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Compliments, Comments, Suggestions, Concerns and Complaints

Le Rocquier School Feedback Policy including compliments, concerns and complaints.  October 2024

This policy explains how to give us feedback in the form of comments, suggestions, concerns, complaints and compliments.  All forms of feedback are valued and we use them to help us serve our students and community better.

For example, if you are concerned about a homework matter, it explains how to approach the teacher.  It explains the difference between a concern and a complaint as many issues in schools are concerns which are solved with a simple phone call or email from parent to teacher.

This policy follows the Government of Jersey Feedback policy found here on gov.je but has been adapted for how a school works.

Who can make a comment, suggestion, compliment, concern or complaint?

This procedure is not limited to parents or carers of children that are registered at the school.

Any person, including members of the public, may make an approach to Le Rocquier School about any provision of facilities or services that we provide. Unless complaints are dealt with under separate statutory procedures (such as appeals relating to exclusions, admissions or exam results), we will use this complaints procedure.

Providing a comment, suggestion or compliment to Le Rocquier School

You can make a comment, suggestion or compliment by either emailing the school admin@lrs.sch.je or by completing this online form: https://www.gov.je/government/comments/Pages/index.aspx

The difference between a concern and a complaint

Concerns

Complaints

A concern may be defined as ‘an expression of worry or doubt over an issue considered to be important for which reassurances are sought’

These are normally dealt with by class teachers or support staff.

We don’t keep formal records of concerns.

A complaint may be defined as ‘an expression of dissatisfaction about actions taken or a lack of action’.

These are normally dealt with by school leaders.

We keep records of all complaints.

 

It is in everyone’s interest that concerns and complaints are resolved at the earliest possible stage. Many issues can be resolved informally, without the need to use the formal stages of our school complaints procedure.

Le Rocquier School takes concerns seriously and will make every effort to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.

How to raise a concern

A concern can be made in person, in writing, email or by telephone. They may also be made by a third party acting on behalf of the concerned person, as long as they have the concerned person’s consent to do so.

  • Concerns should normally be raised with the class teacher, manager or member of staff concerned.  They are the best person to start the conversation with.  Please contact the member of staff (Click here for staff email list) to arrange a suitable time to meet them or give them a call. Our staff are often busy, but we will always seek to respond to any concerns received within 2-3 working days wherever we can.
  • A meeting or call should resolve the issue. However, if after meeting the appropriate member of staff, if you still feel the issue is unresolved, you should ask to meet their direct Line Manager.
  • Please do not approach individual governors to raise concerns or complaints. They have no power to act on an individual basis and it may also prevent them from considering complaints at a later stage of the procedure.
  • In accordance with the discrimination (Jersey) Law 2013, we will consider making reasonable adjustments if required, to enable access and complete this concerns procedure. For instance, providing information in alternative formats, assisting in raising a formal complaint or holding meetings in accessible locations.

If you have difficulty discussing a concern with a particular member of staff, we will respect your views. In these cases, please email Heidi Bourke, our Business Support Office: h.bourke@lrs.sch.je who will refer you to another staff of member of staff or their line manager. Similarly, if the member of staff directly involved feels unable to deal with a concern, Miss Bourke will refer you to another staff member. The member of staff may be more senior but does not have to be. The ability to consider the concern objectively and impartially is more important.

 

We understand however, that there are occasions when people would like to raise their concerns formally. In this case, Le Rocquier School will initially attempt to resolve the issue internally, through the steps outlined within our ‘complaint’s procedure’. 

How to make a complaint

Making a complaint is no small matter.  It is a step that the school will take seriously for all involved.  Before making a complaint, please consider the concerns process.  If you are unsure how to progress, you can always speak with the Headteacher for advice.  We find that talking or communicating with the people involved via our ‘concerns process’ helps resolve most things.

Stage 1 of making a formal complaint

Formal complaints must be submitted online via this link…

https://www.gov.je/government/comments/Pages/index.aspx

We aim to respond to stage 1 complaints at the point of service or as soon possible after receipt. This should be up to 5 working days from the date of receipt.

Within this response, the school will decide the appropriate line manager / leader to investigate your complaint and they will seek to contact you. They will want to:

  • clarify the nature of your complaint,
  • ask what remains unresolved
  • ask what outcome you would like to see.

