Complaints Policy

Policy Statement

Home From Home Canterbury recognises that there may be legitimate concerns or complaints from students, staff, schools, parents or homestays relating to Home From Home Canterbury. As a company we encourage these concerns or complaints being made known to Home From Home Canterbury staff so that they can be addressed in partnership with us, and we can continuously improve our service.

At Home From Home Canterbury we:

  • Take all concerns and complaints seriously.
  • Make every effort to deal with concerns or complaints informally and at an early stage;
  • Aim to resolve all complaints within 28 working days of the complaint being received. Timeframes are detailed at each stage of this policy; however, in circumstances where complaints are unusually complex, timeframes may be extended in order to complete a thorough investigation.;
  • Ensure that complaints are dealt with in line with the procedures set out in this document;
  • Make reasonable adjustments for complainants who need support, such as accessible formats or meeting locations.
  • Make a copy of this policy and procedures available, ideally on our website;
  • Ensure that complaints are resolved either to the complainant’s satisfaction or with an otherwise appropriate outcome;
  • Ensure that, where appropriate, a full and fair investigation of the issue is undertaken;
  • Ensure that no-one, including students, are penalised for making a complaint in good faith;
  • Keep a written record, for at least three years, of all complaints, the action taken and at what stage they were resolved;
  • Review regularly at senior management level the written record of complaints and their outcomes;
  • Keep confidential all records relating to individual complaints;
  • A record of formal complaints and their outcomes is kept by Becky Stone in electronic copy, regardless of whether they were upheld.

Complaints Procedure

Stage 1: Informal Stage

It is hoped that most concerns or complaints can be resolved informally. A concern or complaint can be made in person, in writing or by telephone. They may also be made by a third party acting on behalf of a complainant, as long as they have appropriate consent to do so. Concerns should be raised with Becky Stone who will:

  • Keep a record of the complaint and any action taken;
  • Respond to all complaints or concerns within 24 hours;
  • Investigate the concern or complaint;
  • Report back to the complainant within 5 working days.

If the issue remains unresolved, the next step is to make a formal complaint.

Stage 2: Formal Stage

If the complainant is not satisfied with how the complaint has been handled, they can make a formal complaint, they may make a formal complaint. This should be submitted in writing to Becky Stone, Director & Designated Safeguarding Lead.

If the complaint relates directly to Becky Stone, the complainant may refer the matter directly to AEGIS (The Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students) or another appropriate external body. They will:

  • Keep a record of the complaint and any action taken;
  • Respond initially to the complainant within 24 hours;
  • Investigate the concern or complaint – this may take some time but in any event they will keep the complainant informed of progress made;
  • Report back to the complainant formally in writing no later than 28 working days;
  • If the issue remains unresolved, the next step is to refer the matter to AEGIS.

Stage 3: Referral of the matter to AEGIS

If complainants are not satisfied with the outcome as decided by Home From Home Canterbury at stage 2, they can contact AEGIS to report their concerns if they wish to do so. Relevant contact details are set out below:

Yasemin Wigglesworth
Executive Officer Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students (AEGIS)
The Wheelhouse,
Bond’s Mill Estate,
Bristol Road, Stonehouse,
Gloucestershire,
GL10 3RF

+44 (0) 1453 821293

https://aegisuk.net/

Repetitious, Vexatious and Unreasonable Complaints

In rare cases, we may deviate from our usual Complaints procedure (as outlined above). This includes:

Repetitious Complaints

If a complaint has already been fully addressed and a clear response provided, the complainant will be informed in writing that the process is complete, and no further engagement will occur.

Vexatious Complaints

A complaint may be deemed vexatious if it is:

  • Persistent, obsessive, or harassing
  • Unrealistic or unreasonable in its demands
  • Designed to cause disruption or annoyance

Examples include refusing to co-operate, changing the complaint repeatedly, making excessive demands, or spreading false information. In such cases, further engagement may be refused.

Unreasonable Conduct

If a complainant behaves in an aggressive, abusive, offensive, or threatening manner, the following actions may be taken:

  • Inform the complainant that their pursuit of the complaint is unreasonable and request that they stop.
  • Handle the complaint without a hearing.
  • Refuse to consider the complaint further.

Additionally, contact may be restricted, such as limiting communication to letters or a named person. If their behaviour poses a serious threat, the police may be involved, or legal action may be taken without prior warning.

Review

We are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually.

This policy was last reviewed on: 4 May 2026

Reviewed by:

Becky Stone
Director & Designated Safeguarding Lead