Persistent or Serial Complaints may be occasions when, despite a complaint being considered under all stages in this Complaints Policy, the Complainant persists in making the same complaint to the School. There may also be occasions when a Complainant raises unreasonable persistent complaints or raises complaints about matters which do not affect them. There may also be occasions when a complaint is made about a matter which is clearly so trivial that it would be a poor use of the School’s resources to deal with it under the formal stages of the procedure. In all of cases, the School reserves the right to regard the complaint as persistent or serial and to refuse to investigate it under the procedure in this Complaints Policy, if it appears reasonable and fair to do so, having regard to the circumstances surrounding the complaint. Where the School decides that a complaint is persistent or serial and will not be investigated, the School will write to the Complainant within five school days of the complaint being raised to notify them of the decision. If the Complainant is unhappy with the decision not to investigate a persistent or serial complaint, they may to the Chair of Local Governors to ask for the decision to be reviewed. The Chair of Local Governors will be provided with all documentation relating to the current complaint and any previous complaints which were relevant to the decision, together with the letter from the School to the Complainant, and will review the decision not to investigate the complaint. The Chair of Local Governors will not investigate the complaint itself during this review. The of Local Governors will write to the Complainant with the outcome of the review within ten school days of the date that the letter from the Complainant seeking the review was received. If the of Local Governors overturns the decision not to investigate the concern or complaint, it will be referred to the School to be dealt with under the procedure in this Complaints Policy in the usual way. If the Chair of Local Governors upholds the decision not to investigate the concern or complaint, the Complainant may refer the concern or complaint to the Education Funding Agency using the procedure stated towards the end of this Complaints Policy. In exceptional circumstances, the of Local Governors can delegate the responsibility for the review to the Vice-Chair of Local Governors. Anonymous Complaints The School will not investigate anonymous complaints under the procedure in this Complaints Policy. Anonymous complaints will be referred to the Headteacher who will decide what, if any, action should be taken. Data Protection Act 1998 and Freedom of Information Act 2000 Complaints sometimes include requests for information or documentation. Such requests will either be a
Persistent or Serial Complaints may be occasions when, despite a complaint being considered under all stages in this Complaints Policy, the Complainant persists in making the same complaint to the School. There may also be occasions when a Complainant raises unreasonable persistent complaints or raises complaints about matters which do not affect them. There may also be occasions when a complaint is made about a matter which is clearly so trivial that it would be a poor use of the School’s resources to deal with it under the formal stages of the procedure. In all of cases, the School reserves the right to regard the complaint as persistent or serial and to refuse to investigate it under the procedure in this Complaints Policy, if it appears reasonable and fair to do so, having regard to the circumstances surrounding the complaint. Where the School decides that a complaint is persistent or serial and will not be investigated, the School will write to the Complainant within five school days of the complaint being raised to notify them of the decision. If the Complainant is unhappy with the decision not to investigate a persistent or serial complaint, they may to the Chair of Local Governors to ask for the decision to be reviewed. The Chair of Local Governors will be provided with all documentation relating to the current complaint and any previous complaints which were relevant to the decision, together with the letter from the School to the Complainant, and will review the decision not to investigate the complaint. The Chair of Local Governors will not investigate the complaint itself during this review. The of Local Governors will write to the Complainant with the outcome of the review within ten school days of the date that the letter from the Complainant seeking the review was received. If the of Local Governors overturns the decision not to investigate the concern or complaint, it will be referred to the School to be dealt with under the procedure in this Complaints Policy in the usual way. If the Chair of Local Governors upholds the decision not to investigate the concern or complaint, the Complainant may refer the concern or complaint to the Education Funding Agency using the procedure stated towards the end of this Complaints Policy. In exceptional circumstances, the of Local Governors can delegate the responsibility for the review to the Vice-Chair of Local Governors. Anonymous Complaints The School will not investigate anonymous complaints under the procedure in this Complaints Policy. Anonymous complaints will be referred to the Headteacher who will decide what, if any, action should be taken. Data Protection Act 1998 and Freedom of Information Act 2000 Complaints sometimes include requests for information or documentation. Such requests will either be a
Complaints-Procedure-2016-2017-Final.docx