ISP School and Education Provision

ISP School (Kent)

Complaints Policy (Reviewed December 2012)

Any problem or concern should be raised promptly with the class teacher/form tutor or member of staff responsible for the area or action you are concerned about. If your concern is more serious you may prefer to make an appointment to discuss it with the School Complaints Manager / Head Teacher. All staff will make every effort to resolve your problem promptly at this informal stage. Most concerns and potential complaints can best be resolved through informal discussion with the Complaints Manager / Head Teacher or relevant member of staff.

Stage 1 If you are dissatisfied with the response of the member of staff (or the Head Teacher if they have been involved at the informal stage) then you may wish to put your concerns in writing to the School Complaints Manager as a complaint. You should make it clear if you wish the matter to be dealt with as a complaint. The School Complaints Manager will investigate the complaint and provide a written response. This will normally be within 10 ISP school days of your letter, but you will be kept informed if, for example, more time is needed to complete the investigation. If your original concern was about an action by the Head Teacher personally, and you have already discussed it at the informal stage, then you should put your complaint in writing to the ISP Complaints Manager (Stage 2). All Stage 1 Complaints are logged and kept as a written record. All records remain confidential.

Stage 2

If you are not satisfied with the School Complaints Manager’s response, you may contact the ISP Complaints Manager. The ISP will initiate an independent investigation into your complaint and, in most cases, seek to resolve the matter through discussion with yourself and the ISP Complaints Manager. At the end of this stage ISP will provide you with a written response. This will normally be within 10 working days, but you will be kept informed if more time is needed. If you are not satisfied with ISP’s response at the end of Stage 2, the complaint can be referred to the ISP Board of Governors by writing to the Chairman or Clerk to the ISP Board. The ISP Board will ask a small panel of 3 or more people (at least one of whom will be independent of the School) to investigate your complaint. This will normally be arranged within 15 working days of your complaint being received, depending on the availability of all concerned. You may be invited to speak to the panel at a meeting and be accompanied by a friend or representative. After the meeting you will be advised of the outcome in writing. This will normally be within 10 days of the meeting.

For most complaints the decision of the ISP Board is the last step in the procedure. All Stage 2 Complaints are logged and kept as a written record. All records remain confidential.

Complaint relating to the School Provision / Curriculum

There is a specific procedure for complaints about the ISP School Provision / curriculum and matters relating to it, including the provision of information and charges. In general these are dealt with in a similar way to other complaints. However, there are some specific differences – You may complain either to the Local Authority or the ISP Board in the first instance. The complaint will be investigated by whichever of these is responsible for the matter complained about. The ISP Board will inform both the complainant and the LA of the outcome of its investigation in writing by letter or in e-mail form. There is a right of appeal to the LA, and then to the Secretary of State.

ISP School Admissions and Exclusions

Separate complaint and appeal procedures exist for these matters, and appropriate information is available on request from the ISP school.

Special Needs

There is a separate appeal procedure for these matters, and appropriate information is available on request from the ISP school.

Complaint against ISP school staff

If your complaint amounts to or includes an allegation against a member of staff, this may need to be considered under the ISP school's disciplinary procedure for employees, rather than the complaint procedure. You will be advised if these procedures are to be used in dealing with your complaint.

Complaint about the Local Education Authority

In general, school matters are the responsibility of ISP. However, you may have a complaint which relates to something which is the Local Authority's responsibility. Arrangements for complaining to the Authority are summarised in a separate leaflet.

Procedures for complaining about the Local Education Authority are set out in a separate leaflet about the Council's complaints procedure. A copy of this leaflet is available from the ISP school, libraries and Council offices. Complaints should be made in the first instance to the Head of the Service or section concerned. If you are still not satisfied you may complain to the Director of Education and Cultural Services. Advice is available from David Armstrong, School Support Team Leader, who is the Complaints Coordinator for Education and Cultural Services. He can be contacted via the School Support Helpdesk, 0118 974 6136

Monitoring and Regulation

Kent and / or Medway Education Authority will provide advice to carers and ISP school on best practice procedures for dealing with complaints. The Authority will, where appropriate, check to make sure that the complaint has been reasonably dealt with. Where required, Authority Officers may play a role in helping ISP School to investigate and resolve particular complaints.

Other contact details

ISP Complaints Manager, Central Office, Tunstall Court, 4 Gore Court Road, Sittingbourne, KENT ME10 1GL School Complaints Procedure – Stage 1

Registering a complaint for a Local Resolution  On being informed of a complaint, this form should be completed by the School Complaints Manager and resolved within 6 weeks.  A copy should also be placed on the School Complaints File.  A copy should be sent to the line manager of the person concerned.

 What is seen as the problem to the consumer? (Please tick all relevant areas) Service not meeting expected Treatment by another service user standards Inappropriate service Assessment process or report Failure to provide / withdrawal of Unfair or unequal treatment service Lack of information Buildings, premises / facilities Treatment by staff Something else

 Details of complaint (Give as much information as possible, use add. sheets if necessary)

 What would the consumer like done to put matters right?

 What resolutions have been offered

 >What resolutions have been agreed?

 Which of these best describes the resolution (Please tick) √ /X Acceptable to the consumer Not acceptable Acceptable in part (please give explanation)

Consumer’s name Age (if under 18)

Complaints Manager’s name Mr C Walter Signature

ISP Schools Date:

Reference number______(to be inserted by School Complaints Manager)