The Social Services Complaints Procedure (Wales) Regulations 2005

Response

20.—(1) The local authority must prepare a written response to the complaint which—

(a) summarises the nature and substance of the complaint;

(b) describes the investigation under regulation 19 and summarises the conclusions;

(c) explains what action will be taken to resolve the complaint;

(d) where appropriate, contains an apology to the complainant; and

(e) identifies what other action, if any, will be taken in the light of the complaint.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), the response must be sent to the complainant within 25 working days beginning on the date on which the local authority received the request from the complainant for formal consideration.

(3) If, in the case of—

(a) any complaint where there has been difficulty in the determination of its nature or substance;

(b) a complaint involving more than one body;

(c) a complaint which has been treated as subject to concurrent consideration under regulation 12; or

(d) any other complaint where the complainant has agreed to a later response,

it is not possible for the response to be sent within 25 working days the local authority must notify the complainant of the reason for the delay, the date by which it expects to send the response and must send that response as soon as reasonably practicable.

(4) The response must include information about—

(a) the complainant’s right to request an independent panel hearing in accordance with regulation 22;

(b) the procedure for requesting such a hearing; and

(c) the time within which such a request must be made.

(5) Copies of the response prepared in accordance with paragraph (1) must be sent—

(a) to any person who was the subject of the complaint;

(b) where the complaint involves more than one body to the complaints officer of each body;

(c) where the complaint relates to a service described in regulation 10(1)(c) to the NHS body with whom the arrangement was made;

(d) where the complaint is a care standards complaint mentioned in regulation 14, to the person registered under the Care Standards Act 2000 as the provider in respect of the establishment or agency.