The school leader you are dealing with can then consider whether a face-to-face meeting is the most appropriate way of doing this. 

During their investigation, the investigator will:

  • if necessary, interview those involved in the matter and/or those complained of, allowing them to be accompanied if they wish
  • keep a written record of any meetings/interviews in relation to their investigation.

Some investigations may require more time than others depending on the nature of the complaint. If the investigator is unable to meet the 5 working days deadline, they will provide the complainant with an update and revised response date. At the conclusion of their investigation, they will provide a formal written response.

The response will include full explanation of the decision made and the reason(s) for it. Where appropriate, it will include details of actions Le Rocquier School will take to resolve the complaint if it is upheld.

The letter or email will advise the complainant of how to escalate their complaint should they remain dissatisfied with the outcome of Stage 1.

If the complaint is about the headteacher, or a member of the governing body (including the Chair or Vice-Chair):

  • either a suitably skilled governor will be appointed to complete all the actions at Stage 1. or the CYPES Department will appoint a senior officer to complete all the actions at Stage 1.

Stage 2

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome at Stage 1 and wish to take the matter further, you can escalate your complaint to Stage 2. Ideally this will be done via email to the Headteacher (a.adkin@lrs.sch.je).  Please outline in this email why you feel the matter is unresolved.  The Headteacher will appoint an appropriate senior leader to look into the matter.

A senior leader will contact you to explore your reasons for wanting to take the matter further. They will then reconsider all or some of your complaint and all the evidence gathered by the investigator at Stage 1. They will then consider how effectively school policies and procedures have been followed and, if necessary, gather further evidence to review the judgement(s) made.

The senior leader can then:

  • uphold the complaint in whole or in part
  • dismiss the complaint in whole or in part.

If the complaint is upheld in whole or in part, the senior leader will:

  • decide on the appropriate action to be taken to resolve the complaint.

The senior leader will then contact you to detail their actions taken to re-consider the complaint and provide a full explanation of the decision made and the reason(s) for it. The letter or email they send you will advise you how to escalate your complaint should you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of Stage 2.

If you remain dissatisfied, and wish to take the matter further, it may be appropriate that the actions taken during Stage 2 be re-considered by the Headteacher. If you wish you can request this by emailing the Headteacher explaining why the second look at your complaint has not led to a resolution.

The headteacher will arrange a time to contact you to discuss your reasons for wanting them to do this. This may be done in person, in writing or by telephone to the school office.

If appropriate, the headteacher may repeat some or all of the actions of Stage 2.

Having reconsidered the evidence gathered and processes followed, the headteacher will then contact you to share their findings. The letter or email they send you will:

  • detail their actions and provide a full explanation of the decision made and the reason(s) for it.
  • explain whether your complaint has been upheld in part or in full
  • where appropriate, recommend changes to the school’s systems or procedures to prevent similar issues in the future
  • advise you of your right to escalate your complaint should you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of Le Rocquier School internal complaints procedure, to Stage 3 (to be considered by Senior staff at CYPES or sometimes by our governing body as detailed below) 
  • Government of Jersey Customer Feedback Policy.

Stage 3

If, having received the outcome of Stage 2 (Headteacher investigation), you are still dissatisfied, you may escalate your complaint to CYPES or sometimes our board of governors by following Stage 3.  Ideally this will be done via email to the Headteacher (a.adkin@lrs.sch.je).  Please outline in this email why you feel the matter is unresolved and please state you wish to escalate to stage 3.  The Headteacher will update the complaints process and inform CYPES.

  1. stage 3 the complaint will be escalated to the Chief Officer in CYPES who is able to refer the complaint to another Chief Officer, a delegated member of the departments Senior Leadership Team, or an independent third party, if appropriate. 
  1. on the nature of the complaint, however, it may be that the school’s governing body is the appropriate avenue, for example to avoid conflict of interest if feedback relating to a Headteacher.
  2. with the person giving feedback will be maintained at all levels in line with this policy.

Learning lessons

The headteacher will review any underlying issues raised by complaints to determine whether there are any improvements that the school can make to its procedures or practice to help prevent similar events in the future.

