Guides / Social services
Chapter 12 · 5 min read
Feedback and complaints that actually go somewhere
In short
- 1Focus on what went wrong, how it affected your child and what would put it right.
- 2Be clear, balanced and evidence-led, and keep working with the plan.
- 3If the local authority's process doesn't fix it, the Ombudsman is free. Go within 12 months.
Sometimes things go wrong: you're left out of a meeting, a record is wrong, or promised help never arrives. A clear, calm complaint can put it right. An angry one usually doesn't.
Start with the social worker
Where you can, raise it with the social worker first. Say what's worrying you, how it affects your child or the plan, and what you would like to happen. Give them a fair chance to respond or put it right.
Don't hold back an urgent safeguarding concern, or a serious breach of your child's plan, while you try to sort things out informally.
I wanted to raise something with you before it goes any further. I wasn't told about the review on [date], so I couldn't share how [child] has been doing. Could we look at what was decided, and make sure I'm invited next time?
When to make a formal complaint
Think about a formal complaint when talking hasn't fixed it, the same thing keeps happening, or it's too serious to deal with informally. Ask the local authority to confirm whether it's using the statutory children's complaints procedure or its own local process, who will look at it and what the timescales are.[11]
A complaint is about your child and how the process has been handled. It isn't an appeal against a court order, a way to decide criminal guilt or a contest between adults. It can cover things like:
- not involving you as a father
- inaccurate or incomplete records
- allegations written up as established facts
- missed meetings, reviews, actions or referrals
- unexplained delays
- not following your child's plan or the right procedure
- poor communication or management oversight
Make each point easy to follow
A clear complaint helps the person reviewing it see exactly what went wrong, check the evidence and give a specific answer. For each issue, say:
- what should have happened
- what actually happened
- when, and what evidence supports your account
- how it affected your child, the assessment or the plan
- what you want done to put it right.
If it happened more than once, add a short timeline showing the pattern. Describe what happened without guessing why.
I wasn't invited to the Child in NeedChild in Need (CIN) / section 17. A child who is unlikely to achieve or maintain a reasonable standard of health or development without services; whose health or development is likely to be significantly or further impaired without services; or who… review on [date], so the meeting went ahead without information from me about my son's routines, needs and family support. This may have left professionals without a full picture when reviewing his progress. Please consider the missing information, review any decisions affected by it and make sure I'm invited to future reviews.
Say what worked too
Not everything will have gone wrong. Say what the social worker or service did well, like clear communication, help with arrangements or support for your child. It makes your complaint fairer and helps protect a working relationship you still need. Being balanced doesn't mean playing down a serious failure. It means separating what worked from what needs to change.
I appreciated that [name] always communicated clearly with me and helped arrange contact at a suitable venue when things were difficult. That reduced disruption for my son. My concern is that future arrangements are still unclear. Please confirm the venue, dates and review arrangements in writing so he knows what to expect.
If someone's work really helped, tell them, or tell their manager. Positive feedback matters too.
Which process applies
Not every complaint follows the statutory Children Act procedure. Complaints about section 47Section 47. Local authority duty to make enquiries where there is reasonable cause to suspect significant harm. enquiries, child protection conferences or safeguarding decisions may follow a different local process. Ask the local authority which one applies and why.
Where the statutory procedure applies, it normally has three stages:
Where a complaint can go
Raise it with the social worker
Say what is worrying you and what you would like to happen.
Stage 1: local resolution10 working days, up to 20 if complex
Usually handled by the team involved.
Stage 2: investigationUsually 25 working days, no more than 65
By someone independent of the team.
Stage 3: review panelPanel within 30 working days
An independent panel looks at it again.
The OmbudsmanNormally within 12 months of the events
Free and independent, once the local authority's process is finished.
Complex complaints can take longer. If something new comes up, tell the complaints manager and ask whether it will be added, handled separately or dealt with another way.
Ask for a practical outcome
Say what would put it right, not only what went wrong. For example:
- correct a record, or attach your response to the case file
- complete an overdue action
- explain or review a decision
- stop the same thing happening again
Keep working with the plan
The social worker will usually know you have complained, especially if it's about their work. That can make things feel awkward, but it doesn't mean you were wrong to raise it.
Keep going to meetings and doing your actions. A complaint won't normally pause or overturn the plan.
Going to the Ombudsman
If you have been through the local authority's process and you're still not satisfied, you can ask the Local Government and Social Care OmbudsmanLocal Government and Social Care Ombudsman. An independent body that can consider complaints about local authority services. It usually expects the relevant local authority complaints procedure to be completed first, although it may accept a complaint early in… to look at it independently. It's free. They look at whether the local authority got something wrong and whether that caused you or your child real harm or disadvantage.[11][16]
You normally need to finish the local authority's process first. The Ombudsman can step in earlier in limited cases, like serious delay. You should normally go to them within 12 months of the events. They can't look at anything a court has already decided.[16]
If your complaint is late
A local authority may refuse a statutory complaint made more than a year after the events, but it should still consider your reasons for the delay rather than apply the cut-off automatically.
Common reasons include being too caught up in the live case to raise it, only getting the full picture months later through a subject access requestSubject access request (SAR). A request to an organisation for a copy of your own personal information. Some information can be withheld where an exemption applies., or being advised to hold off while proceedings were going on. Ask for the decision and reasons in writing.[11]