Complaints

Can you resolve the issue without making a formal complaint?

Before making a formal complaint, try to resolve any problems by talking to the person most closely linked to the issue, this might be a SEN caseworker, class teacher or keyworker.

Before you approach them, think about the following:

• How are you feeling? Do you need time to calm down or put your thoughts in order so that you can get the best outcome for your child?
• Is this a good time for the person you’re talking to? They’re more likely to be able to help if they have time to process what you’re saying. Making an appointment rather than trying to catch them in passing.
• What are the main things that need to be addressed? If you’re experiencing a complex situation caused by multiple issues, try to break things down into individual problems. Solutions usually come in steps so think about what needs to change first to start making things better for your child.
• Be solution focussed – While it might be necessary to discuss other people’s actions, framing your comments in terms of what needs to change, or what should happen next time, is much more positive and likely to help maintain your relationship with the service.
• Ask – what can you do to help? Show that you’re willing to help resolve the issues. What this looks like will be unique to your situation but might involve things like:
  • Explaining to your child what school are going to do to help.
  • Providing copies of private reports or assessments.
  • Keeping a log of your child’s sleep or mood at home so that together you can identify patterns in behaviour across all settings.
  • Arranging a follow-up meeting to review progress.

Putting your complaint in writing

IPSEA provide a range of model letters for a wide variety of different issues click here. These can help you to structure your complaint. In the first instance, we advise you to address your complaint to the person in charge of your child’s care e.g. head teacher or SEN caseworker.

Complaints about the education providers (e.g. nurseries, schools, colleges)

All education providers should have complaints policy on their website. You need to exhaust this process and work with the provider as closely as possible before escalating your complaints to a body like OFSTED or the Secretary of State for Education.

Complaints about the Local Authority

Click here for the local authority complaint process.

If you have completed the LA’s complaints process and are not satisfied with the response, or if you have complained but not had a response within a reasonable time, you can complain to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO). Click here for more information about complaints to the LGSCO.

If you are complaining because you think that the LA have not followed the law or have acted unfairly or unreasonably, you may wish to consider requesting a Judicial Review. In a judicial review, the court does not look at whether it agrees with the LA’s decision, but looks at the way the decision was taken. If it finds that the way the decision was taken was unlawful, unfair or unreasonable, it can order the public body to re-make its decision, or order the public body to take a particular action. Click here  to read more about judicial reviews.

Complaints about other organisations

Check the organisations website for their specific complaints policy or call us for further advice.