The local authority officers understand the pressure that a complaint about a school or personnel creates for school leaders. However, the governing body or board of trustees are responsible for managing complaints in a school not the local authority, and to support this all schools must have an agreed complaints process available on their website.

Schools may also wish to consider developing a Zero Tolerance policy to avoid repetitive complaints, and a clear communication strategy that outlines reasonable approaches to communication.

Best practice guidance for school complaints procedures 2020 - GOV.UK

The local authority does however have overarching responsibility for safeguarding and special education needs (SEND) in all of its schools regardless of the school’s status, and therefore there are times when a concern is raised with the local authority and when it described as being a safeguarding or SEND concern.

Such concerns can be raised with the local authority by:

• Ofsted,
• the DfE
• a direct contact through the local authority’s complaints portal,

and may be on behalf of

• a pupil/parent/ member of the public
• a Member of Parliament on behalf of a constituent,
• a county councillor on behalf of a member of their Ward.

Wherever possible the first response is to direct the complainant to use the school’s complaints’ process, but frequently further enquiry is required.

Where this is the case, senior officers are required to liaise with both maintained schools and academies to determine the origin of the concern and its detail.  This is usually led by the school improvement manager, but may be a senior officer in social care, SEND, or from the inclusion support service.

There are also times when the linked school improvement manager needs to across several departments to cover all aspects of the concerns that are raised. At all times the concerns raised and support for school leaders, will be handled sensitively.

Where appropriate the school leader will be contacted to discuss the concern and the identified local authority respondent will prepare a for Ofsted, the DfE or the MP, councillor as appropriate.

All written responses are agreed by the Assistant Director (E&I) and use a formal response template.

The local authority and Ofsted may intervene in a school where there are safeguarding concerns or issues in relation to SEND practice.

When the complaint/ concern has already been received and managed by the governing body/trustees, the DfE/Secretary of State will not overrule a governing body decision but may direct it to review its decision in line with a policy.