How to make a formal complaint

[MotherGoose80]

Hello
I have posted a couple of times before. Thank you for all the support I have had so far.
My children 13, 5 and 2 have been under PLO for 6 months now. We are currently on the 3rd social worker. First two went off on long term sick leave.
I really don't see why my children and I should continue to live under the threat of PLO just because social workers keep going off sick. My parenting assessment is positive and contact with my former husband is via phone call only.
I want to make a formal complaint about this, but I am so angry I am finding it difficult to write something that isn't fuelled by my fury.
Can you help please?

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear MotherGoose80,

Thank you for your post. This is Suzie here, the online adviser at Family Rights Group.

I am sorry to hear that you have had three social workers in the last six months. I can understand that this is frustrating and has very likely caused some delays to the progress with the PLO process.

If you are considering submitting a formal complaint then I would strongly encourage you to discuss this first with your solicitor. They will know your case and will be able to discuss with you whether making a formal complaint at this stage is advisable. It is important to remember that a complaint can be submitted up to a year after the event has happened. So you have plenty of time to air your concerns, and sometimes it may be advisable to wait until the PLO process has ended before any complaints are submitted. Your solicitor should be able to advise further about this and what would be the best course of action for your circumstances.

It is also important to bear in mind that although it is very frustrating that two social workers went off on long-term sick leave whilst working with you, this is not the ‘fault’ of anyone involved and if there are specific assessments or pieces of work that children’s services have identified as necessary to be completed then a complaint may not change the timescales involved.

If you do decide to submit a formal complaint then, as you have identified yourself, it is important that your complaint is not too emotionally fuelled. It should be factual, polite and calm. It is also important to keep your complaint as brief as you can, whilst still covering all the relevant points. You can find some helpful advice about writing formal complaints our website HERE.

I hope that this is of some help. Please do post again if you have further questions. You can call our free, confidential adviceline on 0808 801 0366 (Monday to Friday, 9:30am – 3pm). We also have a webchat which is currently open on Monday and Thursday afternoons.

Best wishes,
Suzie