The Voluntary Adoption Agencies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010

Complaints

12.—(1) The registered provider and the manager shall establish a written procedure for considering complaints (referred to in these Regulations as “the complaints procedure”) made by or on behalf of—

(a) children who may be adopted;

(b) parents or guardians of such children; and

(c) adopted persons, their parents, natural parents and former guardians.

(2) The complaints procedure shall, in particular, provide—

(a) for an opportunity for informal resolution of a complaint at an early stage;

(b) that no person who is the subject of a complaint takes part in its consideration other than, if the registered provider or the manager considers it appropriate, at the informal resolution stage only;

(c) for dealing with complaints about the registered provider, the responsible individual or the manager; and

(d) for complaints to be made by a person acting on behalf of a child.

(3) The registered provider and the manager shall provide a copy of the complaints procedure to every person working for the purposes of the agency and shall provide, upon request, a copy of the procedure to any person mentioned in paragraph (1) (a) to (c).

(4) The copy of the complaints procedure supplied under paragraph (3) shall include—

(a) the name, address and telephone number of the RQIA; and

(b) details of the procedure (if any) which has been notified to the registered provider by the RQIA for the making of complaints to the RQIA that relate to the agency.