The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011

Complaints

18.—(1) A provider must establish a procedure (“the complaints procedure”) for considering complaints made to the provider.

(2) The complaints procedure must be appropriate to the needs of service users.

(3) The provider must ensure that any complaint made under the complaints procedure is fully investigated.

(4) The provider must, within 20 working days after the date on which the complaint is made, or such shorter period as may be reasonable in the circumstances, inform the complainant of the action (if any) that is to be taken.

(5) The provider must supply a written copy of the complaints procedure to every service user and to any representative if that representative so requests.

(6) The written copy of the complaints procedure must include—

(a) the name and address of SCSWIS; and

(b) the procedure (if any) that has been notified by SCSWIS to the provider for the making of complaints to SCSWIS relating to the care service.

(7) The provider must supply to SCSWIS at its request a statement containing a summary of the complaints made during the preceding 12 months and the action that was taken in respect of each complaint.

(8) In this regulation, “address” includes both a postal address and where available an electronic mail address but an electronic mail address may not be substituted for a postal address.