Complaints Panels in Social Care

Users of social care services in the UK are increasingly encouraged to come forward with their complaints, as a means both of remedying individual deficiencies and of improving services in general. However, many local authority complaints managers have little guidance on running complaints panels, beyond knowing the UK legislation and the Department of Health guidelines, and are frequently not aware of how other authorities panels are conducted. This benchmark guide aims to improve the development of panels and to help local authorities achieve the best practice. The book is built on the authors many years involvement in - and extensive research into - panels in several local authorities. Aiming to enhance the work of panels for the benefit of all involved, the book: introduces the legal requirements and procedure of UK complaints panels * identifies potential pitfalls and suggests how to avoid them * advises on achieving best practice, including real case examples * explains for ad