Resolving complaints

At each step in the procedure, Le Rocquier School wants to resolve the complaint. If appropriate, we will acknowledge that the complaint is upheld in whole or in part. In addition, we may offer one or more of the following:

  • an explanation
  • an admission that the situation could have been handled differently or better
  • an assurance that we will try to ensure the event complained of will not recur
  • an explanation of the steps that have been or will be taken to help ensure that it will not happen again and an indication of the timescales within which any changes will be made
  • an undertaking to review school policies in light of the complaint
  • Individual actions regarding any discipline of staff will not be communicated to the complainant
  • an apology.

Withdrawal of a Complaint

If a complainant wants to withdraw their complaint, we will ask them to confirm this in writing.

Anonymous complaints

We will not normally investigate anonymous complaints. However, the headteacher or chair of governors, if appropriate, will determine whether the complaint warrants an investigation.

Time scales

It is important that a complaint is made as soon as possible but generally a complaint should be made:

  • within 12 months of the date when the service was provided, or the event being complained about occurred
    OR
  • within 12 months of becoming aware of the event / subject matter

However, we will consider complaints made outside of this time frame if your complaint involves a disclosure of a safeguarding nature.

Complaints received outside of term time

We will consider complaints made outside of term time to have been received on the first school day after the holiday period.

Scope of this Complaints Procedure

This procedure covers all complaints about any provision or services by Le Rocquier School, other than complaints that are dealt with under other statutory procedures, including those listed below.

Exceptions

Who to contact

  • Admissions to schools

If you’ve made a request for a school admission and had that request denied, you have the right to appeal. You can request an appeal by emailing education@gov.je  or by writing to the Education Department. For further details please see the admissions information on the Government website

  • Assessments of Special Educational Needs

Concerns or complaints about provision for your child should be addressed using our school complaints policy.

However, if your child has a Record of Need and you wish to appeal the content of the assessment or the educational arrangements offered, you have 15 days in which to make a written appeal to the Education Minister. Please see the Government website for details.

  • School re-organisation proposals

Please contact the Education Department by emailing education@gov.je  or in writing.

  • Matters likely to require a Child Protection Investigation

Complaints about child protection matters are handled under our child protection and safeguarding policy and in accordance with relevant statutory guidance.

If you have serious concerns, you may wish to contact:

  • Dani Perrier, Designated Safeguarding Officer for CYPES (who has responsibility for safeguarding across Jersey schools) on 07797 924274
  • or the Children and Families Hub on 01534 519000

  • Exclusion of children from school*


 

Further information about raising concerns about exclusions can be found on the School exclusion pages of the Government website.

*  If your complaint is about the application of the school’s behaviour policy School Behaviour Policy 2024-2025 you can do this through our school complaints procedure

  • Whistleblowing

Please see the government of Jersey’s Whistleblowing Policy

  • Staff grievances

Complaints from staff will be dealt with under the school’s and government’s internal grievance procedures.

  • Staff conduct

Complaints about staff will be dealt with under the Government of Jersey’s internal disciplinary procedures, if appropriate.

Complainants will not be informed of any disciplinary action taken against a staff member as a result of a complaint. However, the complainant will be notified that the matter is being addressed.

  • Complaints about services provided by other providers who may use school premises

Providers should have their own complaints procedure to deal with complaints about service. Please contact them directly.

  • Jersey Curriculum - content

Please contact the Education Department on education@gov.je

 

If other bodies are investigating aspects of the complaint, for example the police, Jersey’s safeguarding teams or tribunals, this may impact on our ability to adhere to the timescales within this procedure or result in the procedure being suspended until those public bodies have completed their investigations.

If a complainant commences legal action against Le Rocquier School in relation to their complaint, we will consider whether to suspend the complaints procedure in relation to their complaint until those legal proceedings have concluded.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Complainant

The complainant will receive a more effective response to the complaint if they:

  • explain the complaint in full as early as possible
  • co-operate with the school in seeking a solution to the complaint
  • respond promptly to requests for information or meetings or in agreeing the details of the complaint
  • ask for assistance as needed
  • treat all those involved in the complaint with respect
  • refrain from publicising the details of their complaint on social media and respect confidentiality.

Investigator

The investigator’s role is to establish the facts relevant to the complaint by:

  • providing a comprehensive, open, transparent and fair consideration of the complaint through:
    • sensitive and through interviewing of the complainant to establish what has happened and who has been involved
    • interviewing staff and children/yung people and other people relevant to the complaint
    • cnsideration of records and other relevant information
    • analysing information
  • liaising with the complainant and the complaints co-ordinator as appropriate to clarify what the complainant feels would put things right.

