We will make every effort to make this complaints procedure as accessible as possible by responding to requests for other formats. If complainants have any difficulty understanding our complaints procedure they can contact Rowan on 01738 562005 or email us through our contact page.
Rowan Consultancy will endeavour to resolve complaints at a local level and complainants are asked to raise their concerns with the Rowan consultant concerned in the first instance i.e. their counsellor, coach, trainer, mediator consultant, or member of office staff. The consultant involved will hear the complaint from the person and seek to resolve it and/or make repair. If this cannot happen at this level the complainant will be informed about how to make a formal complaint (Stage 2).
If the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of their formal complaint, they can appeal to the Complaint Manager within 30 days of learning of the outcome. A new investigation will be conducted by an independent and impartial external investigator, who will be appointed to investigate the complaint in accordance with the points in Stage 2, except that the independent investigation will be completed within six months, rather than two months.
The investigator will meet with the complainant, who may be accompanied by a supportive person of their choice to explain the outcome of the investigation. This meeting may be in person or online or via telephone, depending on the complaints preference and what is practical.
If the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome from the independent investigator then she will refer them to the relevant professional body as follows:
If the complaint relates to an ILM course and the learner remains unsatisfied after exhausting the ILM complaints procedure, they can complain directly to Ofqual or to the Scottish Qualifications Authority(SQA).
Rowan Consultancy is acutely aware of the need for confidentiality and will not accept a complaint by a representative of someone who has received services from Rowan, without prior written consent from the person involved. Complaints by third parties on their own behalf, stating that they have been affected by the service Rowan has provided to someone else, will not be accepted.
Records will be kept detailing the nature of the complaint raised, Rowan's response, any action taken and the reasons for it. These records will be kept confidential and retained in accordance with current General Data Protection Regulation, which requires the release of certain data to individuals on their request. Copies of any meeting records will be given to the individual concerned, on request, although in certain circumstances some information may be withheld, for example to protect a witness.
Rowan is required to submit to an Outcome Report to COSCA within a month of the conclusion of our complaints process related to counselling. COSCA will publish upheld complaints and their sanctions regarding COSCA Individual members or member organisations.
If the person complained against has left Rowan Consultancy, we will send an outcome report to COSCA, who may investigate if the person complained against is a COSCA member.
Complainants to COSCA must submit their complaint within one month of the exhaustion of Rowan's appeal procedure. A copy of COSCA's Complaints Procedure can be found on COSCA's website under Complaints:www.cosca.org.uk , which also contains COSCA's full contact details.
COSCA will, on receipt of the complaint, verify that Rowan's complaints procedure has been followed and the outcome was lawful, reasonable and properly explained.
