Are you dissatisfied with our work?
The Guardianship Council always exercises great care in dealing with the interests of its clients and other parties involved. However, it is always possible that you may be dissatisfied with the services we provide.
In such cases, it is vital that you discuss this with the staff member in question as soon as possible, who will work with you to find a solution. If this does not resolve the situation, then you are entitled to submit a complaint. The Guardianship Council handles all complaints with great care, solution oriented and with respect for the person that has submitted the complaint.
We handle the following complaints
- Complaints about the Guardianship Council's working methods.
- Complaints about a staff member from the Guardianship Council that may relate to:
- certain actions or negligence of the staff member
- discourteous treatment of a client
Which complaints are handled by an external party?
- Complaints about the contents of the Guardianship Council's advice or about a request submitted by the Guardianship Council to the court. If you disagree with recommendations provided or requests made by the Guardianship Council, then you can raise this objection with the court.
- Complaints about the execution of a family supervision order. In such cases, you must approach Care and Youth Caribbean Netherlands (ZJCN), the body responsible for executing family supervision orders.
How do you submit a complaint?
Your complaint must be submitted verbally or in writing within one year of the incident or behaviour to which the complaint relates. If you wish to submit your complaint verbally, then you can make an appointment for an interview with the complaint handler at the office of the Guardianship Council. The complaint will be put in writing for you during this interview.
How do we handle complaints?
Your complaint will be processed within a maximum of 10 weeks following the date of submission. Once you have submitted your claim to the complaints handler, it will be checked to determine whether it is a valid claim. If so, then you will be invited to attend a meeting with the complaints handler. At all times, you are entitled to assistance and representation by a lawyer and/or a confidential advisor.
The complaints handler may decide to invite the staff member in question to the meeting or to conduct the process solely with you. The complaints handler will make a brief report of your complaint, the action(s) that he/she took and the reason why his/her interventions did or did not have a positive outcome. This report will be sent to you. If you are unhappy with the results of the meeting with the complaints handler, then your complaint will be passed on to the director of the Guardianship Council for further processing.
The director of the Guardianship Council will then invite you to a meeting in which you can explain your complaint. Usually, the advisor of the director of the Guardianship Council will also be present during this meeting. This meeting is intended to find a solution with which both you and the Guardianship Council are satisfied. The director of the Guardianship Council will decide. You will be informed of this decision in writing and the complaint process will be concluded. Depending on the nature of the complaint, the director of the Guardianship Council may decide to pass on your complaint to the director of the Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland (In English: National Office for the Caribbean Netherlands, RCN).
If you are unhappy with a decision made by the Guardianship Council or the RCN, then you can submit your complaint to the ombudsman.
Council notifies the court
If your case is still under investigation or being handled by the court at the moment that you submit your complaint, then the Guardianship Council will notify the court and any other parties concerned of your complaint as soon as possible. Submission of a complaint does not automatically mean that the Guardianship Council's investigation will automatically be suspended or postponed.