Complaints and Compliments
We know we have thousands of team members supporting families and caring for residents/patients in a way that helps them celebrate life at Barchester.
If you have something positive to share or want to say a special thank you to someone we want to hear from you. We will always try to share your compliment with the team member involved and celebrate where things are working well and teams are delivering exceptional service and care.
Please let us know which home/hospital your compliment is about, who it involves and what it was they did so well.
Leave a compliment
We take feedback seriously at Barchester and do our best to work with customers if issues occur to put things right and learn lessons for the future.
Raising a concern
If, despite our best intentions, the service does not meet your expectations and you are unhappy, we ask that you speak with the General Manager/Hospital Director in the first instance, as many issues can be resolved right away with a telephone call or meeting. Any concerns should be raised in good time (usually within 3 months) so that it can be addressed and resolved as quickly as possible.
Raising a complaint
If you have raised a concern that remains unresolved, it can be treated as a complaint.
The complaints process at Barchester Healthcare has two stages, and we try to resolve as much as possible at the first stage. Please read more about our complaints process below.
Please submit in writing to the General Manager/Hospital Director specific details on why you remain unhappy and outline what can be done to put it right.
You will receive a written acknowledgement within 3 working days and we will aim to complete any investigation and provide you with a response within 20 working days. If for any reason we require more time, we will inform you as soon as possible.
We do understand it isn’t always possible to raise a complaint directly with the people involved in providing the care, so in that situation you are welcome to raise your complaint with the Customer Feedback Team and they will ensure it is allocated to the appropriate person
If, after a Stage 1 response is shared with you, you feel your complaint remains unresolved, you should contact the General Manager/Hospital Director or Customer Feedback Team within 20 working days of receiving your written response. In raising a Stage 2 complaint you must outline concerns that have not already been investigated in detail and what you consider to be a suitable resolution. Once we have all the information we need, we will review this and allocate your complaint to the right manager to handle this for you. You will receive a written acknowledgement within 3 working days and we will aim to complete a review and respond within 20 working days. If for any reason we require more time, we will inform you as soon as possible.
If after Stage 2 you still feel we haven't reached a resolution, you can refer your complaint to an external body:
England
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman will review complaints once all stages of Barchester’s process have been followed. They can be contacted at www.lgo.org.uk or PO Box 4771, Coventry, CV4 0EH, or call 0300 061 0614.
Please note: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) for England are regulators only and do not investigate individual complaints or concerns raised.
Wales
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales can be contacted at: ask@ombudsman-wales.org.uk; or call 0300 790 0203 or 1 Ffordd Yr Hen Gae, Pencoed, CF35 5LJ
Please note: - Care Inspectorate Wales are unable legally to investigate individual complaints or resolve disagreements between people and their service providers.
Scotland
Barchester Healthcare services in Scotland are registered with and regulated by the Care Inspectorate (CI). If you wish to make a complaint to them instead of ourselves about a Scottish care home you can contact the Care Inspectorate at Compass House, Riverside Drive, Dundee, DD1 4NY, or call 0345 600 9527 or visit www.careinspectorate.com.
Jersey
Jersey Care Commission can be contacted at: enquiries@carecommission.je 01534 445 80 or by post at 23 Hill Street, St Helier, Jersey, JE2 4UA
Contacting our central team
Please always ensure that you work with the General Manager/Hospital Director responsible for the service to raise compliments, concerns and complaints in the first instance.
If needed, the Customer Feedback Team can be contacted
By email: feedback@barchester.com
By telephone: 0207 788 8231
Or by post: Customer Feedback Team, Barchester, 3rd Floor, The Aspect, 12 Finsbury Square, EC2A 1AS.
Please note: Complaints can be made by a resident or patient who is affected by an action OR a person acting on a patient’s/ resident’s behalf such as a relative, carer or a duly appointed legal representative. Complaints can be made on behalf of a person who lacks capacity within the meaning of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 as long as Barchester Healthcare is satisfied that the person making the complaint is acting in the best interest of the resident/patient.
Please note: the concerns and complaints process does not cover Barchester Healthcare employees wishing to raise a grievance regarding their employment or the running of the home. If you are an employee and would like to report any kind of information or activity that is deemed illegal, dishonest, or not correct you are encouraged to report your concerns, in confidence. Speak to the General Manager/Hospital Director or Regional/Divisional Director so that the concern can be effectively and promptly investigated OR call 0800 542 5913 (quote 72744). You will not be required to identify yourself but will be asked certain information sufficient to enable Barchester Healthcare to investigate fully.
If you are an employee who has a personal complaint about their own employment you should pursue your concerns through the Company’s grievance procedure, which can be found in the Employee Handbook.