Complaints | Sukoon Care

Complaints, Concerns & Feedback

We want you to feel comfortable speaking to us — whether you want to tell us something has gone well, something doesn't feel quite right, or you want to make a formal complaint.

If something about your care or our service is worrying you, please tell us. You will be listened to, taken seriously and treated with dignity and respect. Raising a concern or making a complaint will never result in you being treated differently, disadvantaged or receiving a lower standard of care.

Wherever possible, we want to understand what has happened, what you would like us to do about it and what we can learn or change to prevent the same thing happening again.

If you find it difficult to raise a concern yourself, you are welcome to have someone you trust support you, such as a family member, friend, representative or advocate.

Last updated: August 2026

We Want to Hear From You

At Sukoon Care, we believe that listening to the people we support and those important to them is an essential part of providing safe, responsive and person-centred care.

You do not have to make a formal complaint for us to listen. If something is bothering you, something could have been done differently, or you simply want us to know how you feel about your care, we encourage you to speak to us as early as you feel able.

You can raise a concern about any aspect of our service, including your care and support, the conduct of a member of staff, communication, medication support, visit times, dignity and privacy, your care plan, charges or invoices, or any other aspect of your experience with Sukoon Care.

We also welcome compliments and positive feedback. Knowing what we are doing well helps us understand what matters to the people we support and helps us maintain and improve good practice.

Where something has gone wrong, we will listen to what happened from your perspective. We will consider what needs to be put right, whether an apology or other action is appropriate, and what we can learn from your experience.

Your care will not be negatively affected because you have raised a concern or made a complaint. You have the right to speak openly about your care and to be treated with respect when you do.

How to Raise a Concern or Make a Complaint

We want to make it as easy as possible for you to speak to us. You can raise a concern or make a complaint in the way that feels most comfortable for you.

You can contact Sukoon Care:

• By telephone – speak to a member of our team directly
• By email – send us details of your concern or complaint
• In writing – write to us at our office address
• In person – speak to a member of the Sukoon Care team
• Through someone you trust – such as a family member, friend, advocate or authorised representative

Sukoon Care contact details

Telephone: 01772 669675
Email: info@sukooncare.co.uk
Address: 185 Deepdale Road, Preston PR1 6LJ

You do not need to use particular words or complete a special form for us to treat something as a complaint. If you tell us that you are unhappy with an aspect of our service and would like the matter addressed, we will listen and make sure your concern is handled appropriately.

If you need help to explain your concern, communicate with us or understand the complaints process, please tell us. We will consider reasonable ways of making the process accessible to you, including your communication needs.

You can tell us what happened, how it affected you and what you would like us to do. You do not need to know what the solution should be before speaking to us.

What Happens When You Make a Complaint

When you raise a complaint with Sukoon Care, we will take it seriously and aim to deal with it openly, fairly and respectfully.

We will listen first. We will make sure we understand what you are unhappy about, how it has affected you and what outcome you are hoping for. Where anything is unclear, we may contact you to make sure we have understood your concerns correctly.

We will acknowledge your complaint. We will confirm that we have received it and explain who will be dealing with it and what you can expect to happen next.

We will investigate fairly. Depending on the nature of the complaint, this may include reviewing care records, care plans, visit records, medication records or other relevant documentation; speaking with staff involved; and considering information provided by you or others involved in the matter.

We will keep you informed. If an investigation takes longer than expected, we will not leave you wondering what is happening. We will provide an update and explain when you can expect to receive a response.

We will respond clearly. When our investigation is complete, we will explain what we have found, whether your complaint has been upheld in full or in part, and the reasons for our conclusions.

Where we have got something wrong, we will say so. We will apologise where appropriate and explain what we will do to put matters right. This may include changes to your care, staff guidance or training, care planning, communication, procedures or other improvements.

We will learn from complaints. Complaints are not simply something to close once a response has been sent. We will consider whether there are lessons for the wider service and whether action is needed to reduce the likelihood of the same issue happening again.

Most importantly, raising a complaint will not affect your right to receive respectful, safe and compassionate care from Sukoon Care.

If Your Concern Involves Safety or Safeguarding

Your safety and wellbeing come first. If information raised through a concern or complaint suggests that you or another person may be experiencing, or be at risk of, abuse, neglect, exploitation or other harm, we will not simply wait for the normal complaints process to be completed before taking action.

We will consider what needs to happen immediately to help keep the person safe and will follow our safeguarding procedures alongside the complaints process where appropriate.

