Complaints Policy

RESOLVING COMPLAINTS

Fixation Academy of Performing Arts (FAPA) is committed to ensuring that all students and members participating in any of our classes/projects/holiday camps have a positive and rewarding experience. At Fixation Academy of Performing Arts we aim to work in partnership with parents to deliver a high quality Academy and childcare service for everyone. If for any reason we fall short of this goal, we would like to be informed in order to amend our practices for the future. Our complaints policy is displayed on the premises at all times. Records of all complaints are kept for at least three years. A summary of complaints is available for parents on request.

The manager is usually responsible for dealing with complaints. If the complaint is about the manager, the registered person (Directors) or other senior member of staff will investigate the matter. Any complaints received about staff members will be recorded on an Incident log and a Complaints log will be completed. 

HOW TO MAKE A COMPLAINT

If your complaint relates to a specific event or project delivered by FAPA the initial contact should be with the employee running the event, who will do their best to resolve your complaint. If, after this initial contact, you feel that your concern has not been addressed, you should then contact the FAPA office and ask to speak to a member of the Senior Management Team, who will assist you. 

Any complaints made will be dealt with in the following manner:

Stage one

Complaints about aspects of an activity/event or project:

• The manager will discuss the matter informally with the parent or carer concerned and aim to reach a satisfactory resolution.

Complaints about an individual staff member:

• If appropriate the parent will be encouraged to discuss the matter with staff concerned.
• If the parent feels that this is not appropriate, the matter will be discussed with the
  manager, who will then discuss the complaint with the staff member and try to reach a satisfactory resolution.

Stage two

If it is impossible to reach a satisfactory resolution to the complaint through informal discussion, the parent or carer should put their complaint in writing to the manager via info@fixationacademy.co.uk. The manager will:

• Acknowledge receipt of the letter within 7 days.
• Investigate the matter and notify the complainant of the outcome within 28 days.
• Send a full response in writing, to all relevant parties, including details of any recommended
  changes to be made to the Club’s practices or policies as a result of the complaint.
• Meet relevant parties to discuss the Club’s response to the complaint, either together or on
  an individual basis.

If child protection issues are raised, the manager will refer the situation to the Club’s Child Protection Officer, who will then contact the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and follow the procedures of the Safeguarding Children Policy. If a criminal act may have been committed, the manager will contact the police.

Making a complaint to Ofsted
Any parent or carer can submit a complaint to Ofsted about Fixation Academy of Performing Arts at any time. Ofsted will consider and investigate all complaints. Ofsted’s address is: Ofsted, Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester M1 2WD

Telephone:

• 0300 123 1231 (general enquiries)
• 0300 123 4666 (complaints)

If you have concerns that your complaint was not handled correctly in the first instance and still believe that you have not had a satisfactory outcome, you should contact the Directors, Laura Davitt / Carly Pryke in writing to laura@fixationacademy.co.uk / carly@fixationacademy.co.uk, who will investigate the procedures followed subsequent to you lodging your complaint. If, after reviewing the procedures the Director, discovers discrepancies, a further investigation will be carried out. If, after reviewing the procedures, the Director is happy that the procedures were followed correctly, and your complaint has been addressed, the matter will be closed. 

FAPA will only review an original response to a complaint once, and when the Director is satisfied that the response and the outcome were satisfactory, there will be no further investigation or appeal.

FAPA refers to our complaint procedure within all T&Cs when booking and also on our website. 

• Written in accordance with the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2021): Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements: Complaints [3.75-3.76].