Users of services that fall under the supervisory role of the Quality and Welfare Supervisory Authority (GEV) can submit a complaint about the quality of the service.
The services include:
Child protection
Child and Family Agency
Municipal social services
Services for people with long-term support needs
The affairs of the elderly
Counselling and Diagnostic Centre
Centre for the services and knowledge of the blind, visually impaired and people with combined vision and hearing impairment
Integrated services for children's welfare
Please note that the GEV does not have the legal authority to directly intervene in individual cases or to make decisions in individual cases, in the case of complaints. GEV does not review regulatory decisions.
Conditions
To be processed by GEV, complaints must meet all of the following criteria.
Quality of services that are part of the regulatory function of GEV are subject to complaints. Complaints to GEV can only focus on the quality of services that are provided on their basis. No complaint can be lodged regarding the procedures of administrative cases that concluded with a decision that is appealable, e.g. to the Welfare Appeals Committee or to which the courts are to take a position. This condition is imposed in order to prevent the same requests being addressed twice at different institutions.
An applicant is a user of a service or a user empowered by another party, for example family members, external parties, service providers or the government, cannot complain about the quality of service. These groups can even support political parties .
The complaint meets the conditions for a time limit. A complaint is processed only if a year or less has passed from the incidents complained of. If a complaint is made regarding a service that was provided to a child, the deadline for the year does not begin to run until the child reaches the age of 18.
The complaint involves potentially reprehensible conduct. If the complaint focuses on incidents that the GEV clearly considers to not constitute reprehensible conduct, the complaint is not processed.
Complaints must be submitted
to whom it is directed
description of the circumstances that is being complained about.
Process of complaints
An applicant receives a confirmation that a complaint has been received within a week.
The conditions of the complaint are considered.
If the complaint meets the requirements, it is processed by GEV.
If a complaint does not meet the conditions, the applicant is informed and, if applicable, instructed on the correct course of action.
Complaint processed at GEV.
GEV experts review the content of the complaint and form questions for those to whom the complaint is directed. Their views and the evidence on which their answers are based are requested.
The deadline for responding to a GEV is three weeks.
The GEV does not meet with parties to the case at the processing stage, neither the applicant nor the complainant.
Written opinion on GEV issued.
Opinions are sent to the applicant and a copy to the complainant.
The conclusion explains if and whether the incidents to which the complaint relates constituted reprehensible conduct.
Next steps
If the complaint handling procedure indicates that the service at which the complaint was made is not in accordance with the provisions of law, regulations, rules and contracts and/or the conditions of an operating licence, it may be a reason for the GEV to initiate a monitoring and inspection against the party/institution in question.
However, the applicant does not have the right to be informed whether the complaint will cause GEV to initiate its initiative monitoring.
Please note that the GEV opinion is not a binding conclusion and the outcome of the complaint case at the Centre is not an administrative decision.
Handling time
Processing of complaints may take up to six months.
Law
Complaints about services are outlined in the section .
Service provider
Quality and Supervisory Authority for Welfare