You, or someone acting on your behalf, will need to contact our Customer Relations Team, a social care worker, or member of staff who has been working with you, to explain that you want to appeal against a decision. If you are a carer wishing to appeal about your own support, you can also contact a member of staff at Carers Support West Sussex.

You have 15 working days, from the date you receive our decision, to make your appeal. You need to clearly set out the issues you are appealing about. The easiest way to do this is on our website. You can also appeal by email, by phone, face-to-face or in writing. Contact details for our Customer Relations Team and Carers Support West Sussex are on the 'Contact details' page.

If you are having difficulty making your appeal within 15 working days, you need to explain the reasons for this to the Customer Relations Team, the social care worker or the member of staff who has been working with you. They will discuss this with you and decide whether to allow more time for your appeal.

The information you provide about your appeal will be passed to the local service manager or carer services manager (as appropriate). The manager may contact you for more information or to discuss the best way to settle your appeal.

We will let you know (by email or in writing) that we have received your appeal.

The service manager or carer services manager will carefully consider all the information and make a decision on your appeal.

You can contact your local social care office or Carers Support West Sussex during the appeal process if you want to discuss the issue (or issues).

If your appeal is successful at the first stage, we will tell you the final decision in writing within 15 working days from the date you provided the information about your appeal.

If your appeal is not successful at the first stage, we will refer it to the local head of service for a final decision. We will tell you in writing why your appeal has been referred to the next stage.

The local head of service will write to you telling you our final decision.

This will be within 10 working days from the date the appeal was referred to the local head of service.

If you are not satisfied with the final outcome of your appeal, you can contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. The service is independent, impartial and free.

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

The appeals process does not affect your rights to contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman at any time. However, they will only usually investigate a complaint if you have given us a chance to deal with it first.

You can contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman by filling in the complaint form at www.lgo.org.uk or phoning 0300 061 0614.

More information

For more information about the appeals process, please contact a member of our staff who has been working with you. Or call our Adults’ CarePoint on 01243 642121 or
email us at socialcare@westsussex.gov.uk.