๐Ÿ“Complaints and Compliments Policy

This policy was adopted on 30 August 2022 and is reviewed annually

Policy statement

At Natural Nurture we strive to provide the highest quality of care and education for our children and families and believe that all parents are treated with care, courtesy and respect.

We hope that at all times parents are happy and satisfied with the quality and service provided and we encourage parents to voice their appreciation to the staff concerned and/or management. We record all compliments and share these with staff.

We welcome any suggestions from parents on how we can improve our services, and will give prompt and serious attention to any concerns that parents may have. Any concerns will be dealt with professionally and promptly to ensure that any issues arising from them are handled effectively and to ensure the welfare of all children, enable ongoing cooperative partnership with parents and to continually improve the quality of the nursery.

We have a formal procedure for dealing with complaints where we are not able to resolve a concern. Where any concern or complaint relates to child protection, we follow our Safeguarding/Child Protection Policy.

Making a complaint

Stage 1

  • If any parent should have cause for concern or any queries regarding the care or early learning provided by the nursery, they should in the first instance take it up with the child's key person or a senior member of staff. Most complaints should be resolved amicably and informally at this stage. If this is not resolved, we ask them to discuss this verbally with the manager.

Stage 2

  • If the issue still remains unresolved or parents feel they have received an unsatisfactory outcome, then they must present their concerns in writing as a formal complaint to the nursery manager. The manager will then investigate the complaint in relation to the fulfilment of the EYFS requirements and report back to the parent within 15 working days. The manager will document the complaint fully, the actions taken and the outcome in relation to it in the complaints log book.

    (Most complaints are usually resolved informally at stage 1 or 2.)

  • For parents who are not comfortable with making written complaints, there is a template form below for recording complaints; the form may be completed with the person in charge and signed by the parent.

  • The nursery acknowledges the complaint immediately. The parent will be notified that an investigation into the complaint will take place and that they will be informed of the outcome as soon as possible.

  • Parents must be informed of the outcome of the investigation within 28 days of making the complaint. During this time, contact is made regularly with the parent to reassure them that the process is underway.

  • When the complaint is resolved at this stage, the summative points are logged in the Complaints Record.

Stage 3

  • If the matter is still not resolved, the nursery will hold a formal meeting between the manager, parent and a senior staff member to ensure that it is dealt with comprehensively. The nursery will make a record of the meeting and document any actions. All parties present at the meeting will review the accuracy of the record, and be asked to sign to agree it and receive a copy. This will signify the conclusion of the procedure.

Stage 4

  • If the matter cannot be resolved to their satisfaction, then parents have the right to raise the matter with Ofsted. Parents are made aware that they can contact Ofsted at any time they have a concern, including at all stages of the complaints procedure, and are given information on how to contact Ofsted. Ofsted is the registering authority for nurseries in England and investigates all complaints that suggest a provider may not be meeting the requirements of the nurseryโ€™s registration. It risk assesses all complaints made and may visit the nursery to carry out a full inspection where it believes requirements are not met.

    Contact details for Ofsted:

    Email: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk

    Telephone: 0300 123 1231

    By post:

    Ofsted Piccadilly Gate Store Street Manchester M1 2WD

    Parents will also be informed if the nursery becomes aware that they are going to be inspected and after inspection the nursery will provide a copy of the report to parents and/or carers of children attending on a regular basis. Stage 5

Reporting

The role of the Ofsted and the Local Safeguarding Children Board

  • Parents may approach Ofsted directly at any stage of this complaints procedure. In addition, in the case of a possible breach of the nurseryโ€™s registration requirements, it is essential to involve Ofsted as the registering and inspection body with a duty to ensure the Welfare Requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are adhered to.

  • These details are displayed on our setting's noticeboard. Parents are invited to read this policy in our Online Parent Handbook during the admissions process and can request a hard copy at any time.

  • If a child appears to be at risk, our setting follows the procedures of the Local Safeguarding Children Board in our local authority (see Safeguarding Policy).

  • In these cases, both the parent and nursery are informed and the Manager works with Ofsted and the Local Safeguarding Children Board to ensure a proper investigation of the complaint, followed by appropriate action.

Records

  • A record of complaints will be kept in the nursery. The record will include the name of the complainant, the nature of the complaint, date and time complaint received, action(s) taken, outcomes of any investigations and any information given to the complainant including a dated response.

  • Parents will be able to access this record if they wish; however, all personal details relating to any complaint will be stored confidentially and will be only accessible by the parties involved. Ofsted inspectors will have access to this record at any time during visits to ensure actions have been met appropriately.

  • The record of complaints is made available to Ofsted on request.

We will follow this procedure for any other compliments and complaints received from visitors to the provider, where applicable.

Further Guidance

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