Complaints, Concerns and Compliments Policy

Policy statement

This complaints policy has been written for Jack and Jill Community Preschool to ensure an open and honest relationship with all members of the Preschool Family, and visitors alike. Everyone’s opinion is valued and will be taken seriously, no matter what the complaint.

At Jack and Jill Community Preschool it is our aim to provide a loving, safe and secure environment for all Preschool Team members, children, families, and visitors alongside a happy and inviting atmosphere.

It is of the utmost importance to us that families are happy with the service we provide at Jack and Jill Community Preschool, and we therefore encourage regular feedback on our provision. Strong, caring and kind relationships, built on mutual trust and respect, and a good partnership with families will help us achieve the best possible outcomes for all our children – one of the main reasons we believe in our keyperson approach and champion an open-door policy.

We will take onboard any suggestions that are made through feedback, compliments and complaints, and do our best to rectify any problem quickly and professionally.

Any formal complaint will be dealt with following our Complaint Procedures.

Procedures

If a parent or carer complaints to a member of the Preschool Team

In the first instance, family members should be directed to their child’s keyperson or a member of the Management Team if they have a concern or complaint about their child’s care or educational needs. The team member dealing with the complaint will do their best to reassure the family member that everything they have said has been listened to and will be dealt with as soon as possible.

Where feasible, the Preschool Team member will offer a solution to the family’s complaint. If it is not, the team member will reassure the family that the complaint will be discussed with the Management Team and a solution will be communicated with them as soon as possible.

Immediately following such a conversation, the Preschool Team member will record the conversation on a Record of Conversation Form and hand this to a member of the Management Team, who will discuss options to resolve the complaint. Solution options will be relayed to the family (either by the team member the conversation started with, or a member of the Management Team) and, if all is resolved, the ongoing plan will be logged on the Record of Conversation Form and filed in our setting’s complaint folder. This plan will be shared with the entire Preschool Team at the weekly staff meeting, if not sooner, to ensure every team member is aware of actions to be taken. Once relevant action has been taken, the Management Team will review the complaint, using the information to evaluate processes and make improvements where applicable. The evaluation and proposed subsequent action will be logged on the Record of Conversation Form and the form will be moved into the ‘resolved’ section of the complaints folder.

If after speaking to a member of the Management Team the family feels the complaint has not been resolved, they will need to submit a formal complaint in writing (either on paper or via email).

The Management Team will then formally investigate the complaint with any team member involved, following the EYFS guidelines, try and come up with a solution and feed this back to the family in writing.

If this still does not resolve the worry, or if the complaint involves a member of the Management Team, the complaint will be forwarded to the Head of Trustees, who will investigate the matter instead, following the same procedure as above. Feedback to families will be provided within 10 working days and the complaint and investigation details will be logged in the setting’s complaints folder.

If the family remains concerned after the completion of such formal action, or feel dissatisfied at the outcome, and therefore would like to take their complaint further, then the family can contact Ofsted directly. Ofsted information and details on how to make a complaint can be found on the information board in the lobby of Jack and Jill Community Preschool.

Contact details for Ofsted:

Email: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk

Telephone: 0300 123 1231

Complaint records

At Jack and Jill Community Preschool we will keep records of all complaints, including names, dates, what the complaint was about, how it was resolved, and any proposed subsequent actions. Such records will be filed in our setting complaints folder.

Untrue allegations

At Jack and Jill Community Preschool we understand and appreciate that deciding to report a concern can be incredibly difficult and uncomfortable. We therefore go into every investigation assuming that any concern brought forward is legitimate. If a family makes an allegation in good faith, but it is not confirmed by the investigation, no action will be taken against him/her/them. As a setting, we will offer emotional support where we can and work together to re-build trust where it may have been tainted by a concern and subsequent investigation.

If, however, a family makes an allegation frivolously, maliciously, or for financial gain, Jack and Jill Community Preschool reserve the right to withdraw children’s places at our setting, and appropriate further action to be taken

I have read and understood this policy and will adhere to it as part of my daily practice

NameSignatureDate
Marlis Juerging-Cos  
Liz Wilkins  
Lou Barlow  
Josh Bosley  
Nicky Taylor  
Laura Slater  

Reviewed on:

Manager signature:

Trustee team signature: