Complaints

My Favourite Nursery strives to deliver a high quality standard to all within our community, in which parents/carers and children are handled with respect and courtesy at all times and feelings valued and listened to.

My Favourite Nursery welcomes suggestions on improvements and regularly asks for feedback from parents/carers in order that their needs can be met. Any concerns will be dealt with promptly and it is our aim that all parents/carers feel comfortable to voice their opinions, safe in the knowledge that they will be listened to and responded to, with a satisfactory conclusion for all involved.

Making A Complaint
Stage 1 – At this stage the parent and member of staff should be able to talk through complaints and deal with them to a satisfactory resolution.
Stage 2 – Occurs if Stage 1 either reoccurs or fails to meet a satisfactory outcome. At this stage the parents/carers put their concerns in writing to the Manager, which is placed in a filing cabinet in the Manager’s office. The Nursery Manager must meet with the parents/carers once the matter has been investigated in order to discuss the outcome.
Stage 3 – If the parent is still unhappy he/she may request a meeting with both the Manager and a nominated person. The parents/carers must be informed that he/she may bring a representative with them for support. Minutes of the meeting must be taken accurately including the decisions that have been jointly made. All parties must sign to say that they agree with the document, and they will receive a copy. At this point the signing should signify a conclusion to the matter, and the points must be logged in the logs.
Stage 4 – If Stage 3 is not completed through lack of agreement an external mediator is invited in to help settle the complaint. This is someone who is deemed acceptable to all parties and can listen, offer advice and be impartial to the proceedings, such as members of the committee. The mediator role is to offer suggestions, but must be noted that they have no legal power to make decisions. The mediator keeps records of conversations and meetings (and his/her advice) and can hold separate meetings with both parties if deemed a more acceptable form of resolution.
Stage 5 – Occurs when the mediator calls a meeting for all parties and the advice is delivered in order to make a decision, which is acceptable to all parties. A record is kept of the meeting and everyone is asked to sign the record and then receives a copy of it. If signed, this indicates that the matter is resolved.

The Nursery has a legal right to report any suspicion of any form of abuse to the local authority. The Children’s Act 1989 places duty on the local authority to investigate such matters. The Nursery will follow the procedures set out in the local authority child protection documents, and when necessary will seek advice from Southwark Children’s Service.

OFSTED Contact Details:
The National Business Unit
Ofsted
Piccadilly Gate
Store Street
Manchester M1 2WD
Helpline: 0300 123 1231
Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk