Thought for the day…
Having things go wrong with an agency can be difficult, but knowing how to progress a complaint can change your outcome.
I think
at one time or another we will all find a time where things are not working very well with the agency we are with. This can be due to management changes, or even due to personality conflicts. It is normal in any working relationship to have times that get a little bumpy. Quite frankly nobody is perfect, no agency will get things right every time, but what do you do when it isn’t working? When you are struggling with something? How do you get the outcome you need in order to stay where you are at and keep the relationships you have built? Because really this is the goal for most, to keep who you are with and try to fix the problem (it normally is easier than changing agencies). If you do need to change agencies it is also good to show that you did try and fix the issues, this helps with your transition, so what does this look like?
at one time or another we will all find a time where things are not working very well with the agency we are with. This can be due to management changes, or even due to personality conflicts. It is normal in any working relationship to have times that get a little bumpy. Quite frankly nobody is perfect, no agency will get things right every time, but what do you do when it isn’t working? When you are struggling with something? How do you get the outcome you need in order to stay where you are at and keep the relationships you have built? Because really this is the goal for most, to keep who you are with and try to fix the problem (it normally is easier than changing agencies). If you do need to change agencies it is also good to show that you did try and fix the issues, this helps with your transition, so what does this look like?Steps to take
The first step is normally to speak to your Supervising Social Worker. This is normally the first stop to taking care of an issue. Always follow up any verbal conversation with an email, you need to be able to prove the discussion happened. Maybe a plan is made and your problem is fixed, but if it isn’t, what is next? Try your emailing your social worker again but copy in the Manager.
Going higher up is sometimes how you escalate an issue, and copying in the manager of your SSW is sometimes what is needed to get the needed answer. Again, all of this should be an email, keeping things in writing means they are dated and proof that you were professional and did make the request. What if this doesn’t work? What if you took the steps needed to get your grievance heard and sorted but you don’t hear back from them?
Follow your agencies procedures.
Every agency should have a complaints procedure, steps to take in order to solve issues. Use this as a map on how to sort your problems. Follow it. Is it always going to work? No, it may not, but the goal is first to fix the problem and stay with who you are with. If by following the complaints procedure you do not get any relief from the problem or you simply find that you and your agency have grown apart, then you may choose to move, you have every right to make this choice, but if you followed the procedure for complaints it will make leaving easier (and shows future agencies how you can work within the system).
Stay or leave?
I am not telling you to stay or leave, only suggesting that using the procedures put in place can make staying or leaving easier. If right now you are happy with who you are with then I am happy for you. I am very happy with my current agency, but I wasn’t always able to say that. I had to learn to work within the system and amazingly it worked for me, I stayed and kept the relationships I built. My agency and I both learned some lessons, and I had to learn that none of us are perfect, we all get some things wrong sometimes (even me).
I hope you don’t need your companies complaints procedure. Even if you don’t need it right now you may need it in the future so please seek it out. If you can’t find it then ask for a copy and or access to it. You need to be ready in case you do find something is no longer good enough.