Whether it’s stopping a negative emotional spiral by being more instrumental or having reasonable expectations to avoid disappointment, our series on complaints and well-being has suggested various strategies for staying well and being effective while making complaints.
We created these resources because we care about your well-being, and want to use our experience to help people make complaints more positively and productively. However, because we are not an advice service, we are often unable to give the extra support required by our users in more complex situations or with more specialised needs.
In this article, we are going to flag up some resources for seeking extra support due to specific forms of vulnerability or the complexities of a particular sector or type of complaint.
Seeking support for a specific form of vulnerability
Mental health
At Resolver, we see a lot of people who, in addition to the issue they are making a complaint about, are struggling with the feelings of anger, sadness, frustration, and hopelessness that can accompany it.
When all of the pressures of life build up it can take a serious toll on our mental health. Unfortunately, unlike our physical health, there remains a stigma about seeking support.
Many people feel that they should simply accept the heavy burden of mental health issues, rather than get help. But we know that seeking support for mental health issues can make complaining much easier and more bearable.
There are lots of charities and organisations you can contact to find someone to talk things through with, whatever the situation or however you may be feeling:
- The Samaritans are available 24 hours a day. You can call 116123 for free. Their Welsh Language Line is 08081640123 (7 am to 11 pm). You can also email jo@samaritans.org or visit a branch in person.
- CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) is contactable via 0800 585858 (5 pm to 12:00 am) or via their webchat service.
- The National Suicide Prevention Helpline has a supportive listening service for anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts. The number is 0800 689 5652 and is open from 6 pm to 3:30 am every day.
- If you’re outside the UK, you can use the Befrienders Worldwide website to find emotional support helplines in your country or region.
At the moment the cost of living crisis is putting a lot of strain on people’s mental health and new services have been created specifically for this.
- If you feel like you are struggling with your mental health due to financial pressures, Mind.org have a special set of resources focusing on money and mental health and staying well in the cost of living crisis.
Remember that your mental well-being is as important as your physical health. You will not be wasting anyone’s time by seeking advice and support.
Old age
If you are an older person you may experience particular problems that create a cause to complain, such as lack of accessibility. You may also struggle more with making a complaint due to various kinds of vulnerability, such as health problems, issues with memory and cognitive processing, difficulties using technology, or having a smaller social support network.
There are many organisations and charities that have special services to support older people whatever your specific needs, circumstances, or the particular issue you would like help and advice on:
- Age UK has a free support line available from 8 am to 7 pm, 365 days a year. Their number is 0800 678 1602 and they can offer advice on a wide range of issues and help you access local support for a range of different needs, such as local IT training.
- Independent Age has a helpline for advice about health, care, and finances. You can call on 0808 503 7945 between 8:30 am and 6:30 pm. You can also email them at advice@independentage.org.
- If you simply need someone to talk things through with, The Silver Line can provide free friendly conversation and support. Their helpline is 0800 470 80 90 and is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
For more advice and information on your rights as an older person and the resources available take a look at Rights 4 Seniors.
Living with a disability
As our latest article on accessibility flagged up, people living with disabilities are often forced into the difficult position of having to make complaints about discriminatory practices – which can take a toll.
There are a number of organisation for disabled people and their families that offer free advice and support that may help ease this burden:
- Scope has a helpline that provides free, independent advice and support for a range of issues experienced by people living with disabilities. The number is 0808 800 3333 (9 am to 6 pm) and you can email helpline@scope.org.uk
- Sense also provides information and advice, and can help you identify local services. Their helpline is 0300 330 9256 (9 am to 5 pm), their email is info@sense.org.uk and they also have an online form.
- If you want more advice on fully utilising the tools available on your computer to make complaints, AbilityNet offers information, advice, and a range of other services to help disabled people use computers and internet technologies. Their helpline is 0800 0487642.
Seeking support for a specific sector
Finances
In the current times of intense financial hardship, there are many people struggling immensely to get a grip on their finances and wanting to complain about issues that have left them out of pocket.
Problems with billing or financial services and products can be complicated and you may need to access further support and financial advice. Only organisations regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority can give financial advice – so while we can help you make a complaint to a financial organisation we cannot give individual advice on your financial situation.
If you need advice on a complaint related to financial issues or are in financial difficulty or crisis, you should seek specialised support:
- You can obtain specific advice in regard to financial problems from Money Helper (previously known as the Money Advice Service). As well as their website, they have a free phone line for advice about money and benefits. The number is 0800 1387777 and is available Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm.
Housing
The housing sector is complex. Between private landlords, housing associations and local councils it can be especially difficult to navigate the process of complaining about housing problems and getting them resolved.
Our system can help people raise complaints about housing associations but given how stressful such complaints can be it is important to get extra support and specialist advice.
- Shelter have loads of helpful resources on housing advice. They also offer multiple pathways to seek personal advice and support via their contact page. Their emergency helpline is 0808 800 4444.
Energy
The energy sector is one that people are really struggling with right now. As well as the complaints being made about energy problems and billing issues, there are lots of changes happening across the sector that can make it difficult to understand what your exact issue is in the first place.
- The Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) has an extensive resource page to help you be informed about energy issues and their solutions. They can also offer advice via their freephone home energy advice line on 0800 082 2234.
Health and health-related complaints
If you have health issues you may need extra support making a complaint. Aspects of the Resolver system can make complaining more manageable if you are suffering from a chronic illness that makes chasing up a complaint more difficult.
However, if you are making a complaint about health services themselves, you may need more specialist advice and assistance.
- The NHS has a Patient Advice and Liaison Service to help you deal with problems that may arise when seeking help or undergoing treatment for a health problem. This is where you should go if you are having problems with any aspect of an NHS service.
- If you are complaining about the NHS, Voiceability will be able to provide independent advice and an advocate who can help guide you through the complex complaints process.
- To discuss problems with GPs and hospitals, dentists, pharmacies, care homes or other support or social care services you can get in touch with Healthwatch, who can offer advice, support and ensure that feedback is used to improve care.
When in doubt, talk to Citizens Advice or get in touch with us
Across all sectors and types of issue, Citizens Advice do incredible work to support people from any background, in all kinds of circumstances.
They can offer support and advice on all of the above sectors and many other issues. As well as being able to give extensive guidance about your rights, they can also direct you to further resources and forms of advocacy and assistance. The helpline is 0800 1448884, is completely free and available Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.
While we cannot give extensive individual advice to all of our users, we will always do our best to direct those who need it to the appropriate resources, regulatory bodies or support networks.
So even if you cannot find the company you want to complain about in our system, or aren’t sure about the complaint process for the issue you are having, you can always reach out to us at support@resolver.co.uk to find out more about how you can complain and who may be able to help you.