{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/social-services-complaints-procedure-wales-regulations-2014/regulation-18",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/social-services-complaints-procedure-wales-regulations-2014/regulation-18.json",
  "legislation": "wsi/2014/1794",
  "legislation_title": "The Social Services Complaints Procedure (Wales) Regulations 2014",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/social-services-complaints-procedure-wales-regulations-2014",
  "path": "regulation/18",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "18",
  "heading": "Response",
  "text": "(1) The local authority must within 25 working days of the “start date” as defined in paragraph (2) send the complainant a written response which—\n(a) summarises the nature and substance of the complaint;\n(b) describes the investigation undertaken in accordance with regulation 17(4)(b);\n(c) where appropriate, contains an apology;\n(d) identifies what action if any, will be taken in light of the outcome of the investigation;\n(e) contains details of the right to complain to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales;\n(f) offers the complainant the opportunity to discuss the contents of the response with the complaints officer or a person acting on his or her behalf; and\n(g) is signed by the Director of Social Services or a person acting on his or her behalf.\n(2) For the purposes of this regulation, the “start date” means the date on which the local authority produces the final written record of the complaint in accordance with regulation 17(2) or 17(3).\n(3) If exceptional circumstances mean that the local authority is not able to send a written response in accordance with the time limit in paragraph (1) then it must advise the complainant of the reasons for the delay and when a response may be expected.\n(4) A response sent in accordance with paragraph (3) must be sent to the complainant as soon as reasonably practicable and no later than 6 months beginning on the day upon which the local authority received the complaint.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Reg. 18 in force at 1.8.2014, see reg. 1(1)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2014/1794/regulation/18",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T23:37:57.410248+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}