Complaints policy

Our complaints procedure, with details on how to raise a concern, is displayed in the main reception area and is available on request.

A complaint can be raised at any time by a resident or by anyone acting on a resident’s behalf, by following the steps below. The Manager or Nurse in charge records every complaint in the Complaints Register.

Stage 1: local resolution

We aim to resolve complaints at an early stage wherever possible.

Tell the Nurse in charge or the Manager about your concern. You can do this verbally or in writing.
The Manager will acknowledge your concern or complaint in writing within 5 working days.
The Manager will investigate and work towards a resolution as soon as reasonably practicable, within 28 days.
The Manager will respond to you with the agreed resolution.
With your agreement, the time limit for resolution may be extended by a further 14 days if necessary.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the investigation, or with the way it was handled, you can move to stage 2.

Stage 2: formal consideration

Complaints that need formal consideration are handled by the Registered Provider or a Designated Person who is independent of the care home’s management. Please put your complaint in writing to:

Paul Blake
Registered Provider / Designated Person
Aldersmead Care Home
17 to 21 Upper Bognor Road
Bognor Regis
West Sussex
PO21 1JA

The Designated Person will acknowledge your complaint in writing within 5 working days and carry out a thorough investigation of the issues raised.
The Designated Person will reply in writing, summarising the complaint, the conclusions reached and any action taken as a result.
Where necessary, a copy of the written response will be sent to the CQC and to any authority involved in the resident’s placement at Aldersmead Care Home.
The Designated Person will aim to resolve the complaint as soon as reasonably practicable, within 35 days of receiving it in writing.
With your agreement, this time limit may be extended further if necessary.
If a complaint is not fully resolved within 35 days, the CQC will be notified in writing of the reasons for the delay, where necessary.
The Registered Person will let you know if your complaint requires special consideration in line with new regulatory requirements.

Complaints about the Registered Manager or Registered Person

If your complaint involves the Registered Manager or the Registered Person, please write in the first instance, marking the envelope “Private and Confidential”, to:

Paul Blake
Aldersmead Care Home
17 to 21 Upper Bognor Road
Bognor Regis
West Sussex
PO21 1JA

Contacting the regulator or local authority

The authority responsible for the registration and inspection of Aldersmead Care Home is the Care Quality Commission:

Care Quality Commission
Citygate
Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4PA

You can also contact the CQC directly at https://www.cqc.org.uk/contact-us

Alternatively, you can contact West Sussex County Council by email at ccdfeedback@westsussex.gov.uk or by phone on 0330 222 8222.

Independent review

If you are not satisfied with the response from West Sussex County Council or the CQC, you can contact the independent Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman at https://complaints.lgo.org.uk/complaint