Complaints Handling Policy and Procedure

The Education Authority (EA) is committed to providing high-quality customer services. We value complaints and use information from them to help us improve our services.
If something goes wrong or you are dissatisfied with our services, please tell us. This leaflet describes our complaints procedure and how to make a complaint. It also tells you about how we will handle your complaint and what you can expect from us.

An expression of dissatisfaction by one or more members of the public about EA’s action or lack of action, or about the standard of service provided by or on behalf of EA.

You can complain about things like:

• Failure or refusal to provide a service
• Inadequate quality or standard of service, or an unreasonable delay in providing a service
• Dissatisfaction with one of our policies or its impact on the individual
• Failure to properly apply law, procedure or guidance when delivering services
• Failure to follow the appropriate administrative process
• Conduct, treatment by or attitude of a member of staff or contractor
• Dissatisfaction with how an element of a decision was administered
• Disagreement with a decision, except where there is a statutory procedure for challenging that decision, or an established appeals process followed – see “What Can’t I Complain About?”

There are some things we can’t deal with through our Complaints Handling Procedure. Examples include:

• A routine first-time request for a service or to deal with a problem.
• Issues that are in court or have already been heard by a court or a tribunal (if you decide to take legal action, you should let us know as the complaint cannot then be considered under this process);
• Disagreement with a decision where there is a statutory procedure for challenging that decision or an established appeals process followed e.g. Transport Appeals and Special Education Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST);
• A request for information under the Data Protection or Freedom of Information legislation or a concern about a breach of data security under the Data Protection legislation.
• A concern relating to appointments or removals, pay, discipline, superannuation or other personnel matters in relation to public sector employment.
• A concern that should be dealt with in line with EA’s Whistleblowing Policies and Procedures;
• A concern about a child or an adult’s safety (EA Child Protection Policies will be considered);
• An attempt to reopen a previously concluded complaint or to have a complaint reconsidered where we have already given our final decision;
• Abuse or unsubstantiated allegations about our organisation or staff where such actions would be covered by our Unacceptable Actions Policy;
• A concern about the actions or service of a different organisation, where we have no involvement in the issue (except where the other organisation is delivering services on our behalf); or
• A concern about another Listed Authority which includes schools, the Department of Education and the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools. Note: The EA cannot investigate complaints about schools or intervene in a complaint being handled in accordance with a school’s Complaints Procedure. Investigating and responding to complaints about schools is the responsibility of the Board of Governors. A School’s Complaints Procedure can be found on their website, or you can ask them for a copy.

If other procedures or rights of appeal can help you resolve your concerns, we will give information and advice to help you.

Any one member of the public who receives, requests or is directly affected by our services can make a complaint to us. This includes the representative of someone who is dissatisfied with our service (for example, a relative, friend, advocate or adviser). If someone is making a complaint on your behalf we will need your consent. Please also read the section below on getting help to make your complaint.

You can complain:

• In person at any of our offices
• By phone to 028 9047 5399
• In writing to EA Corporate Complaints Service, 1 Hospital Road, Omagh, BT79 0AW
• By email to feedback@eani.org.uk
• Or via our Online Complaints Form

It is easier for us to address complaints if you make them quickly and directly to the service concerned. So please talk to a member of our staff at the service you are complaining about. Then they can try to resolve the issue.
When complaining, please tell us:

• Your full name and contact details
• As much as you can about the complaint and how this is impacting you
• What has gone wrong
• The outcome you are seeking

Normally, you must make your complaint within six months of:

• The event you want to complain about; or
• Finding out that you have a reason to complain.

In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to accept a complaint after the time limit. If you feel that the time limit should not apply to your complaint, please tell us why.

We will always tell you who is dealing with your complaint. Our complaints procedure has two stages.

Stage 1: Frontline response
We aim to respond to complaints quickly (where possible, when you first tell us about the issue). This could mean an on-the-spot apology and explanation if something has clearly gone wrong, or immediate action to resolve the problem.
We will give you our decision at Stage 1 in five working days or less, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
If you are not satisfied with the response we give at this stage, you have the right to request escalation of your complaint to Stage 2. We will contact you regarding this request. You must normally ask us to consider your complaint at Stage 2 either:

• Within six months of the event you want to complain about or finding out that you have a reason to complain; or
• Within two months of receiving your Stage 1 response (if this is later).

In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to accept a Stage 2 complaint after the time limit. If you feel that the time limit should not apply to your complaint, please tell us why.

Stage 2: Investigation
Stage 2 deals with two types of complaints:

• Where the customer remains dissatisfied after Stage 1, and
• Those that clearly require investigation, and so are handled directly at this stage

If you do not wish your complaint to be handled at Stage 1, you can ask us to handle it at Stage 2 instead.

When using Stage 2:

• We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within five working days;
• We will confirm our understanding of the complaint we will investigate and what outcome you are looking for;
• We will try to resolve your complaint where we can (in some cases we may suggest using an alternative complaint resolution approach, such as mediation);
• Where we cannot resolve your complaint, we will give you a full response as soon as possible, normally within 25 working days; and
• If our investigation will take longer than 25 working days, we will tell you our revised time limits and keep you updated on progress.

What if I’m still dissatisfied?
After we have given you our final decision, if you are still dissatisfied with our decision or the way we dealt with your complaint, you can ask the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO) to look at it.

Information about the NIPSO
The NIPSO is the final stage for complaints about public services in NI. This includes complaints about the EA. The NIPSO is an independent organisation that investigates complaints. The service provided by NIPSO is free. It is not an advocacy or support service (but there are other organisations who can help you with advocacy or support).
If you are dissatisfied that the EA has determined not to deal with your complaint, you can ask the NIPSO to look at your complaint. You can ask the NIPSO to look at your complaint if:

• You have gone all the way through the EA's Complaints Handling Policy and Procedure
• It is less than 6 months since you received correspondence from the EA informing you that the Complaints Handling Policy and Procedure is exhausted and complete, and of your right to refer your complaint to the NIPSO.

The NIPSO will ask you to complete a complaint form and provide a copy of this letter (our final response to your complaint). You can do this online at Nipso Online Complaints or call them on Freephone 0800 34 34 24.

NIPSO’s contact details are:
The Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman
33 Wellington Place
Belfast
BT1 6HN
Tel Freephone: 0800 34 34 24
Email: nipso@nipso.org.uk
Web: www.nipso.org.uk

We understand that you may be unable or reluctant to make a complaint yourself. We accept complaints from the representative of a person who is dissatisfied with our service. We can take complaints from a friend, relative, or an advocate, if you have given them your consent to complain for you.

We are committed to making our service easy to use for all members of the community. In line with our statutory equality duties, we will always ensure that reasonable adjustments are made to help you access and use our services. If you have trouble putting your complaint in writing, or want this information in another language or format, such as large font, or Braille, please tell us in person, contact us on 028 9047 5399.

Tel: 028 9047 5399

Post: Corporate Complaints Service 1 Hospital Road
Omagh Co Tyrone
BT79 0AW

Email: feedback@eani.org.uk

Online Complaints Form

You can contact the relevant service by accessing the EA Directory for key contact details of our staff. You can also attend in person to one of our main offices (see below).