DCSF consultation
A new way of handling parents' complaints about school
issues
23 July 2009
Browne Jacobson frequently advises schools on the management of
parental complaints. All high quality organisations value feedback
of all kinds, including complaints but when this consultation was
published we raised a number of concerns on behalf of our clients.
The proposals to improve the way parents' complaints are handled
are now included in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and
Learners Bill which is progressing through parliament. It is
proposed that the Local Government Ombudsman will be given the
power to investigate complaints about schools that remain
unresolved once they have exhausted a school's complaints
procedure.
This will replace the Secretary of State's power to investigate
under Sections 496 and 497 of the Education Act 1996. It is
proposed that subject to parliamentary approval, there will be a
pilot exercise which will commence in Autumn 2009 and will inform
national roll out. In the meantime, any schools that do not have a
clear policy for handling complaints internally should create
one as a matter of urgency. This should include establishing a
thorough system of record-keeping of those initial complaints which
may develop into something more, considering how to obtain
mediation and ensuring that procedures of governors are fully
documented.
Download
the full consultation paper