Some people find it very difficult to plan their social care support and do not have someone to represent them or support them to take part in their care assessment, or to help plan or review their care. If this applies to you, we must provide you with an independent advocate to speak on your behalf. Some people
may also be able to have an advocate to help with their financial assessment. If you can have this support, it will help you to be fully involved in your social care assessment and in planning and reviewing your care. It will also help you if we are supporting you because you are at risk of abuse or neglect. We provide this service free of charge.

For more information about this support, please ask a social care worker, visit the West Sussex Connect to Support website at westsussexconnecttosupport.org or contact our Adults’ CarePoint. Please see our contact details on the 'Contact us' page.

Confidentiality and privacy

We will keep all the information you give us confidential. We will only share your information with other organisations if you give us your permission or if we are allowed to do so under the Data Protection Act 2018.

We are the data controller for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 2018. This means that we are responsible for making decisions about how we use your personal information.

We have a security procedure to protect information we hold on paper files and on computer, and only the relevant staff can have access to your information.

If you have any questions about data protection, please contact our Adults’ CarePoint. See our contact details on the 'Contact us' page.

Comments, compliments, complaints and appeals

We try to make sure that we always provide a high-quality service,  but we know that there may be times when you are not entirely satisfied. If you are not happy with the service you have received from us, please tell the person from your service that you have been in contact with (or their manager).

An appeal is a way of asking us to look again at a decision we have made. It is one way of dealing with concerns or complaints.

If you would like more information about the appeals or complaints process, you can ask your social care worker. You can also visit our website at westsussex.gov.uk and search under ‘Adults’ social care
publications’ for copies of our leaflets ‘Appeals relating to adult social care’ and ‘Comments, compliments and complaints: Adults’ social care’. Or you can contact our Adults’ CarePoint and ask us to
send you copies of the leaflets. Our contact details are on the 'Contact us' page.