Here’s the updated Complaints Procedure tailored for Hafs Academy:
Complaints Procedure
Informal Resolution
It is recognised that parents will, from time to time, have normal and legitimate concerns about the progress, achievement, behaviour or welfare of their child. Parents are encouraged to make those concerns known to staff so that they can be addressed in partnership with the academy.
Almost invariably, the sooner such concerns are raised, the easier it is for an appropriate resolution to be found. A concern or complaint may be raised with any member of staff, but in the first instance, this would usually be your child’s form tutor or Head of Year.
That person will try to resolve the matter or refer you to the appropriate person. The member of staff will make a written record of all concerns and complaints and the date on which they were received. If the matter cannot be resolved within 3 school days or in the event that you are not satisfied, you will be advised to proceed with a formal complaint using the online form available here.
If the complaint concerns the Principal, the Complaints Co-ordinator will normally refer you to the Chair of the Local Governing Body (LGB).
Stage One: Complaint Heard by Staff Member
If you need to make a formal complaint, it should be in writing and sent to the Complaints Co-ordinator. If you have difficulty in putting your complaint in writing, you are asked to make an appointment with the Complaints Co-ordinator, who will assist you.
The Complaints Co-ordinator will decide the best person to hear the complaint. It would be helpful if you could indicate if there is someone with whom you might have difficulty discussing the complaint so that your views can be respected. Similarly, if the member of staff directly involved feels too compromised to deal with the complaint, the Complaints Co-ordinator may refer you to another staff member. The member of staff may be more senior but does not have to be. In most instances, there will need to be an investigation to understand the circumstances surrounding the complaint.
The investigation will normally be undertaken by the Complaints Co-ordinator. If the matter cannot be resolved within 5 school days following receipt of the written complaint, or if you are not satisfied with the outcome, you will be advised to take your complaint to the second stage of this procedure.
The Complaints Co-ordinator will make a written record of the complaint, the date on which it was received, the date it was dealt with, and the outcome of the procedure. You will receive a copy of this written record within a reasonable time following this process.
Stage Two: Complaint Heard by the Principal
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of stage one, if you feel your complaint is sufficiently serious, or if you are dissatisfied with how your complaint was handled, you may take your complaint to the second stage of this procedure.
You should put your complaint in writing to the Principal. Again, if you have difficulty doing this, you are asked to seek assistance from the Complaints Co-ordinator. The Principal may delegate the task of gathering information to another staff member but not the decision on the action to be taken.
The Principal will decide whether it would be helpful to meet with you to discuss your complaint. The decision in respect of this complaint will normally be made within 5 school days of the Principal receiving the complaint. If the Principal feels that it is necessary to ask for additional time, you will be informed.
Stage Three: Appeals Procedure
The third stage of the formal complaints procedure is the LGB’s Appeals Panel.
The appeals procedure is invoked when a complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of the second stage of the procedure or the handling of the complaint by the Principal.
The complainant is required to put their complaint in writing to the Chairman or the Complaints Co-ordinator, marked for the Chair. It is important that the complainant sets the matter out in sufficient detail.
Upon receiving a written complaint under the appeals procedure, a hearing by an Appeals Panel will be arranged within 10 working days.
The complainant may attend the hearing in person and may be accompanied if they wish; in this case, they are required to notify the clerk of the name and occupation of the person accompanying them.
The Composition of the Appeals Panel
Care must be taken not to involve the whole LGB as this could compromise the impartiality of any panel set up for a disciplinary hearing against a staff member following a serious complaint.
The panel would normally consist of three people, at least one of whom will be independent of the academy. The panel may choose their own chair.
It is important that the appeal hearing is as independent and impartial as possible and is seen to be so. No governor may sit on the panel if they have had prior involvement in the complaint or the circumstances surrounding it. In deciding the composition of the panel, governors should aim for a cross-section of categories of governors, sensitive to race, gender, and religious affiliation.
The Role of the Appeals Panel
The aim of the hearing, which must be held in private, is to resolve the complaint and achieve reconciliation between the academy and the complainant. However, it should be recognised that the complainant may not be satisfied with the outcome if the hearing does not find in their favour. It may only be possible to establish the facts and make recommendations that reassure the complainant their complaint has been taken seriously.
An effective panel will acknowledge that many complainants feel nervous and inhibited in a formal setting. The panel chair will ensure that the proceedings are as welcoming as possible. Care is needed to ensure the setting is informal and not adversarial, with extra care taken when the complainant is a child.
Roles and Responsibilities
It is strongly recommended that a clerk be appointed who will be the contact point for the complainant and will be required to:
- Ensure that all necessary paperwork and documentation is completed and distributed.
- Provide clarity on the process.
Notification of the Panel’s Findings and Recommendations
The Chair of the panel needs to ensure that the LGB, Principal, and complainant are notified of the panel’s findings and recommendations, in writing, within 3 working days of the hearing.
The decision of the Appeals Panel is final.
Our Complaints Co-ordinator is:
Abdul Kareem
