Concerns & complaints.
A clear route for raising concerns, how we will respond, and where independent or external review may be appropriate.
Our approach to concerns and complaints
We want people to feel able to tell us when something has not felt right. Raising a concern will not affect the care, respect or professionalism you receive from us.
Where possible, we will try to understand the concern, explain what has happened and identify whether anything needs to change.
How to raise a concern
You can raise a concern informally during an appointment or contact us in writing. Before launch we will add a dedicated service email address here.
If you make a formal complaint, it is helpful to tell us what happened, when it happened, who was involved, and what you would like us to consider. You do not need to write it in a particular format.
What happens after you complain
If the issue is more complex and we need longer, we will explain why, tell you what we are doing and give you an updated timescale.
Our response will normally summarise the concern, explain what we have reviewed, set out our conclusions, and describe any action we intend to take.
Keeping the review fair
If a complaint concerns one psychologist, the other psychologist may review the complaint where that is appropriate and sufficiently independent. If the complaint concerns both clinicians, the service as a whole, or would benefit from greater independence, we may ask an appropriately experienced independent Clinical Psychologist to review it.
Complaint records and confidentiality
We will keep an appropriate record of the complaint and our response. Information will only be shared with people who need it in order to consider the concern, respond appropriately, meet professional obligations or comply with the law.
External routes
Most service concerns are best raised with us first so we have an opportunity to address them. The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulates Clinical Psychologists and can consider serious concerns about a registrant’s fitness to practise. It does not act as a general complaints-resolution service for every disagreement about care.
If your concern is specifically about how personal information has been handled, you can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
HCPC — concerns about a registered professional
ICO — make a data-protection complaint
Contact details
Before launch we will add the service complaints email, postal contact, company details and the psychologists’ HCPC registration numbers here.