Brighter Beginnings Training

Making a complaint

Policy statement

Our whole company, the nurseries and training centre believes that children, parents, carers, young people and vulnerable adults are entitled to expect courtesy and prompt, careful attention to their needs and wishes. We welcome suggestions on how to improve our settings and training centre and will give prompt and serious attention to any concerns about the running of the establishments. We aim to provide the highest standards of care, teaching, learning and development for our children, young people and vulnerable adults. To this end we are regularly inspected by a number of accredited bodies to ensure we are providing the highest level of service we can.

We anticipate that most concerns will be resolved quickly by an informal approach to the appropriate member of staff. If this does not achieve the desired result, we have a set of procedures for dealing with concerns. We aim to bring all concerns about the running of our settings and training centre to a satisfactory conclusion for all of the parties involved.

The purpose of this policy is to:

• Ensure there is a clear policy and procedure for complaints
• Maintain positive relationships with parents, carers, young people, vulnerable adults, clients, employees and employers through a clear and concise feedback system.
• Ensure that clients and employers are aware of our policies and procedures surrounding complaints.
• Ensure that all actions related to complaints are followed through to satisfaction of the complaining party.
• Ensure that there is a robust system for complaining parties to escalate a complaint if they feel it has not been dealt with effectively.
• Ensure that adequate records are kept relating to complaints.

EYFS key themes and commitments

N.B. The EYFS only applies to the children who attend our nursery settings and does not apply to our training centre or our apprentices.

Procedures

All settings and training centre keep a full log of all complaints that reach Stage 2. Stage 1 complaints are handled informally and are turned-around as fast as possible to give the quickest result to the parents, carers young people and vulnerable adults who have raised a concern. Stage 2 onwards has a clear paper-trail that is kept within the setting’s and training centre’s complaints file. 

Making a complaint

Stage 1

• Any parent, carer, young person and vulnerable adult who has a concern about an aspect of the company’s provision talks over, first of all, his/her concerns with the manager / deputy manager of that establishment.
• The manager will conduct a quick and informal investigation into what has happened, identify any problem areas and put measures in place to prevent or to solve the concerns raised.
• The manager will meet or feed-back over the telephone with the parent, carer, young person and vulnerable adult about the actions that will be put in place.
• If there is sufficient evidence of any policies or procedures that have been significantly breached by staff members; this is escalated to the Director of HR for a formal investigation that takes place separately.
• We aim to amicably and informally resolve most complaints at Stage 1. This is so that actions can be put in place quickly and so that parents, carers young people and vulnerable adults get results as fast as is realistically possible.

Stage 2

• If Stage 1 does not have a satisfactory outcome, or if the problem recurs, the parent, carer young person or vulnerable adult moves to this stage of the procedure.
• The complaint is escalated to the company Directors.
• The Directors will ascertain if the parent or carer wishes for the complaint to be dealt with formally or informally.
• The benefit of a Stage 2 informal complaint being dealt with by our company Directors is that a) There is a full record of the complaint, investigation and actions kept on file and b) The complaint can be dealt with fully in a very timely fashion with all actions recorded and fed-back to the parent, carer, young person or vulnerable adult
• Informal complaints handled at Stage 2 will require the following:
  • A complete summary of the complaint written by the Director to which it had been escalated.
  • A fully recorded yet informal investigation.
  • An action plan with all actions and recommendations for the nursery or training centre’s attention.
  • A meeting with the parent, carer, young person or vulnerable adult to give full feedback on the actions that are to be put in place and any expected timeframes.
• The directors will discuss the best course of action and if felt necessary make further referrals – for example Ofsted, LADO, Awarding Body.
• If the parent, carer, young person or vulnerable adult would like the complaint handling formally, Stage 3 should then be followed.

Stage 3

• A Stage 3 formal complaint will take the longest time to turn-around for the company but sometimes is the most advisable course of action depending on the severity of the complaint in question.
• A Stage 3 formal complaint will require the following:
  • A written formal complaint from the parent, carer young person or vulnerable adult who has raised concerns.  
  • A fully recorded, formal investigation.
  • An action plan with all actions and recommendations fully recorded for the setting or training centre.
  • A formal response letter containing a summary of all points of the complaint, findings of the investigation and a list of actions.
• The directors will, as in Stage 2, discuss the best course of action and if felt necessary make further referrals – for example Ofsted, LADO, Awarding Body. You may also escalate a complaint to your local authority (Either MCC or Oldham Council)
• If the parent, carer, young person or vulnerable adult would like to request a meeting to discuss the actions and findings this can be arranged but we would normally refer a parent, carer, young person or vulnerable adult to Stage 2 of the complaints procedure if they do not require a formal written response to their complaint. This is the most time-intensive part of the procedure and if it is not required then the complaint should be handled according to the terms of Stage 2.

Please Note:

• Parents, carers young person or vulnerable adult are not entitled to copies of any investigation notes or action plans that have been set by the Directors as these are confidential and internal documents. All actions that relate directly to the complaint in question will be shared. This will either be in a feedback meeting as per Stage 2, or in a formal complaint response letter as per Stage 3. Any investigation notes and action plans are stored on file for auditing purposes by the company and/or Ofsted or other agencies.

The role of the Office for Standards in Education, Early Years Directorate (Ofsted) and the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LADO)

• Parents, carers young person and vulnerable adults may approach Ofsted directly at any stage of this complaint’s procedure. In addition, where there seems to be a possible breach of the establishments registration requirements, it is essential to involve Ofsted as the registering and inspection body with a duty to ensure the Welfare Requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are adhered to.
• The number to call Ofsted with regard to a complaint is noted on posters across the setting:    03001231231
• These details are displayed on our setting’s notice board.
• If a child young person, or vulnerable adult appears to be at risk, our setting and training centre follow the procedures of the Local Safeguarding Children Board
• In these cases, both the parent, carer, young person or vulnerable adult are informed and the appropriate manager works with Ofsted or the Local Safeguarding Children Board to ensure a proper investigation of the complaint, followed by appropriate action.

Records

• A record of complaints against our setting and/or the children and/or the adults working in our establishments are kept, including the date, the circumstances of the complaint and how the complaint was managed.
• The outcome of all complaints is recorded in the Complaints File which is available for parents, carers and Ofsted inspectors on request.