Introduction to our Complaints and Appeals Policy and Procedures

This document sets out our policy and procedures on complaints and appeals. This begins with complaints – demonstrating a highly effective approach to dealing with complaints, communication throughout, putting things right and application of the learning into business as usual. The document then expands to demonstrate our appeals policy and procedure.

Authorisation

Pat Reid, Director of First Aid for Life is responsible for the overall implementation of the complaints and appeals policy.

Introduction to our Complaints Policy

and Procedures

First Aid For Life relies upon a positive relationship with its Faculty and Students to maintain its high standards, and to develop and improve the delivery of its education programmes. While complaints are exceptionally rare; First Aid for Life regards complaints as opportunities to learn and improve for the future, as well as a chance to put things right for the person or organisation that has made the complaint.

Feedback is sought using the following methodologies:

Informal Feedback:

During the opening session of each course, students and faculty are given the contact details of the course director, the ATI Director, and are encouraged to make contact as required.

Formal Feedback:

Students have the opportunity of providing written feedback at the end of every class, and on the post-course evaluation form.

Faculty Feedback:

Faculty may provide written feedback at any time, and at the post-course evaluation meetings.

The sections below provide a breakdown of our complaints policy and procedures. This includes our definition of a complaint and our procedure to ensure all complaints are investigated thoroughly, in a way that brings independence and transparency and that the right outcome is achieved. Our complaints procedure is designed with an external and internal focus:

External: a fully open and transparent complaints process that is focused on putting things rights for the complainant.

Internal: a fully open and transparent process that ensures learning is internalised and applied so that that organisation learns and benefits from the process.

Definition of a Complaint

First Aid for Life regard a complaint as any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about any aspect of what we do.

Where Complaints Come From

Anyone who engages with, or has a legitimate interest in, First Aid for Life. For example, this might include training participants/ students, PHECC, wider client organisations or wider stakeholders & Instructors. A complaint can be received verbally, by phone, by email or in writing.

Response to a compliant will be acknowledged immediately and a timeline for a full response will be given to the complainant depending on the nature of the compliant.

Complaints Policy

This Complaints Policy has been established to provide the direction for First Aid for Life on our approach to complaints. It is designed to support First Aid for Life in complying with good practice and to ensure that First Aid for Life personnel are fully aware of the policy and know how to handle a complaint. Ultimately this is about fully meeting customer requirements every time.

The following are the key guiding principles of our complaints policy and procedure:

Confidentiality: All information related to any complaint will be handled sensitively, telling only those who need to know and following all data protection requirements.

Responsibility: Pat Reid carries overarching responsibility for implementation of our complaints policy and procedure.

Empowered Personnel: our personnel are empowered to deal with any issue at the time and achieve resolve for any dissatisfaction. Where the individual(s) is not fully satisfied the complaints, procedure is then activated.

Receiving Complaints: complaints can be received by any member of our team. If received by telephone or in person the complaint will be transcribed including recording of the facts of the complaint, the complainants contact details, the relationship to First Aid for Life (e.g., a participant/ student or faculty). All faculty have been made aware of the complaints handling, policy, and process and how to proceed in the event of a complaint being received.

If the complaint is about Pat Reid, then the faculty member receiving the complaint will refer the complaint on to Mr Ben Heron, (Senior Instructor), he may then decide to refer the complaint on to the Medical Director DR Jenny Thompson.

Complaints from faculty will be handled directly by Pat Reid.
If the complaint from faculty is about Pat Reid, then the faculty member receiving the complaint will refer the complaint on to Mr Ben Heron, (Senior Instructor), he may then decide to refer the complaint on to the Medical Director DR Jenny Thompson.

The team member will explain this policy and procedure to the complainant and provide a copy of this policy and procedure document. They will also explain that a separate member of our team will investigate the complaint. The person who has taken the complaint will record the details in our complaints log and if this issue cannot be dealt with by this individual, they will pass to a relevant authorised complaints officer. The relevant authorised complaints officers are our Medical Director (Dr Jenny Thompson) and Ben Heron (Senior Instructor). In all cases the chosen complaints officer will be independent of the complaint.

Full Investigation of Complaints: complaints that are within the remit of First Aid for Life are fully investigated in line with our procedure (below). At all times the complainant (and any involved staff) will be kept fully informed. Investigation is likely to include discussion with the complainant to fully understand the complaint and root of dissatisfaction. However, this would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Once the complaint has been fully investigated the complaints officer will come to a decision and communicate that decision to all parties. This may be to dismiss the complaint (with full rationale provided in writing) or to act because of the complaint. Taking action to resolve the matter would be taken in consultation with the complainant and with a view to putting matters right. This is explained in more detail below. In all instances the complainant would be provided with information on our escalation process.

Escalation of Complaints: If the complainant is still not fully satisfied; they have the right to have the matter referred to the Director/ owner of First Aid for Life who will explore and investigate the complaint in full including consultation with the complainant and other relevant stakeholders and come to a final decision.

Variation of the Complaints Procedure: First Aid for Life may vary the procedure for good reason. This may be necessary to avoid a conflict of interest; for example, if the complaint is about an individual complaints officer in which case a different member of staff would be allocated.

Likewise, if the complaint is about Pat Reid, the medical Director Dr Jenny Thompson will be authorised to deal with the complaint.

Learning from Complaints

The relevant complaints officer would lead communication with all staff ensuring that the details of the complaint and the learning from the investigation become part of business as usual. This would be communicated to staff via a staff brief aimed at instilling learning so that a similar complaint would not occur again. This is very much part of our approach to learning and growth and the relevant complaints officer would take the lead in ensuring relevant changes are made to ensure that all instructors are fully up to speed on our latest policies & procedures and crucially our day-to-day practice, ( this is highlighted on our service level agreement which each instructor signs annually). Pat Reid would sign-off on any changes and take responsibility to ensure the new procedures are consistently applied.

This would be treated as part of the process of resolve and where appropriate communicated to the complainant and client organisation.

Principal Complaints Officer

Pat Reid

Director/ Owner First Aid For Life, 15 Cleevaun, Naas,

Co. Kildare.
Tel. 0868210349 (mobile) Email:

Life Skills Training

First Aid For Life

Version 1.5 February 2023 Page 7 of 8

For Life

Introduction to our Appeals Policy and

Procedures

This section presents our appeals policy and procedures. Both policy and procedures are designed as very simple but highly effective approaches to dealing effectively, accurately, and fairly with appeals and have been thoroughly tested by First Aid for Live. The policy and procedures are designed to be open and transparent and comply with good practice. 

Appeals Policy 

We recognise that participants, students, the PHECC and other stakeholders have the right to challenge any decision including any decision made by an instructor/ assessor. First Aid for Life have in place an appeals procedure which participants/ students can use if they wish to challenge an assessment/ grading decision. If a participant/ student wishes to exercise this right, the following procedure is applied. 

Appeals Procedure 

The appeal against an assessment/ grading decision must, in the first instance, be made in writing to the appeals officer within 10 days of receiving the result. This can be made via email or in hard copy. Once received the following procedure would be applied: 

1. The work will be assessed by another assessor. This would be delivered to an agreed timeframe and would include exploration of all information and if appropriate discussion with the appellant. The applicant would be notified of the decision and any change in assessment would be notified to the client organisation to ensure appropriate records are maintained. The appellant would receive award of qualification/ grading in a similar way than they would have had the decision been awarded first time. All decisions would be fully evidenced to the appellant. 
2. Option also exists to refer the matter to Pat Reid as Director and internal verifier, who would investigate the grading marking and decide on the correct grade. All decisions would be fully evidenced to the appellant. 
3. Finally, if the matter is still unresolved the student has the option to refer the matter to the Awarding Body. 

Principal Appeals Officer:

Pat Reid

Director/ Owner First Aid For Life, 15 Cleevaun, Naas,

Co. Kildare.
Tel. 0868210349 (mobile) email:.