This may include:

• Taking immediate steps to reduce or remove a risk
• Speaking with you about what has happened and what you would like to happen next
• Ensuring any urgent care or support needs are addressed
• Escalating the concern to the appropriate manager within Sukoon Care
• Making a referral to the relevant local authority safeguarding team where appropriate
• Working with health or social care professionals involved in the person's support
• Contacting emergency services or the police where there is an immediate or serious risk
• Notifying the Care Quality Commission (CQC) or another relevant authority where we are legally required to do so

Wherever it is safe and appropriate, we will involve you in decisions and listen to your wishes. We understand that safeguarding should not mean taking control away from the person concerned. Our response will consider your rights, choices, wellbeing and desired outcomes alongside our responsibility to protect people from harm.

If the concern relates to the conduct of a member of staff, we will take appropriate steps to manage any immediate risk while the matter is considered. This may include changes to care arrangements or other proportionate measures where necessary.

A safeguarding concern and a complaint can be considered at the same time. Raising one does not prevent us from dealing appropriately with the other.

If someone is in immediate danger or requires urgent medical assistance, the appropriate emergency service should be contacted without waiting for the Sukoon Care complaints process.

We understand that making a complaint can sometimes feel difficult. You do not have to go through the process alone, and we will do what we reasonably can to make it accessible to you.

You can ask someone you trust to support you, such as a family member, friend, advocate or authorised representative. Where another person is making a complaint on your behalf, we will respect your confidentiality and consider your consent, capacity and any legal authority that person may have to act for you.

If you have communication needs, a disability, sensory impairment, difficulty reading or writing, or English is not your preferred language, please tell us. We will consider reasonable ways of helping you understand and participate in the complaints process.

This might include:

• Providing information in a different or more accessible format
• Giving you additional time to explain your concerns
• Communicating in the way that works best for you
• Supporting the involvement of an interpreter or communication support where appropriate
• Allowing a family member, friend or advocate to support you
• Meeting with you to discuss your concerns rather than expecting you to put everything in writing

If you have difficulty communicating your wishes, we will not assume that this means you do not have a view about what has happened. We will consider how best to support you to express your wishes and feelings.

Where a person may lack capacity to make a particular decision relating to the complaint, we will follow the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and consider any appropriately authorised representative, advocate or attorney who should be involved.

Everyone has the right to be heard. Needing help to communicate or make a complaint should never be a barrier to having your concerns taken seriously.

Support to Make a Complaint

Complaints Timescales

We aim to deal with complaints as promptly as possible while making sure that concerns are considered properly and fairly.

Acknowledging your complaint
We aim to acknowledge a formal complaint within 3 working days of receiving it. We will explain who is dealing with your complaint and, where possible, give you an indication of when you can expect a full response.

Investigating your complaint
The time needed to investigate will depend on the nature and complexity of the concerns raised. Some matters may be resolved quickly, while others may require us to review records, speak with several people or obtain information from other organisations.

Keeping you informed
If we are unable to provide a full response within the expected timeframe, we will contact you, explain the reason for the delay and provide an update on the progress of the investigation. You should not have to repeatedly contact us simply to find out what is happening.

Our response
Once the investigation is complete, we will provide you with a clear response explaining what we considered, what we found and any actions or learning arising from your complaint.

Where a complaint raises an immediate safety or safeguarding concern, protecting the person from harm will take priority and appropriate action will be taken without waiting for the complaints investigation to conclude.

We would rather take the time necessary to investigate a concern properly than rush to provide an answer that does not address what has happened but we will keep you informed throughout.

If You're Not Happy With Our Response

We hope that you will feel able to raise concerns directly with Sukoon Care and that we can resolve them fairly and openly. However, if you remain unhappy after we have responded to your complaint, you have the right to take the matter further.

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

If you are dissatisfied with our final response, you may be able to ask the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) to consider your complaint.

The Ombudsman investigates complaints about adult social care in England and can consider complaints about care that has been arranged or paid for privately as well as certain publicly funded care.

The Ombudsman will normally expect the care provider to have had a reasonable opportunity to consider and respond to the complaint first.

Care Quality Commission

Sukoon Care's regulated care services are overseen by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

You can tell CQC about your experience of care, including concerns about the quality or safety of a service. CQC uses information from people who receive care, families and others to help it monitor and regulate services.

CQC does not normally investigate individual complaints on a person's behalf or resolve disputes between a person and their care provider. However, information you provide to CQC may contribute to its regulatory work.

You will never be prevented or discouraged from contacting an external organisation about your care. Raising a complaint with Sukoon Care does not take away your right to seek independent advice or raise concerns elsewhere.

Being Open When Things Go Wrong

At Sukoon Care, we believe that when something goes wrong, the right response is to be open, honest and transparent with the person receiving care and, where appropriate, those representing or supporting them.

We will not try to hide mistakes, minimise concerns or avoid difficult conversations. If something has happened that has affected your care or wellbeing, we will listen to you, establish what happened, consider any immediate action needed to keep you safe and explain what we know.

