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Practical Guides

Step-by-step walkthroughs to help school leaders, complaints managers, investigating officers (Complaints Owner), and governance clerks manage complaints effectively, fairly, and in full compliance with Department for Education (DfE) model procedures.

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Guide 1: Logging a New Complaint & Dispatching Complainant Credentials

When an informal concern cannot be resolved or a parent requests a formal Stage 2 investigation, Complaints Managers can record the case and invite the complainant to submit formal details:
1

Open the Complaints Dashboard

From the main navigation sidebar, select Complaints (or navigate to /complaints).
2

Create the Complaint Record

Click the Add Complaint button in the top right of the table header:
  • Enter the complainant’s Full Name and Email Address.
  • Optionally select a designated Complaint Owner (investigating officer), or leave unassigned to allocate during triage.
  • Click Save to create the record.
3

Automated Credential Dispatch

The system assigns a unique reference number (e.g. CMP-2026-001) and automatically dispatches an introductory email to the complainant containing a secure, passwordless magic login link and one-time password (OTP).
4

Complainant Portal Submission

The complainant logs into the external portal at /complaint and completes the four mandatory submission sections:
  • Telephone & Address: Verified contact details for formal correspondence.
  • Complaint Details: Narrative account of the incident or grievance.
  • Stage 1 Action Taken: Summary of informal discussions or meetings previously held with school staff.
  • Why Stage 1 Was Unsatisfactory: Explanation of why earlier informal measures failed to resolve the issue.
  • Stage 2 Action Requested: Specific remedies or outcomes sought from the school.
Once submitted by the complainant, their statement permanently locks to preserve evidentiary integrity and prevent retroactive alterations.

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Guide 2: Recording School Context Notes & Running AI Policy Triage

Before proceeding with formal decisions, school staff document internal context and engage automated AI policy evaluation:
1

Open the Complaint Dossier

On the main Complaints dashboard, click on the complaint row or select View from the row menu to open the case dossier (/complaints/{id}).
2

Review Complainant Submission

Inspect the four complainant submission cards detailing their grievance, informal history, dissatisfaction reasons, and requested remedies.
3

Record Internal Staff Notes

In the rich text editor beneath each of the four cards, input internal staff context:
  • Details Notes: Contextual facts, internal records, witness accounts, or initial staff observations.
  • Stage 1 Action Notes: School records of informal meetings, phone calls, or interventions previously attempted.
  • Stage 1 Unsatisfactory Notes: Internal perspective on why informal resolution was rejected.
  • Stage 2 Action Requested Notes: Assessment of whether requested remedies are viable, proportionate, or outside school authority.
4

Execute AI Policy Triage

Once text is entered across all four notes fields, click Submit for Triage. The ComplaintTriager AI agent evaluates the submission against your school’s published complaints policy URL and generates:
  • Executive Summary: Synthesised overview of allegations.
  • Scope Assessment: Verification of whether the matter falls under the complaints procedure (or separate statutory mechanisms such as admissions or exclusions).
  • Reasonableness & Proportionality: Analysis of serial, vexatious, or unreasonable complaint criteria.
  • Informal Resolution Opportunities: Practical avenues for mediation or de-escalation.
Internal staff notes are strictly confidential to staff with Complaints Owner or Complaints Manager roles and are never displayed on the external complainant portal.

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Guide 3: Processing Stage 2 Triage Decisions & Dispatching Draft Responses

Complaints Managers review the AI triage evaluation and execute one of four formal procedural pathways:
Proceed with Stage 2 Investigation
  1. In the Triage Decision card, select Investigate.
  2. Ensure a Complaint Owner is assigned to lead the investigation.
  3. Click Confirm Decision. The AI generates an Investigator Briefing Report outlining key allegations, relevant regulations, and suggested interview questions.

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Guide 4: Conducting Stage 2 Investigations & Finalising Substantive Outcomes

When a formal investigation is initiated, the investigating officer and manager collaborate to document findings and record formal outcomes:
1

Review the Investigator Briefing

The assigned Complaint Owner opens the dossier and reviews the AI-generated briefing highlighting primary allegations, school risks, and recommended lines of enquiry.
2

Conduct Enquiries & Gather Evidence

Interview relevant staff, review pupil records, and gather documentary evidence in accordance with school policy timescales.
3

Document Outcome Rationale

Navigate to the Outcome Reason tab in the dossier. Using the rich text editor, author a comprehensive summary of findings, evidence evaluated, and corrective recommendations.
4

Record Substantive Outcome

In the Investigation Outcome card, select the formal determination:
  • Upheld: The complaint was substantiated in full; remedies or policy changes are specified.
  • Partially Upheld: Elements of the complaint were substantiated, while others were unfounded.
  • Not Upheld: Investigation concluded that school procedures were correctly followed and no fault was identified.
5

Verify & Finalise in Confirmation Modal

Click Save. A confirmation modal prompts the manager to verify that the outcome rationale is complete and accurate. Confirming locks the text against further modification, records the completion timestamp, and automatically emails the complainant with the complete PDF complaint report attached.