The investigator should:

  • conduct interviews with an open mind and be prepared to persist in the questioning
  • keep notes of interviews or arrange for an independent note taker to record minutes of the meeting
  • ensure that any papers produced during the investigation are kept securely pending any appeal
  • be mindful of the timescales to respond
  • prepare a comprehensive report that sets out the facts, identifies solutions and recommends courses of action to resolve problems. Senior leaders / the headteacher will then determine whether to uphold or dismiss the complaint. The school will communicate that decision to the complainant, providing the appropriate escalation details.

Monitoring arrangements

The senior leadership team will monitor the effectiveness of the complaints procedure in making sure that complaints are handled properly. We will track the number and nature of complaints and review underlying issues.

This policy will be reviewed every 3 years.

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Appendix A

Role of the Governing Body

A request to escalate to Stage 3 must be made to the Clerk of Governors, via the school office.

A meeting with members of the governing body’s complaints committee, which will be formed of the first three, impartial, governors available.

The Clerk will record the date the complaint is received and acknowledge receipt of the complaint in writing (either by letter or email).

The Clerk will write to the complainant to inform them of the date of the meeting. They will aim to convene a meeting within 10 school days of receipt of the Stage 3 request. If this is not possible, the Clerk will provide an anticipated date and keep the complainant informed.

If the complainant rejects the offer of three proposed dates, without good reason, the Clerk will decide when to hold the meeting. It will then proceed in the complainant’s absence on the basis of written submissions from both parties.

The complaints committee will consist of at least three governors with no prior involvement or knowledge of the complaint. Prior to the meeting, they will decide amongst themselves who will act as the Chair of the Complaints Committee. If there are fewer than three governors from Le Rocquier School are available, the Clerk will source any additional, independent governors through another local school or through the CYPES Department, in order to make up the committee. Alternatively, an entirely independent committee may be convened to hear the complaint.

The committee will decide whether to deal with the complaint by inviting parties to a meeting or through written representations, but in making their decision they will be sensitive to the complainant’s needs.

If the complainant is invited to attend the meeting, they may bring someone along to provide support. This can be a relative or friend. Generally, we do not encourage either party to bring legal representatives to the committee meeting. However, there may be occasions when legal representation is appropriate. For instance, if a school employee is called as a witness in a complaint meeting, they may wish to be supported by union and/or legal representation.

Note: Complaints about staff conduct will not generally be handled under this complaints procedure. Complainants will be advised that any staff conduct complaints will be considered under staff disciplinary procedures, if appropriate, but outcomes will not be shared with them.

Representatives from the media are not permitted to attend.

At least 5 school days before the meeting, the Clerk will:

  • confirm and notify the complainant of the date, time and venue of the meeting, ensuring that, if the complainant is invited, the dates are convenient to all parties and that the venue and proceedings are accessible.
  • request copies of any further written material to be submitted to the committee before the meeting.

Any written material will be circulated to all parties before the date of the meeting. The committee will not normally accept, as evidence, recordings of conversations that were obtained covertly and without the informed consent of all parties being recorded.

The committee will also not review any new complaints at this stage or consider evidence unrelated to the initial complaint to be included. New complaints must be dealt with from Stage 1 of the procedure.

The meeting will be held in private. Electronic recordings of meetings or conversations are not normally permitted unless a complainant’s own disability or special needs require it. Prior knowledge and consent of all parties attending must be sought before meetings or conversations take place. Consent will be recorded in any minutes taken.

The committee will consider the complaint and all the evidence presented. The committee can:

  • uphold the complaint in whole or in part
  • dismiss the complaint in whole or in part.

If the complaint is upheld in whole or in part, the committee will:

  • decide on the appropriate action to be taken to resolve the complaint
  • where appropriate, recommend changes to the school’s systems or procedures to prevent similar issues in the future.

The Chair of the Committee will provide the complainant and Le Rocquier School with a full explanation of their decision and the reason(s) for it, in writing, within 5 school days following the meeting.

The letter to the complainant will include details of how to escalate the complaint to the States Complaints Board

The response will detail any actions taken to investigate the complaint and provide a full explanation of the decision made and the reason(s) for it. Where appropriate, it will include details of actions Le Rocquier School will take to resolve the complaint.