Complaints, Concerns and Compliments - Avenues Group

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Complaints, Concerns and Compliments

How to make a complaint

You can:

Tell someone you trust, this could be someone who supports you.

It could be someone in your family or a friend.

Telephone: our Complaints Officer on 0203 535 0564.

Email: our Complaints Officer, at complaints@avenuesgroup.org.uk.

Write to:
The Complaints Officer,
Avenues
River House
1 Maidstone Road
Sidcup
Kent  DA14 5TA.

Once we receive your complaint, the Complaints Officer will contact you and tell you what will happen next.

Help with accessing this information

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To get this information spoken to you:

Go to the orange circular icon at the top left corner of our website to have our webpages spoken to you. Click on the orange button in the header in the left hand corner of this website’s pages. This will launch the Reachdeck toolbar that docks to the top of the screen. Now click on the first ‘pointed finger’ icon on that toolbar and then hover your mouse pointer over any text to hear it read out loud.

Easy Read

Read our How to make a complaint Easy Read booklet.

If you need this information in a different way that hasn’t been said here, we will do our best to help you.  Just let us know.

What happens when I make a complaint?

It is very important you understand that no-one will make you feel bad.

Avenues want to give a high quality service to everyone.

We want to make sure as many people as possible can understand how to tell us about a complaint, a concern, or good things.

You don’t have to say who you are. But it makes things much easier for everyone if you do.

No information about you will be shared with anyone unless you say it can.

If you want to complain about Avenues service you don’t have to complain to us if you would rather not.

There are other people that you can complain to (see at the bottom of the page for a list of other people you can contact).

We will support you right through with whatever you decide to do.

If you make a complaint:

  • The Complaints Officer will write to you in 3 working days to let you know they have got it.
  • The Complaints Officer will try and get it resolved first – it might not need a big investigation.
  • If not, the Complaints Officer will tell you the name of the person looking into your complaint. They are the ‘Investigating Officer’.
  • The Investigating Officer will contact you.
  • They will want to talk to you about your complaint and might ask you some questions.
  • They will look into your complaint.
  • They will stay in contact with you
  • This person should have been able to finish looking into your complaint in 28 days.
  • They will write to you to tell you what they find out.
  • If it can’t be resolved in 28 days they must tell you why, and how long it will take.
  • If you are not happy with the end result you can appeal.
  • You need to contact the Complaints Officer again to do this.
  • The Complaints Officer will write to you and tell you who will now look into your appeal.
  • An appeal can take up to 28 days.
  • If for any reason this cannot be done in 28 days they must tell you why, and how long it will take.
  • The person looking into your appeal will write to you to tell you their decision

If you are still unhappy, you need to contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman:

Their website is: www.lgo.org.uk
Phone : 0300 061 0614

Complaints about Avenues services can be made to the local authority that pays for your service.

If you don’t know who they are, ask someone you trust to help you.

You can complain to the Care Quality Commission (CQC):

CQC
Citygate
Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4PA

Phone: 0300 061 6161
Website: www.cqc.org.uk

If you want to complain about your house or flat you can complain to the Housing Ombudsman Service:

Housing Ombudsman Service
PO Box 1484
Unit D
Preston
PR2 0ET

Phone: 0300 111 3000
Website: www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk

If you are unhappy with the way Avenues has provided your service you can complain to the Charity Commission.

Website: https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-charity

If you think we have used information about you that is private you can complain to the Data Protection Officer.

Or you can complain to the Information Commissioners Office.

Their website is: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

Please note:

A complaint can’t be looked into if:

  • It has already been looked into before and resolved.
  • The complaint is made more than six months later than when it happened.

Thank you. Your feedback helps us to understand where we can improve.

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