If you tell us you are not happy with any of our children's social care services, we want to hear about it so we can try to do something about it. We will usually acknowledge your complaint within five working days.

You might want to complain about the service you are receiving or the way you have been treated. If any part of our services makes you unhappy, and we want to hear about it so that we put things right, apologise if appropriate, and make sure we learn from what you tell us so it doesn’t happen again. Making a complaint will not disrupt your service.

How to make a complaint

Alternatively, contact us using the details below:

Freepost RSRX-RHBH-JYAR
Complaints and Resolutions
Safeguarding Team
3rd Floor
County Hall
New Road
Oxford OX1 1ND

Tel: 01865 810563
Text (or phone): 07717 420 419
Fax: 0845 6054165
Email: cyp.feedback@oxfordshire.gov.uk

We will make sure you are given the name and telephone number of a senior manager and a date by which you can expect to hear from them.

If you are under 18

If you are under 18, you can get extra help in making your complaint.

Want someone to help?

If you unhappy or worried about any social care you are receiving, you can ask your carers, your social worker, or the Oxfordshire Advocacy Service for a chat.

They can provide you with an advocate - someone who will listen to you, make sure that others listen to you and take you seriously. He or she will help you make a complaint and find a resolution for it.

How to contact the Advocacy Service

Old Place Yard
Bicester, Oxfordshire
OX26 6LU
Tel: 01869-324389
Email: viva@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Remember, you have the right:

• to have a say in decisions about you
• to be listened to and taken seriously
• to be safe, not hurt, bullied or abused
• to be treated fairly
• to speak to an advocate.

What happens when you make a complaint

Stage 1 - informal stage

Talk about the problem with the member of staff dealing with your case. If you prefer, ask to speak to their manager. Alternatively, you can contact the complaints administrator using the contact details at the bottom of the page. Most complaints can be successfully resolved at this stage. We expect this to happen within two weeks.

Stage 2 - formal investigation stage

If you are still not satisfied you can ask to have your complaint dealt with formally. You need to tell the member of staff who has been dealing with your complaint that you are still not happy and want to take things further, or contact the complaints administrator (details below).

Your complaint will be fully and fairly investigated by a senior manager from another part of the service, or by an investigating officer, as well as by an independent person.

When the investigation has been completed we will write to you with the results of the investigation and any action that will be taken. You may also be invited to come and talk with the head of service to discuss the response.

Stage 3 - review panel stage

If you remain unhappy after receiving the Stage 2 response you can ask to have your complaint reviewed. We will set up a panel of three independent people who will look again at what has been done so far to sort things out for you. They will report to the Head of Children's Social Care who will consider carefully if there is more that could be done to resolve the complaint. You will receive a copy of the panel report and the Head of Children's Social Care’s response to the panel will be sent to you within 10 weeks of your request for a review.

Taking it further

We hope that you will feel your complaint will be fully and fairly investigated, but if you do remain unhappy you can take your concerns to the Local Government Ombudsman. The ombudsman for the Oxfordshire area is:

Local Government Ombudsman
PO Box 4771
Coventry
CV4 0EH

Tel: 0300 061 0614 or 0845 602 1983
Email: advice@lgo.org.uk
Fax: 024 7682 0001
Text 'call back' to 0762 480 4299

Download a report

• Children's social care complaints and representations: annual report for period 2009-10 (pdf format, 65 KB)