CAF

[Etienne]

Hi zeinab

I had made a note to write to you around 8th June!

I suggest you ask your newly elected MP to "ask questions" of the EFA.
You will need to provide your case reference number, and the dates of your last communications with the EFA.

The delays seem intolerable.

Best to avoid making a formal complaint at the moment. It could be a very slow procedure (and the grounds are rather restricted).

[zeinab]

Hello Etienne

My opinion is that if the ball was on their side of the court they would have responded sooner. But the delay tells me that they think by not responding at all, I'd finally give up and walk away. Just my opinion.

I'll wait until the 8th and take it from there, thank you.

[zeinab]

Hello Etienne,

Phoned EFA just now to get an update or even to speak to the person who sent the email in February. Was told the person no longer works there and my case has been closed!

How did that happen ?

However, their first explanation was that someone will be chasing it up and updating me.

[Etienne]

Was told the person no longer works there and my case has been closed!

[zeinab]

Etienne,

Thought before I make a complaint involving my MP I would just see exactly what the delay was due to.

Phoned the EFA & was transferred from one officer to another. The 3rd told me that they would put me through to the person who sent me the email last Feb. After being put on hold for 10 minutes I was told he longer worked there! So I asked to speak to someone else and was told that I would get the same response. But he said his colleague would phone up the dept that was dealing with it and ask them to contact me. So I asked if I could have the dept's contact number so I could speak to them direct. He said they didn't give out numbers of that particular dept. When I persisted he put me through to someone else who said they would check to see what happened to my complaint using the ref number I quoted, then after a 10 minute wait again the person told me the case was closed. So when I told her I wasn't informed she said to contact the dept investigating the matter, which I have not as yet.

[Etienne]

Sounds chaotic!

I wonder if they're going to claim that they sent you an email with their decision, which must have gone astray.

[zeinab]

Hello Etienne

When I told them I'd not received any emails since 15th Feb , the 1st person I spoke to said that he could see nothing was sent. The 3rd person told me it 'possibly' could be caught up in my junk mail, but that she wasn't 100% sure if they had sent it at all. Have been looking out for their email since Feb, incl both junk and deleted emails. Double and treble checked yesterday and nothing.

Shall I send an email to the dept (same email address) ? What do I say ?

Really feel uncomfortable about how this investigation has been handled from beginning to end. But let's hope this is not the end!

[Etienne]

Phoned the EFA & was transferred from one officer to another. The 3rd told me that they would put me through to the person who sent me the email last Feb. After being put on hold for 10 minutes I was told he longer worked there! So I asked to speak to someone else and was told that I would get the same response. But he said his colleague would phone up the dept that was dealing with it and ask them to contact me. So I asked if I could have the dept's contact number so I could speak to them direct. He said they didn't give out numbers of that particular dept. When I persisted he put me through to someone else who said they would check to see what happened to my complaint using the ref number I quoted, then after a 10 minute wait again the person told me the case was closed. So when I told her I wasn't informed she said to contact the dept investigating the matter, which I have not as yet.

When I told them I'd not received any emails since 15th Feb , the 1st person I spoke to said that he could see nothing was sent. The 3rd person told me it 'possibly' could be caught up in my junk mail, but that she wasn't 100% sure if they had sent it at all. Have been looking out for their email since Feb, incl both junk and deleted emails. Double and treble checked yesterday and nothing.

Hi zeinab

It's up to you whether you want to try and get to the bottom of all this yourself, or whether to seek some help from your MP. Personally I'd try the latter route, provided the MP seems willing to act fairly quickly in querying what has been going on.

Point out:

Complaint (ref ........) to the EFA about the conduct of school admission appeal:

1. The original complaint (dated last September) was re-opened in February because the EFA case officer had overlooked apparent breaches of the Code in the clerk's notes which (at the time) you had been refused access to.

2. At the end of March you phoned the EFA to ask what was happening, and were told "the complaints team are still dealing with it".

3. Copy the details (which I've quoted above) of your latest calls to the EFA.

4. You have been incredibly patient. Ask whether these delays and the failure to communicate are acceptable.

5. Ask whether the EFA no longer observe the following:

• • Responses from the complainant and the Academy will be considered by the EFA before findings are confirmed. Within 10 working days, the EFA will inform all parties concerned of its final decision and the actions it will take (see below). This concludes the investigation.
    
    If at any point during the investigation, the EFA encounters a delay in responding to / providing correspondence, the complainant will be notified of the delay and be given details of when a response will be provided.

6. Ask why your complaint appears to have been closed (without your knowledge) and what exactly the reasons for this are.

[PettswoodFiona]

I have been following this and just want to say Zainab that I think you have been treated abominably. I hope you get a resolution.

[zeinab]

Will take it further with my newly elected MP.