Page 16 - Complaints Policy & Procedures Sep20

Timeline
1. Within 5 school days of receipt of request the clerk will arrange a complaints panel. 2.
3.
4.
The panel sets a date* to meet as soon as reasonably practical but no longer than 15 school days from the date of the acknowledgement of the letter of complaint. However, where further investigations are necessary, new time limits may be set. The complainant will be sent details of the new date and an explanation for the delay.
Any evidence and documentation that the complainant and school wish to submit in relation to their complaint must be sent to the clerk to the governing board at least 5 school days before the meeting. All relevant papers** will be circulated to the complainant and the academy representatives attending the meeting, as well as the complaint panel. Recordings of conversations that were obtained covertly and without the informed consent of all parties being recorded will not be accepted as evidence.
If the complainant or school wishes to call witnesses the names of these witnesses must be advised to the clerk at least 5 school days before the meeting. The use of witnesses is discouraged. In nearly every case, a complaints panel will want to work with written witness statements if appropriate, but there may be particular circumstances where the presence of witnesses is necessary to establish key facts. In those cases, witnesses must be agreed in advance. The complainant and the academy are responsible for ensuring that the witnesses are aware of the time / date / location of the meeting.
If the complainant wishes to be accompanied by a suitable companion, this should not be legal representation as the Complaints Panel is not a form of legal proceedings, the name of the suitable companion must be advised to the clerk 5 school days before the meeting.
If the Complaints Panel cannot meet because the end of term is less than 15 days from the date of acknowledgement of the letter of complaint, it must meet within 10 days of the start of the new term.
5.
6. The Complaints Panel will communicate their findings to all parties concerned within 10 school days of their meeting.
reach a conclusion in the interests of drawing the complaint to a close. If the complainant rejects the offer of 3 proposed dates, the Clerk will set a date. The hearing will go ahead using written submissions from both parties.
** Some papers maybe withheld or redacted due to the nature of the content.
DCAT Complaints Policy and Procedures
September 2020 Page 12 of 18
* The complainant must have reasonable notice of the date of the review panel; however, the
review panel reserves the right to convene at their convenience rather than that of the
complainant and