Adult care social services at Herts County Council received a total of 398 complaints – representing one per cent of service users – between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024. Of these, 350 were formal complaints, while 48 were dealt with informally. In total, 41 per cent of complaints were either upheld or partly upheld, while 37 per cent were not upheld.
The largest portion of complaints concerned delays and communications (27 per cent), while assessments and care plans made up 20 per cent, charges and costs of service made up 15 per cent, and complaints about workers made up 13 per cent. Various case examples were given in the report. One stated: “The family of a person who desperately needed support were becoming extremely frustrated by the system, and as multiple agencies were involved, the family were getting very confused by conflicting information.
” When a team manager took the time to review all of the information and speak to the family over the phone, they withdrew their complaint. The family were quoted as saying: “Please don’t spend hours typing out a complaint response – it is not required. The call was plenty and having someone to unburden to felt amazingly cathartic.
” Another complaint about a person “in an inappropriate place too far from the family” was upheld, as it was noted: “Outcomes should have identified how a care home would support with maintaining family and social relationships.” The report stated: “Communication is a recu.