A positive complaints culture and what staff can expect from managers

Residents and families should not fear that raising concerns will worsen care. CQC guidance requires that complainants are not discriminated against or victimised. A positive complaints culture means people can raise concerns safely, staff know how to respond, and managers treat complaints as opportunities to resolve issues rather than as threats.

What good culture looks like

• Residents are told how to complain: the process is visible, accessible and explained, not hidden.
• Staff know the basics: they can listen, record concerns and pass them on correctly.
• No retaliation: care does not worsen because someone raised a complaint.
• Staff are treated fairly too: anyone complained about is heard, supported and not subject to gossip.
• Learning is normalised: concerns are used to improve care rather than simply to assign blame.

A positive complaints culture does not require staff to accept abuse, threats, harassment or unsafe behaviour. Services should set respectful boundaries, protect staff safety and support people to express concerns in a way that can be handled fairly.

What care staff can reasonably expect managers to put in place

The healthiest services do not fear complaints. They make it safe to raise them, fair to investigate them and normal to learn from them.