We value your feedback
Brunelcare is committed to continuously improving the quality of services it provides by understanding the experiences of people accessing those services. To continue to make improvements and provide a safe and quality service, we encourage, value, engage with and learn from all types of feedback.
We always try to get things right the first time and would welcome your feedback where this has been the case. However, we also recognise that sometimes things can go wrong and when this happens we would like to hear from you to put this right and learn from any mistakes.
Brunelcare takes the approach that complaints, concerns and compliments raised are gifts. Without feedback from our customers, we have fewer opportunities to develop as an organisation and as individuals.
We are committed to ensuring everyone’s views are heard, therefore accessible information is available on our comments, concerns, complaints and compliments process. If you would like any of our compliments and complaints information in another language, format or in large print please speak to the service supporting you or contact us.
How to send us a compliment and feedback on our services
If you would like to let us know about a time where you or someone you care for has received outstanding service from us we would like to hear from you. All compliments will be shared with the individual or team concerned and used to improve our services across the Charity.
We would also like to hear from you if you have any feedback or suggestions about the services we provide. To send a compliment, or to provide us with general feedback, please contact us using the information below.
- In person – through the service supporting you or at any one of our offices
- Website form – Fill out our feedback form here
- Email – [email protected]
- Telephone – 0117 914 4214 (office hours, Monday to Friday)
- Via our social media pages
- Post – Feedback and Complaints, Brunelcare Head Office, Saffron Gardens, Prospect Place, Bristol BS5 9FF
When things go wrong
If something goes wrong, we welcome the opportunity to put this right for you and to prevent this from happening again. When we receive a concern or complaint we aim to resolve this as quickly as possible following our Managing Comments, Concerns, Complaints and Compliments Policy. You can read this by following the link below:
Read our full Managing Comments, Concerns, Complaints and Compliments Policy
DownloadWe hope that most concerns can be resolved quickly and easily by the service or person you usually have contact with. We would encourage you to get in touch with your normal point of contact in the first instance, whether this is a care home manager, housing officer or community colleague so that the issue raised can be put right.
This informal resolution stage will be completed as quickly as possible to supply you with an outcome in no longer than two working days. If it is not possible to resolve the concern within this timescale or without an investigation of the circumstances that led to the concern, then the matter will be escalated to stage 1 of our complaints process.
If, following the information resolution stage, you are not satisfied with the resolution received or your concern has not been addressed, you have a right and will be supported to progress your comments/concerns to the formal complaints process (stage 1).
Formal complaints process
You are always able to make a formal complaint through Brunelcare’s formal complaints process. You can do this through the following methods:
- In person – through the service supporting you or at one of our offices.
- By telephone – through the contact number of the service supporting you or centrally at 0117 914 4214 (office hours, Monday to Friday).
- Using our website form – Fill out our complaints form here
- Via email – to [email protected] or through the service/person you usually have contact with.
- Through our social media pages
- In writing – Complaints Officer, Brunelcare Head Office, Saffron Gardens, Prospect Place, Bristol BS5 9FF (or through the service/person you usually have contact with.
What happens when you make a formal complaint?
- We will acknowledge your complaint within three working days
- We will fully investigate your complaint (this may involve contacting you for more information)
- We will provide a response to your complaint within 10 working days
All formal complaints will be overseen by Brunelcare’s Complaints Officer. The Complaints Officer will be available to help guide you through the process by discussing our complaints procedure and providing further advice and support.
Our response to you will detail the investigation undertaken into your complaint, including the key issues and who was involved. If your complaint is upheld we will tell you what happened, why it happened and what steps have been taken to prevent this from happening again.
If you are unhappy with the response received at stage one of the complaints process, you can ask for the complaint to be reviewed by a senior investigating officer. This is stage 2 of our complaints process. We will acknowledge that your complaint has been escalated within three working days, and we will provide a response within 20 working days.
Escalation to the relevant Ombudsman
At all times you have the right to access the relevant Ombudsman service. The Ombudsman will offer you general advice, further support and guidance regarding your complaint. The correct Ombudsman to contact will depend on the service we provide to you:
Housing Ombudsman
Telephone: 0300 111 3000
Email: [email protected]
Post: Housing Ombudsman Service, PO Box 1484, Unit D, Preston, PR2 0ET
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
Telephone: 0300 061 0614
Post: Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, PO Box 4771, Coventry CV4 0EH
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Telephone: 0345 015 4033
Housing Ombudsman Complaints Handling Code
In July 2020, the Housing Ombudsman published a new Complaint Handling Code to set out good practices and allow landlords to respond to complaints fairly and effectively. This Code was updated in 2022.
This Code was subsequently updated in 2024 to its current version, and became a statutory requirement in April 2024.
Landlords are required to complete a self-assessment against the Code and publish the results; this details compliance and highlights any actions required to meet the criteria of the code.
Our self-assessment against the statutory code was completed in June 2024 and can be seen below:
Read our Complaint Handling Code self-assessment
Copies of earlier self-assessments undertaken by Brunelcare are available here:
Read our October 2023 Complaint Handling Code self-assessment
Read our September 2022 Complaint Handling Code self-assessment
Read our December 2020 Complaint Handling Code self-assessment
The results of our findings from these self-assessments will allow us to make relevant changes to our complaints policy and processes in order to resolve complaints quickly and easily.
Our most recent self-assessment and annual report was reviewed by Brunelcare’s Performance, Quality and Experience Committee in May 2024 and approved by Brunelcare’s Board of Trustees in June 2024. Both the Committee and Board were pleased to note the robust and effective complaints handling process the Charity has in place, and the support this provides to all customers and their families.
