When it goes wrong
Need to chase or complain about services?
Social care
Complaints: the Cambridgeshire County Council’s has a leaflet explaining how to feedback concerns
Health
Make contact with PALS, the Patient Advice and Liaison Service. The number covering Cambridgeshire services is 0300 131 1000
Education
- SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS), formerly the Parent Partnership Service, provides information, advice and support to parents of children with special educational needs who have concerns about how their child is being supported in school.
- IPSEA – Independent Parental Special Education Advice – also offers free information service and an advice line. It can help with SEN appeals and disability discrimination claims to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal.
- The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) looks at complaints about councils and some other authorities and organisations, including education admissions appeal panels and adult social care providers (such as care homes and home care providers).
- Academy/free schools: Concerned about a school under-performing or governance issues? The Regional Schools Commissioners are responsible for holding academy trusts to account. The RSC for the East of England and is responsible for making decisions about the academies and free schools in Cambridgeshire. More information about the responsibilities of RSCs
Emergency care for your child or young person
Click through to our emergency information page for contact details and what to do.
Need domestic violence advice?
Click through to our Cambridgeshire domestic violence advice page.
Need legal information or advice?
Find information guides and template letters on our legal help & resources page.
Bullying
Child excluded or threatened with exclusion?
If your child has been excluded from school or has been threatened with exclusion due to their behaviour, ACE can help you.
You can phone their exclusion advice line 0808 800 0327 or exclusion information line 020 7704 9822.
Support and information on when things go wrong from The Challenging Behaviour Foundation
The Challenging Behaviour Foundation are a UK-based charity that focus on the needs of children, young people and adults with severe learning disabilities and their families. They have information and signposting for when things go wrong. This includes what is meant by poor support and abuse, and who to talk to if you suspect your relative is coming to harm or not being cared for properly.
Their useful guides include information on:
- What to do if you are worried your family member is getting poor care or being abused?
- What to do if it is getting difficult to support your family member at home or in their current service?
- Physical interventions and reducing the use of restraint, seclusion and other restrictive practices
- Trauma support
- Safeguarding – this includes information on what you should do if you are worried about the safety of someone with a learning disability and who you should tell if you think a child or adult has been harmed or abused, or is at risk of harm or abuse
- Complaints – this provides useful information for if you are unhappy with the care service or provider
Help for young victims and witnesses of crime
A new organisation has launched giving advice and support to victims and witnesses of crime in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough – including young victims of bullying, hate crime and online crime.
The Victim & Witness Hub aims to offer specialist support. To get help you can:
- call 0800 781 6818
- email victimandwitnesshub@cambs.pnn.police.uk
- or visit the website
The website also offers a searchable directory of local support organisations who can help people cope and recover from the trauma they have faced.
You don’t need to have reported a crime to the Police to access this free, confidential and independent advice or the support organisations listed in the directory.
Support for parents in conflict
OnePlusOne Reducing Parental Conflict digital intervention for families
Below is the link to the OnePlusOne course to help parents build healthier relationships. You are free to access this resource at your leisure.
There are 4 different courses on offer which are detailed below:
Me, You and Baby Too – designed to help new and expectant parents cope with the changes that could happen in their relationship when they become parents and learn how to cope with stress and conflict constructively.
Arguing Better – designed to raise awareness of the impact parental conflict can have on children and help parents develop better ways of managing stress and arguments together.
Getting it Right for Children – designed to support separated parents, helping them to avoid the harmful situation of their children getting caught up in the middle of their conflict.
Debt – the impact of debt on relationships and support around what to do when you or your partner are having concerns around money.