If you need urgent help and want to make a complaint during an evening or weekend you can call the Emergency Duty Team on 0345 6000 388 and they will help you.
If you feel unhappy about something, there are lots of people who will listen to you and try to help.
This guide is for children and young people in foster care and explains who to talk to if you want to make a complaint.
Firstly, if you can, try talking to your foster carer who should be able to help and support you. Alternatively, you could talk to a family member, a trusted friend or an adult that you know, perhaps your teacher.
Your social worker
Your social worker is there to support you and make sure that you are safe and well. You can talk to your social worker if you have any problems while you are in care. If you are not sure how to contact your social worker you can ask your foster carer to help or you can telephone 01392 383000 and ask for them by name.
Your foster carer has a supervising social worker who visits them regularly. You can talk to them if you need help or want to make a complaint about something.
Independent reviewing officer
You also have an independent reviewing officer who is there to help you achieve everything you can
and to make sure that your care plan is the right one for you. They will chat with you before meetings to hear what you have to say about your care.
You may also have access to an advocate who is an independent person who will help you have your say at meetings. You can share your worries with these people.
If you want to make a complaint
If you decide that you want to make a complaint about something that is worrying you, there are lots of ways to do this.
The Devon Children in Care Council has a useful website called Stand Up Speak Up which tells you the best ways to make a complaint.
It also gives you details of lots of other national organisations who may be able to help you with your complaint.
The website also tells you about the Participation Team at Devon County Council who help make sure children’s voices get heard.