Steps to Thrive

Complaints procedure

Last updated: 1 June 2026

Steps to Thrive is committed to providing a service that is open, careful, and respectful. If something has not gone the way you expected, raising it directly is welcomed. Feedback is taken seriously and is often the quickest route to putting things right.

Step one: raise it directly

The first step is to contact Dr Johannah Slifi directly, by email to jo@stepstothrive.co.uk or by phone on 07956 724357. Please describe what happened and what outcome you are looking for. You will receive an acknowledgement within five working days and a full response within twenty working days. If more time is needed to look into the concern, you will be told why and when to expect a reply.

Step two: formal review

If the response at step one does not resolve the concern, you can ask for a formal review. Please put your concern in writing to the same address, marking it “Formal complaint.” A written response will be provided within twenty working days, setting out what has been looked at, what conclusions have been reached, and what, if anything, will change as a result.

Step three: external bodies

If you remain unhappy after the internal process, or if you would prefer to raise the matter externally at any stage, the following routes are open to you:

  • Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) — Dr Slifi is registered with the HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist. Concerns about a registered practitioner's fitness to practise can be raised at hcpc-uk.org or on 0300 500 6184.
  • Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP) — for matters relating to professional practice, contact details are at aep.org.uk.
  • Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) — for concerns specifically about how your personal information has been handled, contact ico.org.uk or 0303 123 1113.

What to expect

Every complaint is treated confidentially. Raising a concern will not affect the support being offered to your child. Where a complaint identifies something that should change in the practice, that change will be made and recorded.