Complaints Procedure

At Rowan Consultancy, 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.

Stage 1: Informal complaint

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, supervisor, coach, trainer, mediator, consultant or member of office staff. The recipient will hear the complaint from the person and seek to resolve it and/or make repair. 

The complainant may also raise the issue with the relevant Service Manager via counsellingmanagers@rowanconsult.co.uk. If the issue cannot be resolved at this stage, the complainant can choose to make a formal complaint (Stage 2).

Stage 2: Formal complaint to Rowan 

  1. If the complainant is not satisfied with the response in Stage 1, they can make a formal complaint. This can be done using our online form (opens in new window) or in writing to the Complaint Manager, at Rowan Consultancy, 121 Burghmuir Road, Perth, PH1 1JF,  including their full name, email address, phone number and permission for confidential information pertinent to the complaint to be disclosed by all parties cited in the complaint to those involved in handling the complaint. If the complainant is not able to make this complaint in writing, or through the online form, they can request a meeting to discuss the complaint with the senior partner or seek support from a local agency such as the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, other support/advocacy agencies contact details can be given on request.
  2. The Complaints Manager is usually the Senior Partner but if the complaint is against the Senior Partner, then the Complaints Manager will be another Partner. The Complaints Manager will submit the complaint to the Rowan Complaints Panel, usually consisting of the partners and the relevant Head of Department. At any stage of the complaint process parties can declare a conflict of interest to the Complaints Manager, who will appoint another investigator or Panel member.
  3. Anonymous complaints will not be investigated, but will be logged and may be raised with the consultant concerned.
  4. If the complaint is considered vexatious or malicious by the Complaints Manager, then it will not be investigated. The complainant will be informed of this. This does not stop the complainant making further complaints.
  5. The Complaints Manager will decide if there is a case to answer by considering whether there is sufficient corroborating evidence to support the complaint and will inform the complainant if there is not.
  6. If the person complained against has left Rowan Consultancy, we will still investigate the complaint to identify any systemic issues and will offer the person complained against the opportunity to give their side of the story.
  7. Complaints will only be dealt with if made within three years of the incident. Complaints will be accepted outside this limit if they are deemed to be in the public interest.
  8. Following the receipt of a formal complaint, a letter or email of acknowledgement will be sent within three working days, informing the complainant how and when their complaint will be dealt with.
  9. An investigation will take place within two months of the receipt of the complaint. This will include informing the person complained against and inviting them to present their evidence. Rowan will communicate, by email or letter, with the complainant and the person complained against about the progress of the investigation including informing them of the result and the reasons for the decision. Both parties will be told they can be accompanied, but not represented, by a supportive person of their choice, if they wish.
  10. The aim of the investigation will be to:
    • Establish what went wrong and offer an explanation
    • Enable discussion between Rowan Consultancy and the complainant
    • Ensure an apology is given where appropriate
    • Identify action to ensure the problem doesn’t happen again. Possible sanctions may include monitored supervision, suspension from duties at Rowan Consultancy, being reported to their professional body and any other measure deemed appropriate by the Complaints Panel. Any sanctions will be monitored by the Complaints Manager and communicated to the complainant and the person complained against by email. Any sanctions will be removed by the Complaints Manager by email once they have been fulfilled.
  11. Evidence from each party involved in the complaint will be heard separately.
  12. A complaint can be discontinued if the complainant fails or refuses to participate at any stage of the complaint procedure without good reason, or if the complainant formally withdraws their complaint. Both parties will be informed.
  13. The complaints procedure can be adjourned or put in recess at the discretion of the Complaints Manager, with due regard to time restraints and confidentiality. The process will be restarted at the point at which it was stopped, withing a reasonable time.
  14. All those involved will act confidentially in their handling of the complaint, unless there is an issue of child protection, or the law is being broken in terms of terrorism, drug trafficking or money laundering., They may seek legal or specialist advice.
  15. The investigator can halt the complaint at any stage should it emerge that legal action is underway, pending or intended, until any legal process is completed.

Stage 3: Appeal Process

An appeal will be heard if Rowan Consultancy has not followed this Complaints Procedure or there is new evidence available or the decision was not warranted or the sanction was disproportionate. Under these circumstances, the complainant 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 process 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.

Stage 4: Formal complaint to relevant professional body

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:

Counselling or Supervision:
COSCA (Counselling & Psychotherapy in Scotland)

Coaching
The professional body of which your coach is a member

Mediation
Scottish Mediation Network

COSCA Certificate in Counselling Skills and COSCA Certificate in Supervision Skills
COSCA (Counselling & Psychotherapy in Scotland)

Coaching Skills for Counsellors
Association for Coaching

 

Complaining on behalf of other parties

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

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.

Information specific to Counselling

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.

January 2025