Last updated: May 2026

Review date: May 2027

The nursery complaints log is maintained as part of the Compliments and Complaints folder located in the main entrance hall, where it is available for sharing with parents. Entries in the complaints log are created in response to any complaint received.

When completing the record bear in mind it must be shared with any parent who asks to see it as well as with Ofsted. It is important to maintain appropriate confidentiality when filling in the record. This means that you should not name the person making the complaint or any persons (adults and children) that relate to the complaint. If this is needed, then a duplicate can be made with a summary and the original kept securely in the office for an audit.

Source of complaint

We need to record who made the complaint. Where people complain to Ofsted, they will normally refer all such complainants to us in the first instance. Where Ofsted carries out an investigation into our continued suitability to provide childcare following a complaint, they will tell us of the outcome of their investigation. Where they do this, Ofsted should be entered as the source along with the Ofsted complaint number, if known.

Nature of complaint

Record one or more of the areas to which the complaint refers. We must record all details associated with the complaint, taking care not to name individuals. For example, use ‘child A’, ‘staff member B’.

How it was dealt with

We must provide information on how we investigated the complaint. We will need to record:

• the process that was taken to ensure that the complaint was fully investigated, such as interviews, reviews of records
• who was involved in the investigation without identifying any individuals named in the complaint including staff or any child
• any referrals made to an external agency, for example local authority environmental health departments or social services.

Actions and outcomes

We must provide details about the outcome of an investigation. We will need to record:

• any action(s) identified
• any actions set or taken by Ofsted
• any action taken by another external agency, where permission has been given to do so
• the outcome of our investigation, identifying any areas where we feel we could make improvement to our provision
• If any members of staff were dismissed following the investigation and if so, under what circumstances. If a member of staff was dismissed for misconduct, because they placed a child at risk of significant harm, the individual may need to be referred for inclusion on the DBS barred list, LADO records and Ofsted must be informed.