Complaints Procedure
The Institute of Pranic Healing UK & Ireland (Institute) and its representatives make every effort to maintain high standards in everything we do. However, we recognise that occasions may arise where behaviour or situations fall short of the required standard.
The standards you can expect of us are set out in the Institute’s Code of Conduct and Ethics.
This document sets out the process we will follow if a complaint is received about the Institute or one of our Staff, Instructors or Diamond Level Members.
Who can raise a complaint?
Complaints may be raised by any individual or organisation.
The Institute may also activate the complaints procedure ourselves if we have reason to believe the Code of Conduct and Ethics may have been breached by an Instructor or Diamond Level Member.
How to make a complaint
Complaints should be made in writing to: complaints@ukpranichealing.co.uk
Please provide us with:
- Your full name
- Your email address and telephone number
- Details of the situation or behaviour you are complaining about. Please include any key dates and provide the name of the person you are complaining about, if you know it.
- Any supporting information that is relevant to your complaint.
Anonymous complaints will be dealt with using the same procedure as below; however, we will only be able to update you about the outcome of an investigation if you provide us with your contact details.
Complaints Procedure
Stage One – Initial Assessment
Each complaint received will be assessed to determine whether it is one that we will investigate.
Complaints should be made within 12 weeks of the event/behaviour that you wish to complain about.
During the initial assessment stage, we may ask you, or others, for more information.
We aim to complete our initial assessment of your complaint within 28 days of receiving it. If we decide not to investigate, we will write to you explaining our reasons.
Where we decide not to investigate your complaint, the Institute’s decision is final and there is no right of appeal.
Stage Two – Investigation
If we decide to investigate your complaint, we will write to you confirming the matters we are investigating.
At this stage, if we have not already done so, we will normally write to the person or people you have complained about. We will normally share a copy of your complaint with them, along with any supporting documentation you have provided. We will remove the personal details of third parties from these documents before sharing them. In appropriate cases, your name may be withheld.
We may also contact other people who can help with our investigation.
We may need to interview witnesses. Interviews are conducted informally (usually by telephone or video call). Anyone being interviewed will be entitled to bring someone with them for support. The person giving support must not be involved in the investigation in any other capacity and must not actively participate in the interview or prompt the witness.
The length of the time it takes to complete the investigation depends on the complexity and seriousness of the concerns. We will complete the investigation as quickly and efficiently as we can.
Stage Three – Decision
At the end of the investigation, we will consider the available evidence and decide whether or not there has been a breach of the Code of Conduct and Ethics.
If we decide that there has not been a breach, we will write to you and the person you have complained about informing you of this and giving the reasons for our decision.
In the above cases, the Institute’s decision is final and there is no right of appeal.
If we decide there has been a breach of the Code, we will write to you and the person you complained about outlining our proposals for resolving your complaint.
In these cases, the person complained about may appeal against the decision. Any appeal must be made in writing to complaints@ukpranichealing.co.uk. Appeals must be received by the Institute within 28 days of the written decision being sent.
Stage Four – Appeal or Referral to Complaints Panel
If the person you complained about appeals the decision, we will refer the case to a Complaints Panel for review.
In particularly serious or complex cases, we may refer the results of our investigation to be reviewed by a Complaints Panel whether or not an appeal has been made. This referral is made solely at the discretion of the Institute.
In the above cases, we will write to you and the person you have complained about informing you of this and outlining the next steps of the process.
The Complaints Panel will comprise:
- Les Flitcroft, Director of the Institute of Pranic Healing UK & Ireland
- Two other panel members qualified to adjudicate on the complaint in question, at least one of whom will be an independent member from outside the Institute.
If the Director of the Institute is the person you are complaining about, an alternative panel member will assume his role on the Panel.
The Panel will consider the findings of the investigation and decide whether to confirm, reject or vary the decision. Before reaching its decision, the Panel may ask you, the person you complained about and any witnesses to attend a hearing or to provide further information.
Once the Panel has arrived at its decision, we will write to you and the person you complained about to inform you of the decision and explain the Panel’s reasons. The time it takes us to do this will vary depending on the complexity and seriousness of the complaint. If a hearing has been held, we will aim to write to you and the person you complained about within 28 days of the hearing.
The Panel’s decision is final and there is no further right of appeal.
Withdrawing a Complaint
You may decide to withdraw your complaint at any time. However, once a complaint has been made, it is for us to decide whether to end the investigation or continue with it. Please write to us with the request to withdraw your complaint, giving as much detail as possible.