Complaints about Initial Child Protection Conferences and Reviews
The complainant will address their complaint to the Chair of the Conference or to the Local Authority Complaints Manager, preferably in writing.
The complainant may only take this step if they believe that
The reports or actions of an agency representative during the meeting were unacceptable
The meeting was not properly convened
The meeting was not conducted in a way which was fair and which took account of any special need they may have had
The report of the meeting did not accurately reflect the decisions that were taken in the meeting
The Chair will record the details of the complaint and send a copy to the complainant unless they have made their complaint in writing.
The Business Manager will write to the complainant within five working days to explain this procedure and to inform the complainant of the steps that are to be taken.
The Business Manager will either make enquiries or cause them to be made in order to establish the facts and to obtain sufficient information to establish whether the complaint, or any part of it, is to be upheld.
In cases where the complaint is upheld, the Business Manager will instruct that the Conference is recalled.
The Business Manager will arrange for the decision to be made known in writing to the complainant within 28 working days of the receipt of the complaint.
In cases where the complainant does not accept the findings of the Business Manager, they will within 28 days of receiving the letter of decision, make known in writing to the Business Manager, their continued dissatisfaction.
The Business Manager will, as a matter of urgency, pass the record of the complaint to the Chair of the Telford & Wrekin Safeguarding Children Board.
The Chair of the Safeguarding Children Board will appoint two executive members of the Board to sit with him or her as a Complaint Panel and a suitable person to minute the proceedings of that panel. This hearing will be within 28 days of the letter of dissatisfaction.
The Panel will consider the facts and reach an adjudication as to whether or not the complaint is upheld. In doing so they may, by prior arrangement, ask for the attendance of any relevant participant of the Initial Conference or Review in question. They may direct that the Conference is recalled.
The Panel’s decision is final and will be given in writing to the complainant within five working days of the Panel hearing, together with suitable information about recourse to the Local Government Commissioner.