There is a clear mechanism for responding to complaints. Complaints are documented with information on the person making complaint, nature of complaint, investigation of complaint and outcome.
Introduction
It is the aim of Jabneh Christian Academy Early Stimulation Unit to provide a good education for all our icons, and that the principal and other staff work very hard to build positive relationships with all stakeholders in order to work harmoniously as a school family. However, conflicts may arise and can lead to misunderstandings and concerns that may escalate. Hence, the school is required by the Early Childhood Act to have procedures in place to deal with complaints by parents, icons or other community members. As such, the institution will give careful consideration to all complaints and deal with them as swiftly as possible. The institution also pledges to be fair, open and honest when dealing with all complaints and aims to resolve complaints through dialogue and mutual understanding. Hence, we will provide sufficient opportunity for all complaints to be fully discussed, and then resolved where we will ensure that the interest of the icon above all other issues is taken into full consideration.
Aims and objectives of the policy
This complaints policy aims to:
- Encourage the resolution of problems by informal means wherever possible.
- Ensure that concerns are dealt with quickly, fully and fairly and within clearly defined time limits.
- Provide effective responses and appropriate redress.
- Maintain good working relationships between all people involved with the school.
The Early Childhood Act states that schools must have in place a procedure to deal with complaints relating to the school or services that it provides. Outlined below are the guiding principles for the Jabneh Christian Academy Early Stimulation Unit complaints procedure:
- Encourage resolution of problems by informal means wherever possible, including making use of mediation services where necessary or appropriate.
- Be impartial and non-adversarial.
- Allow swift handling with established time limits for action and keeping people informed of the progress.
- Ensure a full and fair investigation by an independent person where necessary.
- Respect people’s desire for confidentiality.
- Address all the points at issue and provide an effective response and an appropriate redress, where necessary
- Provide information to the Early Childhood Commission so that services can be improved, and the matter resolved at a higher level.
The complaints procedure
The institution is clear about the difference between a concern and a complaint. As such, the institution will always try to handle and bring any concerns to successful resolutions without the need for any formal complaint to be made. However, all concerns and complaints will be documented and kept for future reference.
- The school expects that in significant cases, the class teacher or individual directly employed by the school will initiate the first approach to make every effort to resolve the issue. If an informal complaint fails to resolve the matter, a formal complaint will be made to the management body or Board by the person making the complaint. This complaint must be made in writing, stating the nature of the complaint and how the school has handled it so far.
- The management body must consider all written complaints within three weeks of receipt. The Board is required to arrange a meeting to discuss the complaint. The person making the complaint and all other persons involved will be invited to attend the meeting and explain the complaint in more detail. The school is also required to give the complainant at least three days’ notice of the meeting.
- After hearing all the evidence, the Board should consider their decision and make an informed decision in writing to the person making the complaint and the school.
- However, the institution also recognise that further steps will need to be invoked when all initial attempts to resolve issues are unsuccessful and the person raising the concern remains dissatisfied and wishes to take the matter further. It is then recommended that a formal complaint be made to the Early Childhood Commission in writing if a person has reason to believe that the early childhood institution has contravened any provision of the Early Childhood Act or if an icon at the early childhood institution has been abused or has suffered injury or harm as a result of the act or negligence of the operator, a person acting as an agent, or any person employed in the operation, of the early childhood institution.
The Complaints Procedure, according to the Early Childhood Act, is outlined below:
- Upon receiving a complaint, the Commission shall refer the complaint to an inspector who shall, with a view to preparing the report, make such inquiries as he thinks fit and conduct discussions with the complaining party, the operator of the early childhood institution and, where appropriate, any employee of the early childhood institution involved in the complaint.
- The inspector shall submit to the Commission a report containing the following information:
(a) the grounds of the complaint, noting any facts in dispute between the relevant parties.
(b) whether, in the opinion of the inspector, the matter can be remedied.
(c) if the inspector is of the opinion that the matter can be remedied, the measures recommended by the inspector to effect the remedy; and
(d) the time period that the inspector considers to be reasonably sufficient to effect the remedy.
- Upon receiving a report under subsection (3), the Commission shall:
- give notice in writing of its intention to consider the report, to:
(i) the operator of the early childhood institution and any employee of such institution who is involved in the complaint, together with a copy of the complaint and a copy of the report.
(ii) the complaining party, together with a copy of the report.
- in such notice, specify a period, being not less than seven days, during which any of the persons referred to in paragraph (a) shall be entitled to attend before the Commission, to make representations concerning the complaint.
- After the expiry of the period, the Commission may:
(a) Dismiss the complaint; or
(b) Confirm the complaint and direct the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report, subject to such variations (if any) as the Commission thinks fit.
- A person who attends before the Commission under subsection (4) shall be entitled to be accompanied by his attorney-at-law.
- This section is without prejudice to any other proceedings that may be brought in relation to the complaint by virtue of any other law.
Click on the link to complete the complaint form.
Jabneh Christian Academy 