Comments and Complaints Procedure

Introduction

School-Home Support (SHS) aims to provide a high quality service without exception and works to ensure that everyone who comes into contact with SHS has a positive experience, whether as a client of the organisation, partner organisation or a member of the public.

In order for us to monitor our service we invite those who have had contact with SHS to tell us about the experience. Perhaps you have had a particularly positive experience of our service, or perhaps you feel there is something we could do better. In either case, we would encourage you to let us know.

How to provide feedback on our service

If you were particularly impressed with a SHS service or staff member, or if you have a comment on how we could improve our service, then please let us know.  

You can give us feedback in person, in writing, via e-mail or telephone. You can give your feedback to any SHS staff member or Manager who will advise the Chief Executive. If you are unsure of who to contact with your feedback, then you can contact the SHS Executive Assistant on the contact details set out at the end of this document.

SHS will keep a log of all feedback received and this will be analysed and presented annually to the Board.

How to make a complaint

This procedure sets out the way in which SHS deals with complaints made about its staff or services.

  1. If you are unhappy with the service you have received, in the first instance you should talk directly to the member of staff involved wherever possible, to see if an informal resolution is possible (this does not apply to cases of harassment – see our Dignity at Work Policy, available from SHS’s Head Office). Only after an initial attempt at informal resolution has failed will the dissatisfaction be classified as a complaint.
  2. Any member of staff receiving a verbal complaint about SHS staff or services will take details in writing and inform the appropriate Manager for action. If a written complaint is received, either a telephone or written response will be made, stating that it has been passed to the appropriate Manager. Complaints will then be passed on to the Manager.  If the appropriate Manager is not available, and the matter is of utmost urgency, it should be passed onto the Chief Executive.
  3. The Manager will organise the response to the complaint, confirming the time-scale for dealing with the complaint. The Manager may choose to telephone you to discuss the complaint should they need further details.
  4. The Manager will carry out a preliminary investigation and will decide on the action that will be taken by SHS to remedy the complaint. The agreed outcome and actions will be
  5. If the issue is deemed by the Manager to be sufficiently serious, for example if it relates to serious staff incompetence or inappropriate behaviour with disciplinary potential, including harassment, then the Manager will inform the Chief Executive who may delegate the investigation to the most suitable person to manage the situation. The investigating officer will then decide on the most appropriate way of investigation, which may include interviews with the complainant, the individual(s) complained of, and witnesses. The Investigating Officer will ensure the complainant is kept informed of what is happening and the likely time-scales and will be responsible for writing to the complainant with the outcome and the actions to be taken by SHS.
  6. If you are unhappy with how your complaint has been dealt or are unhappy with the outcome then you may appeal. If a Manager had dealt with your complaint then you may appeal to the Chief Executive. If the Chief Executive has dealt with your complaint then you may appeal to Trustees using the email address  shs.comments@shs.org.uk. The decision of the appeal panel will be final.
  7. However, if your complaint is related to our fundraising, then you complain to our Chair of the Trustee Fundraising and Marketing Committee using the email address  shs.frcomments@shs.org.uk. If you are unhappy with how your complaint has been dealt or are unhappy with the outcome then we accept the authority of the Fundraising Regulator to make a final adjudication, as outlined in the SHS Supporter Promise.
  8. SHS will keep a log of all complaints received, and this will be analysed and presented annually to the Board.

Contact Details

There are a number of ways in which you can contact us:

Write to us:

School-Home Support, 3rd Floor, Solar House, 1-9 Romford Road, London, E15 4LJ

Phone us:

0845 337 0850

Email:

enquiries@shs.org.uk

These are non-contractual arrangements which will be reviewed from time to time.