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Guide 5: Managing Stage 3 Appeal Panels & Final Determinations

If a complainant remains dissatisfied following the Stage 2 outcome, they may request escalation to an independent governor review panel:
1

Initiate Stage 3 Review

On the complaint row or dossier header, a Complaints Manager clicks Start Stage 3 Review and confirms. The status transitions to Stage 3 Open, and the complainant is notified by email with login credentials.
2

Complainant Submits Appeal Grounds

The complainant accesses /complaint and completes two appeal fields:
  • Reasons Stage 2 Outcome Was Unsatisfactory: Detailed grounds of appeal identifying procedural flaws, overlooked evidence, or disproportionate outcomes.
  • Stage 3 Action Requested: Desired remedy sought from the panel.
3

Record Appeal Notes & Run Stage 3 AI Triage

Staff record internal notes for both appeal items and click Submit for Triage. The ComplaintStage3Triager AI evaluates whether the appeal meets criteria for a panel hearing.
4

Execute Stage 3 Triage Decision

  • Proceed to Panel: Select Investigate to convene the review panel. The Stage 3 Review Outcome card and Stage 3 Outcome Reason tab become active.
  • Dismiss Appeal: Select Out of Scope or Unreasonable to generate and dispatch an editable refusal letter explaining why a panel will not be convened.
5

Convene Hearing & Record Final Panel Determination

Following the panel hearing:
  1. Navigate to the Stage 3 Outcome Reason tab and enter the panel’s comprehensive findings, recommendations, and governance observations.
  2. In the Stage 3 Review Outcome card, select the determination (Upheld, Partially Upheld, or Not Upheld).
  3. Click Save and confirm in the verification modal. The determination locks, and an automated email containing the full updated PDF dossier is sent to the complainant, complaints inbox, and investigating owner.

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Guide 6: Delegating Roles, Impersonation & Module Administration

Complaints Managers and Administrators configure operational parameters and assist complainants when necessary:
  • Complaints Owners (/complaints/admin/owners): Assign teachers, department heads, or pastoral leads responsible for investigating assigned cases and drafting findings.
  • Complaints Viewers (/complaints/admin/viewers): Grant read-only access to governors, trust executives, or external auditors who require visibility without editing permissions.
Navigate to Manage > Admin (/complaints/admin) to configure school communication defaults:
  • Complaints Email Address: The dedicated email inbox for formal correspondence (e.g. complaints@school.org).
  • Complaints Email Name: The sender display name on outgoing notification emails (e.g. Oakridge Academy Complaints Team).
  • Published Complaints Procedure URL: The exact web address of your school’s published policy. AI triage uses this link to ensure evaluations adhere strictly to your published deadlines and criteria.
If a parent reports difficulty navigating the portal or requests verification of submitted statements:
  1. Locate the complaint on the main dashboard.
  2. Click the row action menu and select Impersonate.
  3. View the external portal exactly as seen by the complainant to guide them or verify submitted details.
  • Archiving: Once resolved, archive complaints from the row menu to remove them from active views while preserving audit trails.
  • Restoring: Toggle to the Archived tab on the main dashboard and select Restore from any complaint row menu.
  • Permanent Deletion: Delete records only when required by statutory data retention schedules.

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Guide 7: Generating Evidential PDF Dossiers & Hearing Packs

Generate clean, chronologically indexed documentation for governors, trust boards, and panel hearings:
Open any complaint dossier and click Print PDF in the header (or select Export to PDF from the dashboard row menu). The system compiles a complete document containing:
  • Complainant contact details and submission timestamps.
  • Complainant statements and requested remedies across Stage 2 and Stage 3.
  • Confidential internal staff notes and context.
  • AI triage evaluations, scope checks, and investigator briefings.
  • Stage 2 and Stage 3 outcome determinations, completion dates, and written rationales.

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Detailed Reference Documentation

Operational Workflows

Deep dive into multi-stage lifecycles, state machine transitions, and automated notification triggers.

Getting Started Guide

Step-by-step setup guide for administrators and newly appointed complaints managers.