Complaints Policy
At SpeechMatters, we are committed to providing a high-quality, professional speech and language therapy service. We recognise, however, that there may be occasions when you feel that our service has fallen short of your expectations. We take all complaints seriously and aim to handle them fairly, promptly, and confidentially.
This policy applies to all clients, parents, guardians, and carers who use SpeechMatters services.
Aisling Keogh, SpeechMatters
180 Rathgar Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6W, D06 X4K2
Email: info@speechmatters.ie | Phone: +353 (0)1 960 9788
1. Our Commitment
We will:
- Treat every complaint seriously and handle it with sensitivity and respect
- Acknowledge your complaint promptly
- Investigate thoroughly and impartially
- Keep you informed of progress
- Provide a clear response explaining what happened and what, if anything, will change as a result
- Treat all complaints in confidence
- Use complaints to learn and improve our service
Making a complaint will not affect your care or treatment in any way.
2. What Is a Complaint?
A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our service, the conduct of staff, the standard of therapy provided, communication, fees, appointments, or any other aspect of your experience with SpeechMatters.
If you have a question, a concern you would like to discuss informally, or simply want to give feedback, you are also welcome to contact us — not every concern needs to be a formal complaint.
3. How to Make a Complaint
You can make a complaint in the following ways:
- By email: info@speechmatters.ie
- By phone: +353 (0)1 960 9788
- In writing: Aisling Keogh, SpeechMatters, 180 Rathgar Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6W, D06 X4K2
- In person: You may raise a concern directly during or after an appointment
We ask that complaints are made as soon as reasonably possible and, where possible, within 12 months of the event or of becoming aware of the issue. This helps us to investigate effectively and respond accurately.
When making a complaint, please tell us:
- Your name and contact details
- The name of the client (if different)
- What happened and when
- How it affected you or your child
- What outcome you are hoping for
If you need assistance making your complaint, or if you would prefer someone to act on your behalf, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you.
4. Our Complaints Process
We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 5 working days. If your complaint is made by phone or in person, we will aim to address it straight away where possible.
We will review the complaint, gather any relevant information, and consider the facts carefully. Where appropriate, we may contact you to clarify details or to discuss the matter further.
We will provide a full written response within 20 working days of receiving your complaint. If the matter is complex and requires more time, we will write to you within 20 working days to explain why and give an expected timeframe.
Our response will set out our findings, any apology where appropriate, and any steps we will take to improve our service. We hope that most complaints can be resolved at this stage.
5. If You Are Not Satisfied
If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the following options:
CORU — Health and Social Care Professionals Council
If your concern relates specifically to the professional conduct or fitness to practise of a registered speech and language therapist — for example, a concern about clinical competence, professional behaviour, or ethical conduct — you may make a complaint to CORU, the statutory regulator for health and social care professionals in Ireland. Please note that CORU's Fitness to Practise process is not intended for general service complaints such as those relating to fees, appointments, or administration; those are best addressed directly with us in the first instance.
Infinity Building, George's Court
George's Lane, Dublin 7, D07 E98Y
www.coru.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1 293 3160
Independent legal advice
You are entitled to seek independent legal advice at any stage of the complaints process.
6. Confidentiality
All complaints are handled in strict confidence. Information relating to your complaint will only be shared with those who need to be involved in investigating or resolving it. Complaints records are stored securely and retained for 7 years in accordance with our Privacy Notice.
7. Learning from Complaints
We review all complaints to identify any patterns or areas where we can improve. Feedback — whether positive or negative — helps us to develop and maintain the standard of care we provide.
8. Review
This Complaints Policy will be reviewed annually or following any significant complaint or change in guidance. It was last reviewed in June 2026.