Llais

Llais is independent of the NHS, local authorities and the Welsh Government. All our complaints advocacy staff are trained or working towards a National Advocacy Qualification.

We deliver our complaints advocacy service in line with national standards set by the Llais Board.

Our complaints advocacy service can:

§ support you to make a complaint about a service, care or treatment provided or paid for by health or social care services

§ support you to make a complaint on someone else’s behalf, including if someone has died

§ listen to your concerns

§ signpost you to other organisations if we think that someone else can also help

§ answer questions about health and/or social care services’ concerns process and explain your options

§ provide a step by step guide to the complaints procedures and offer some tips

§ help you to raise a concern about the NHS yourself if you are under 18 years old

§ provide you with a trained complaints advocate, an experienced worker who can help you raise your concern and support you through the process.

Our complaints advocacy service can’t:

§ make decisions on your behalf

§ offer an opinion on the validity of a concern

§ offer clinical opinions or give medical advice

§ offer advice about on-going care and treatment

§ investigate concerns

§ provide support with Continuing Healthcare or Individuals Patient Funding Request Panels

§ provide support at inquests

§ offer additional support such as bereavement and counselling. Contact details for such professionals can be provided if required

§ help you to raise a concern about social care, yourself if you are under 18 years old

§ usually work on concerns that are over 12 months old unless you have only just found out that you have cause for complaint, or have some other good reason for not raising your concerns sooner

§ give legal advice or help with legal action

§ help with issues not covered by complaints regulations. This includes things like privately funded treatment

§ get NHS or social care staff disciplined

§ help you if you don’t live in Wales.

Even if we are not able to help with an issue, we may be able to signpost you to someone else who can help. Please do ask us.

The health and social care complaints procedures are designed to help people to get their concerns heard and where possible, resolved.

Our complaints advocacy service can help you at any stage in the health and social care complaints procedure.