Educla Ltd
COMPLAINTS AND COMPLIMENTS POLICY AND PROCEDURES
June 2025
REVIEW SHEET
| Version Number | Version Description | Date of Revision |
| 1 | Original | November 2016 |
| Updates have been made annually, but no detailed breakdown is evident. From May 2024 updates will be completed annually in September of each year, or sooner when changes are made to relevant government legislation. Update details will be outlined in the version description section. | ||
| 2 | Full update & changes made Updated contact details for complaints or complimentsUpdated stages of complaint and who this will go too ‘In house’ complaints and compliments instruction addedAdded reference to Code of Practice | May 2024 |
| 3 | Checked – no changes made or needed | June 2025 |
Dealing informally with concerns and complaints
If you have a concern or complaint you should make contact with the appropriate member of staff. This may be the education support worker or teacher or the centre manager if they are immediately involved.
They can then investigate your complaint or concern and give you a response, making clear any action or monitoring of a situation that may be necessary. At this stage, misunderstandings can usually be cleared up. Everyone benefits from the speedy resolution of difficulties and from suggestions for improvement.
If no satisfactory solution to the complaint has been agreed you should be informed of your option to take the matter further.
Compliments
It is important to Educla to be informed when we are doing things right. Any compliments which are received will be shared with the relevant individuals and teams. Compliments can help us share good practice and improve our services.
Regular feedback forms are completed by students and parents, allowing them to raise any concerns they may have as well as give any compliments. Feedback forms are also regularly given to outside professionals supporting Educla to give them the same opportunities. Upon receipt, compliments are shared with the relevant centres and managers.
Compliments are often provided directly to staff and then forwarded to the management team. Upon receipt, compliments are sent to the relevant managers and included in reports etc supervisions.
Reporting formal complaints about Educla issues:
If you have a complaint about Educla, it’s the responsibility of the centre, and not the local authority or Ofsted, to investigate most complaints. If you want to take the matter further, you should put your complaint, in writing, to Educla’s Managing Director and email to jharrisonsmith@educla.co.uk or send to:
Educla Ltd
Unit 2 Westmoor
Rockcliffe
Carlisle
Cumbria
CA6 4BH
Your complaint should be dealt with in an agreed timescale as part of Educla’s complaints procedure (28 days). An investigation into your complaint should be carried out by the appropriate person (Manager of the centre concerned). When all the relevant facts have been established, you should receive a written response.
What to do if you’re unhappy with the response
A further investigation of your complaint may be carried out by the Educla Director or another Manager and they should invite you for a meeting to discuss the matter further.
A meeting should be arranged, and everyone involved should receive copies of all available documentation about the complaint (you may bring a friend or someone to represent you).
COMPLAINTS PROCESS AND TIMESCALES
First stage – informal
If you are concerned about your child’s education, you must first talk to your child’s Centre Manager or a member of senior staff
If you write to the centre, your complaint will be passed to the Manager or a designated staff member to investigate.
You must allow at least five working days for the designated staff member to respond.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive at stage one, you must talk to the Manager/Director/alternative senior staff member
You can also write to the centre, outlining your concerns and what you would like the centre to do to help you with the matter.
The centre will acknowledge your complaint within five days. You must allow at least 20 working days for the designated person to investigate the problem and respond.
Educla will acknowledge your complaint within five days and the Director or another Manager will arrange a date for a meeting to discuss the matter further and conduct a thorough investigation.
For ‘in house’ complaints or compliments, by an existing staff member about another existing staff member, please see the Code of Conduct Policy
Higher Complaints Procedure
If you feel your complaint has not been dealt with sufficiently through Educla then you do have the right to contact the Local Authority to discuss your concerns.
We work closely with the Local Authority and are annually Quality Assured by them through rigorous processes. We also adhere to guidance from the local schools we work with and their OFSTED inspections.