to make a formal complaint because I feel pissed about?

[smallestleaf]

I have recently started receiving support from a service (public service) for behavioural issues my son has. I am also in a very bad mental state myself. I have waited a long time for this service.

Its not face to face due to lockdown but via phone. I have so far waited in at least seven times for calls, which we had clear appointments for, only for no call to come. I have to arrange my entire day around these calls. They have meant I have not gone out to things with the kids and other families when I would have loved to as I very isolated and lonely. The calls are also very hard for me emotionally and I need to steel and prepare myself for them. So its quite upsetting to go through and then not get a call.

I never get any message to tell me the appointment won't be kept. Instead I text 15 mins after the appt. time, and maybe get a texted 'sorry' and then suggestions for further dates. The appts are all with the same women who is my case worker. The fifth time this happened I texted to point out this keeps happening and outlined the impact on me. Got a reply saying 'so sorry'. But since then it has happened twice again.
This last time I texted to say I had waited for the call as agreed, she said ' sorry I went home early' 'I replied, ' you should have let me know. Where do I make a formal complaint, I am very unhappy at repeatedly waiting for calls that don't come.' I then left my phone upstairs and went to make the kids dinner. When I check my phone I get a grovelling apology, asking to talk to me and two missed calls from her.

WIBU to go through with the complaint?

People need to complain about poor service. It's the only way things will ever improve.

Also wanting to add support and say it would absolutely not be unreasonable for you to complain - you have been incredibly patient and this is appalling! Once may have been a genuine mistake and forgivable but 7 times is ridiculous. As PP said having also worked in frontline services sometimes emergency things do crop up but I would always call or text to apologise and as a bare minimum I would expect a text prior to the time of the appointment so that you know it won't be happening.

It sounds like the worker needs serious help with their organisational and time management skills, in which case raising this with their manager is no bad thing.

Definitely ask to be allocated a new worker - this would completely have wrecked my trust in the person too.

I’ve made progress with PALS before. You send them a complaint, with request for new doctor and it gets directed to the person’s manager. It is logged and tracked. I managed to get a new consultant doctor that way within 2 weeks.

Definitely complain. These services are swamped but these are real people’s lives they are dealing with and it’s not good enough. I know with CAMHS it has felt the individual professionals aren’t directly accountable to management. Plus if they are desperate for staff they may get someone who isn’t very good - we went for an ADHD assessment and it was an ASD question pack being used. Then she went off sick and left, none of her reports could be found.

This is awful. I'd complain politely. Things are hard for many people right now, so who knows what's happening at their end, but you should not be being put through this. I hope you get help soon. It sounds good that you have people you can connect with. Hope you can make some lovely plans with them on different days and get some support from friends which is so important.

She's terrified because she's probably had other complaints before you and is at danger of being fired. Not your problem though, complain complain complain

Unfortunately through bitter experience, complaining is often the only way help is finally given. I'm currently on a Stage two complaint with the Local Authority after being given bullshit excuses for the last year.

Keep a log of all communication and do not delete any correspondence.

The Independent Inspector's have
written a 15 page report so far laying out all the issues. If l hadn't kept everything and a log l would not have been able to get such a good report

You should complain and ask to be re-allocated to someone who will actually keep appointments and not go home early, ignoring the fact that they had made a commitment to call you.

To be honest, threatening to complain (and following through with it, in your case) is sometimes the only way to get the treatment you deserve! Your Case Worker has had her chance, and has shown she is not capable of carrying out her duties to the required standard, therefore this needs to be flagged up to her manager. I hope that your complaint will ensure that you are quickly allocated a new Case Worker, who will give you the support you need.

You're a far more patient woman than I am, I'd have complained after the 3rd time. You deserve better. Complain away.

I've nothing to add expect how frustrating and soul destroying this sounds. Do complain and good luck.

You are right to complain, this is showing a complete disregard for you and your time. What gets me about any of this is the presumption that your time is less valuable than there’s.

YANBU.

I had similar issues with disability study skills support sessions for a course I'm doing. The tutor kept forgetting the appointments, or postponing them. I mean one family emergency I can understand, but she seemed to have them every week.

And it was especially important to me as I am autistic and don't deal well with last minute changes of plan and uncertainty.

I asked for a new tutor and am happy with her; she is very reliable.

Well, in a rare display of getting her act together and being organised and proactive, the case worker apparently reported herself to her manager who called me this morning to apologise and has allocated me a new case worker.

Great news! She knows she’s fucked up but the main thing is you don’t have to suffer because of it. Hope all goes well

Makes you wonder if she's on mumsnet

@smallestleaf

Well, in a rare display of getting her act together and being organised and proactive, the case worker apparently reported herself to her manager who called me this morning to apologise and has allocated me a new case worker.

Great to hear. New case worker and hopefully a fresh and better start.

More like damage control that anything else.
Professionally she is a disgrace.
As a person, she is bloody rude.

Thing pop up unexpectedly, but you should always have time to contact a person BEFORE the appointed time and let them know......if you had any intention of making the appointment in the first place.
Clearly she hadn't.

She's a disgrace to her profession. I hope she got a bollixing...but I doubt it.

Well done for not putting up with it any longer.

I wonder if she told the manager the total number of times that she let you down or worded it like she’s only done it twice or something.

apart from anything else it is so unprofessional of her to try and grovel her way out of you making a complaint. In every public sector (and private) job I've had the only acceptable response to someone asking for details to make a complaint is to immediately provide them, no matter how groundless you think the complaint is (and I had some corkers!)

You still need to email the manager to confirm what was said in the phone call, and to lay out the timeline and extent of her unprofessionalism in writing. Do not miss this chance! It risks being swept under the carpet otherwise, they certainly won't keep a record of why she moved your case to someone else if you don't.

Great to hear you have a new caseworker.

I was going to say how outraged I was on your behalf. Let's hope the new one is more reliable.

I think the letter template is excellent use it. 7 times isvery unprofessional and in these times of rationing services - ie 12 sessions total why should it look as if are you receiving support that isn’t happening
Services need to be held accountable for poor performance

@smallestleaf

Well, in a rare display of getting her act together and being organised and proactive, the case worker apparently reported herself to her manager who called me this morning to apologise and has allocated me a new case worker.

Good to hear, but she has done this to save her own skin. Lovely they've apologised but it's fucked you and your son about. This service should be consistent and regular for both you and your son Write and complain. I can guarantee that her colleagues will be cheering you on