1. Introduction & Purpose

It is the aim of a complaints policy that the complainant should feel that their complaint is heard and they are satisfied with the outcome. 

We often work with parent /carers and children who have things they’re concerned about and we encourage them to talk with us about these issues.  We also make parents aware of:

  • The Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS) which is advertised in the meeting room; parents/carers are informed of this service when their child is admitted.
  • Feedback is also sought via ongoing work with parents/ carers and at parent/carer meetings.
  • A questionnaire is sent to parents/carers on a termly basis to seek feedback from families, supporting our ongoing development of the servce

Addressing concerns and complaints develops an open culture and encourages working in partnership. 

Clinical complaints will follow the Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust Complaints Procedure.

  • Scope

This policy applies to all complaints received by Gloucester House  

  • Roles & Responsibilities

Complaints Officer (Headteacher)

  • Responsible for receiving and reviewing all complaints. 
  • To inform Senior Leadership Team of all complaints at time of receipt. 
  • The Complaints Officer will decide whether to handle or to allocate to an appropriate member of staff who would then proceed with investigation and respond to complainant. 
  • Written records will be kept by the Complaints Officer, including outcomes, when and how resolved – e.g. informally at the preliminary stage or through a panel hearing.
  • Responsible for ensuring confidential records are kept and shown to HMI/IS/on inspection.
  • Responsible for ensuring all complaints are responded to within agreed time-frame.
  • Responsible for ensuring where a complainant is not satisfied with the response, they are made aware of next steps in process 

Complaints Investigating Officer

  • Is the allocated member of staff who is responsible for logging and investigating the complaint. 
  • Responsible for reporting back to Complaints Officer with details of outcome of investigation and recommendations for action / reply. 

Chair of Steering Group 

  • To receive any complaints not resolved initially by the Complaints Officer.
  • The Chair of the Steering Group will appoint a panel to hear the complaint within 6 weeks of the Complaints first formal response.
  • The Chair of the Steering Group will invite parents/carers to attend.  

Complaints Panel 

  • If needed a complaints panel will be convened by the Chair of the Steering Committee.
  • The panel will be comprised of 3 people, none of whom have been previously involved in the case, (possibly 2 from the Steering Committee, 1 from outside the Tavistock & Portman NHS Trust)
  • The panel will make findings and recommendations.
  • The panel will ensure that the complainant, the Chair of the Steering Committee, the Chief Executive of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, the Head of Service and (where relevant) the person who is complained about are given a copy of any findings and recommendations. 
  • This will be done within two weeks of the panel hearing.
  • Procedures for complaints made by parents or carers:
  • The first stage of a complaint is verbal and we encourage parents to approach an appropriate member of staff to discuss the issue. We regard this stage as informal and most issues can be resolved this way.
  • If the parent/carer is unhappy with the response the next stage of the complaint becomes formal and must be in writing.
  • Formal complaints made by a parent/carer should be logged in the complaints log as it occurs. 
  • The parent/carer can complain to a case co-ordinator or a member of the Senior Leadership Team but the Headteacher (Complaints Officer) should be informed of all complaints
  • The complainant should be consulted on what they would like to happen with their complaint, i.e. How they would like it dealt with and what outcome they would like.
  • All complaints should be seen by the Complaints Officer and filed in the complaints log.
  • The Complaints Officer should decide within a week who should deal with the complaint, investigate and respond to the parent/carer.
  • The outcome should be logged (in the complaints log) by the person who investigates (Complaints Investigating Officer).
  • All complaints should be responded to within 1 month.
  • When the outcome is discussed with the parent/carer, the parent/carer should be informed that if they are not happy with the outcome they can complain in writing to the Chair of the Steering Group. 
  • The Chair of the Steering Committee investigates the complaint.
  • The Chair of the Steering Committee then responds in writing to the parent/carer.
  • If a parent/carer is not satisfied with the response from the Chair of the Steering Committee a complaints panel (as outlined in Section 3 above) should be convened to hear the complaint.  This should happen within 6 weeks of the Chair’s first formal response (see 4.12).
  • The Chair of the Steering Committee will appoint the panel and invite parents/carers to attend.  Parents/carers are invited to bring someone to a panel hearing.
  • The panel will make findings a recommendations and ensure that the complainant, the Chief Executive of the Tavistock Clinic, the Headteacher the person who is complained about are given a copy of any findings and recommendations.  This will be done within two weeks of the panel hearing.
  • Written records will be kept by Gloucester House’s Complaints Officer, including outcomes, when and how resolved – e.g. informally at the preliminary stage or through a panel hearing.
  • Records of complaints including correspondence must be kept confidential but shown to HMI on inspection.  Copies will be made of the Registration Authority on request.
  • Procedures for complaints made by pupils

Children can complain in a general way with the Pupil Parliament and Community Meetings within Gloucester House. Any serious complaint will need to follow the complaints procedures or safeguarding procedures as appropriate.

  • Other types of complaints

All other complaints will be dealt with and managed in accordance with Trust policy (see Section 9); these include complaints by external professionals about the work of the Trust and complaints or concerns raised by staff members. Staff are also able to discuss and raised concerns with the Freedom to Speak up Guardians (information is displayed in the staff room).

  • Training Requirements 

Complaints procedures are introduced during staff induction and reading the policy is a requirement at this stage.

  • Process for Monitoring Compliance with the Policy

The Head of Service will monitor complaints process via the Senior Leadership Team and in regular feedback from staff, parent/carers, referrers and children. The Head of Service reviews responses and actions with the Senior Leadership Team An audit of the recording of relevant documents / paperwork is carried out at the end of each academic year by the Complaints Officer and any complaints raised will be 

  • Associated Documents
  • Trust Policy and Procedure for the Management of Formal Complaints 
  • Gloucester House Behaviour Policy 
  • Gloucester House Safeguarding Policy and Procedures
  • Raising Concerns and Whistle Blowing Procedure [Trust Policy]
  • Freedom to Speak Up policy [Trust Policy]
  • Freedom to Speak Up procedure [Trust Policy]