Page 19 - Complaints Policy & Procedures Sep20

advance. They will remain outside the hearing room until called in to give their evidence. They can be questioned by the panel members and the other party. They will leave the room when their evidence is completed;
 The complainant may be a pupil at the academy: Good academies encourage pupils to raise concerns and would expect to resolve them before it becomes a formal complaint to the LGB. If it is not resolved, it would be very unusual if parents have not by picked it up and made it a parental complaint. However, if a pupil is the complainant, panel members will wish to ensure that the same process is followed but special consideration is given to ensuring that the child is supported and does not feel intimidated. The panel needs to give the views of the child equal consideration to those of adults.
Writing the decision letter
The Clerk should ensure that s/he has clear wording stating the panel decision about each of the issues that the panel considered before the panel is allowed to finish. The Clerk will use that wording to draft the decision letter. This should be sent to all members of the panel for checking. Once approved by all three panel members, it should be sent to the complainant and the person complained about with a copy to the Headteacher.
 The letter should clearly express how seriously the panel considered the complaint and details any findings or recommendations
 The Clerk should be careful that the letter sticks to the facts and gives no hint of partiality;
 The Clerk should ensure that the letter reaches the complainant and the Headteacher by
the deadline stated in your policy and/or in a statement by the chair at the end of the hearing – usually five working days.
Further Recourse
If, following these steps, you still feel that the academy has acted unreasonably or not followed the correct procedures, you can contact the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) via the school complaints form. Their role is to consider whether the academy followed the correct process. They will not investigate the academy’s decision.
Monitoring Complaints
As well as addressing an individual’s complaint, the process of listening to and resolving complaints would contribute to academy improvements. When individual complaints are heard, academies may identify issues that need to be addressed. The monitoring and review of complaints by the academy and LGB can be useful to evaluating the academy’s performance. Any discussion of complaints by the LGB or others in the academy community should not name or be able to identify individuals.
DCAT Complaints Policy and Procedures
September 2020 Page 15 of 18