Complaints Procedure

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

Last updated: 15 July 2026

1. Purpose

Joyful Tutors Ltd aims to provide thoughtful, professional and responsive educational services.

This procedure explains how customers, students, tutors and others can raise concerns or complaints.

2. How to complain

Complaints should be sent to hello@joyfultutors.com.

Please include

your name and contact details;

the student’s name where relevant;

the service, lesson, tutor or issue involved;

relevant dates;

what happened;

steps already taken;

supporting documents or screenshots; and

the outcome you are seeking.

Anonymous complaints may be considered, but anonymity can limit our ability to investigate or respond.

3. Safeguarding complaints

A safeguarding concern should be reported immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead:

Erika Moreno

Email: hello@joyfultutors.com

Telephone: +44 7441 442617

Safeguarding matters may bypass the normal complaints stages and be referred directly to children’s services, the police, the LADO, DBS or another authority.

4. Stage 1: informal resolution

Where appropriate, we encourage concerns to be raised promptly and informally.

We will aim to

acknowledge the concern the same working day where reasonably possible, and no later than two working days;

clarify the issue;

speak to relevant people;

identify a practical solution; and

confirm the outcome in writing where appropriate.

5. Stage 2: formal written complaint

If the matter is serious, unresolved or unsuitable for informal handling, it will be treated as a formal complaint.

We will

acknowledge receipt the same working day where reasonably possible, and no later than two working days;

identify the person handling the complaint;

gather relevant information;

give relevant people a fair opportunity to respond;

consider contracts, policies and records; and

aim to provide a written response within three working days.

Complex complaints may require more time. If so, we will explain the reason and provide a revised target date. We will normally aim to complete the formal stage within 15 working days.

6. Stage 3: review

A complainant may request a review where they believe

relevant evidence was overlooked;

the procedure was materially unfair;

the conclusion was unreasonable; or

new evidence has become available.

A review request should be made within 10 working days of the formal response and explain the grounds.

The review will be conducted by an independent senior education, safeguarding or professional adviser appointed by Joyful Tutors Ltd who was not involved in the original decision.

The reviewer may

uphold the original outcome;

change the outcome;

request further investigation;

recommend corrective action; or

identify service improvements.

The review outcome will normally be final within our internal procedure.

7. Complaints concerning the founder

Where a complaint concerns Erika Moreno personally, it will not be investigated solely by her.

An independent adviser will be appointed where practicable.

Safeguarding, criminal, regulatory or data-protection matters may also be referred to the relevant external authority.

8. Possible outcomes

Outcomes may include

explanation;

apology;

correction;

replacement tutor;

rescheduled lesson;

credit or refund where appropriate;

additional support or monitoring;

policy or process change;

training;

contractual action; or

no further action where the complaint is not upheld.

9. Fairness and confidentiality

Complaints will be handled as confidentially as reasonably possible.

Information may be shared with

the complainant;

tutors or contractors involved;

independent advisers;

insurers or legal advisers;

safeguarding authorities;

regulators; or

law-enforcement bodies.

Everyone involved should be treated fairly and given an opportunity to respond.

10. Vexatious, abusive or repetitive complaints

We will not treat a complaint as vexatious simply because it is persistent, critical or inconvenient.

However, after written warning, we may restrict communication where conduct is abusive, threatening, discriminatory, excessively repetitive or clearly intended to harass or disrupt.

Restrictions will be proportionate and will not prevent genuine safeguarding, legal or regulatory concerns from being raised.

11. Records and retention

Ordinary complaint records will normally be retained for six years after closure where necessary for contractual, insurance, legal or service-improvement purposes.

Safeguarding complaint records may be retained for longer according to their nature and applicable guidance.

We will not keep complaint information longer than reasonably necessary.

12. External routes

This procedure does not prevent anyone from contacting an appropriate external body.

Depending on the issue, this may include

the Information Commissioner’s Office for data-protection matters;

local authority children’s services;

the police;

the Local Authority Designated Officer;

the Disclosure and Barring Service;

a court or tribunal;

Citizens Advice; or

another regulator or professional body.

The Tutors’ Association is not described as a guaranteed appeal body unless it expressly agrees to become involved in a particular matter.

13. Learning from complaints

We may review complaint themes to improve

tutor matching;

communication;

safeguarding;

lesson quality;

systems;

training; and

policies.

 

Joyful Tutors Ltd | Company 15262066 | hello@joyfultutors.com