Complaints Policy
1. Purpose of this policy
This policy explains how you can raise a concern or complaint about Calm Pathways, and how we will respond.
- Listen carefully when something has not felt right
- Put things right where we can
- Learn from feedback to improve our service
We aim to handle all complaints in a fair, respectful and timely way.
2. Who this policy is for
- Children and young people who use Calm Pathways
- Parents, carers and families
- Referring organisations and professionals
- Anyone affected by the work of Calm Pathways
3. Our role as a coaching service
- Offer gentle, person‑centred coaching to support small, meaningful changes
- Work alongside other services, not instead of them
- Are not a mental health service, crisis service, or a replacement for statutory children’s or adults’ services
If your concern relates to medical care, diagnosis, social care decisions or emergency response, we may signpost you to the appropriate service (for example, GP, CAMHS, social care, emergency services).
4. What you can complain about
- Been unhelpful, unprofessional or unsafe
- Not met the standards set out in our policies
- Treated you or someone else unfairly or disrespectfully
5. How to raise a concern informally
Sometimes concerns can be resolved quickly through an informal conversation.
- Listen and take your concern seriously
- Try to understand what has happened from your point of view
- Offer an explanation, apology or practical steps where appropriate
6. How to make a formal complaint
- Put your complaint in writing
- Include your name and contact details
- Describe what happened, when, and who was involved
- Explain how this has affected you
- Say what outcome you are hoping for
7. How we will handle your complaint
When we receive a formal complaint, we will aim to acknowledge receipt, consider all information, and provide a response sharing any actions taken or apologies where needed.
8. Safeguarding and serious concerns
If your complaint raises safeguarding concerns, we will follow our Safeguarding Policy, which may involve sharing information with relevant services to prioritize safety.
9. Confidentiality and information sharing
We treat complaints sensitively and aim to respect privacy, only sharing necessary information with bodies such as safeguarding teams or professional advisers where appropriate.
10. If you are not satisfied with the outcome
If you remain unhappy, you can contact us again or raise your concern with relevant external bodies such as local authority safeguarding teams.
11. Contact details
Calm Pathways
Email: info@thecalmpathways.co.uk
Location: Based in Derbyshire, UK
In an emergency, please contact emergency services (999) or your local safeguarding team.