Care Quality Commission
PO Box 1251
Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE99 5AN
Email: southwest@cqc.org.uk
Tel: 03000 616 161
Fax: 03000 616 172