Where something goes wrong, we will:

• Take any immediate action needed to protect your safety and wellbeing
• Be open and honest about what has happened
• Listen to your experience and concerns
• Explain what we know and what we are doing to find out more
• Keep you appropriately informed
• Provide an apology where something has gone wrong
• Explain what action we will take to put things right where possible
• Record and investigate the incident appropriately
• Consider whether CQC, safeguarding authorities or another relevant organisation must be notified
• Identify what can be learned and what needs to change

Our Duty of Candour

Sukoon Care understands its responsibilities under the statutory Duty of Candour. Where a notifiable safety incident meets the legal requirements for the statutory Duty of Candour, we will follow the required process, including notifying the relevant person, providing a truthful account of what is known, explaining what further enquiries are appropriate, providing an apology and keeping the required written records.

We understand that saying sorry is an important part of being open when something has gone wrong. An apology does not replace an investigation or the need to take action. Where improvements are needed, we will identify them and follow them through.

Learning may lead to changes in a person's care plan or risk assessments, additional staff training or competency checks, supervision, changes to procedures, improved communication or wider changes across our service.

Being open is not something we reserve only for incidents that meet the legal threshold for the statutory Duty of Candour. Our wider approach is to be honest and transparent with the people we support whenever something goes wrong with their care.

Most importantly, you and the people important to you should feel able to ask difficult questions and receive an honest, respectful answer.

Learning From Complaints & Feedback

At Sukoon Care, we do not see a complaint as something simply to investigate, respond to and close. Every concern, complaint, compliment and piece of feedback gives us an opportunity to understand people's experiences and improve the care we provide.

Once a complaint has been investigated, we consider not only what happened in that individual situation, but also whether there is anything we can learn across the wider service.

This may include:

• Reviewing or updating a person's care plan or risk assessments
• Improving communication with people receiving care and their families
• Providing additional staff training, supervision or competency assessments
• Reviewing medication practices or other care procedures
• Improving how visits are planned or delivered
• Updating policies, procedures or staff guidance
• Sharing appropriate learning with the wider care team
• Identifying whether similar concerns have occurred before
• Looking for patterns, themes or emerging risks across complaints, incidents and feedback
• Checking that actions agreed following a complaint have actually been completed and have made a difference

We will record the outcome of complaints and the actions taken in response. Where no further action is considered necessary, we will record the reasons for that decision.

We will review complaints and feedback over time to identify themes, recurring concerns or areas where our service could improve. This information will form part of our wider quality assurance and governance arrangements.

Where appropriate, we will tell the person who raised the complaint what has changed or what we have learned as a result of their experience.

We also learn from compliments and positive feedback. Understanding what people value about their care helps us recognise good practice and make sure those standards are maintained across our service.

For us, closing a complaint does not mean the learning stops. The real measure is whether we have listened, acted and made care better as a result.

Strong Governance, Accountability & Continuous Improvement

Once a complaint has been investigated, we consider not only what happened in that individual situation, but also whether there is anything we can learn across the wider service.

This may include:

We will record the outcome of complaints and the actions taken in response. Where no further action is considered necessary, we will record the reasons for that decision.

Where appropriate, we will tell the person who raised the complaint what has changed or what we have learned as a result of their experience.

For us, closing a complaint does not mean the learning stops. The real measure is whether we have listened, acted and made care better as a result.

Independent Help & Useful Contacts

We hope that you will feel able to raise concerns directly with Sukoon Care and give us the opportunity to investigate and put things right. However, you are also entitled to seek independent advice or take your complaint further if you remain dissatisfied.

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO)

Once Sukoon Care has had an opportunity to consider and respond to your complaint, if you remain unhappy you may ask the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to consider the matter.

The LGSCO provides a free and independent service and can investigate complaints about adult social care providers, including home care. This can include care that is privately funded or arranged using a Direct Payment.

Telephone: 0300 061 0614
Post: Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, PO Box 4771, Coventry CV4 0EH
Online: Complaints can be submitted through the Ombudsman's website.

The Ombudsman will normally expect Sukoon Care to have been given a reasonable opportunity to investigate and respond first.

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman – Make a Complaint Care Quality Commission (CQC)

Sukoon Care's regulated care services are overseen by the Care Quality Commission.

CQC does not normally investigate or resolve individual complaints about care providers. However, it wants people to tell it about their experiences of care. Information provided to CQC can help it understand the quality and safety of a service and inform its regulatory activity.

Telephone: 03000 616161
Post: Care Quality Commission National Correspondence, Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4PA

Care Quality Commission – Contact CQC

You will never be prevented or discouraged from seeking independent advice, contacting CQC, approaching the Ombudsman or raising a safeguarding concern. Making a complaint will not adversely affect the care and support you receive from Sukoon Care.