Independent Complaints Review Panel
A request for a review of a decision on a complaint may be made by:
- A client who uses Sage Advocacy services;
- Somebody acting on the client’s behalf provided that it is clear that the client has sought assistance from that person in making the complaint;
- Somebody acting on the client’s behalf where there is clear evidence that the client does not have the capacity to make a complaint or to ask another person to assist; or
- A bona fide third party, e.g. relative, social and health care provider or nominated representatives under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015, or a person considered by the Panel to be a bona fide third party who was not involved in assisting with the original complaint.
The Independent Complaints Review Panel (the Panel) will have discretion as to whether a person can be part of a review as a bona fide third party where they were not involved in assisting with the original complaint.
It is important to note that the Sage Advocacy Independent Complaints Review Panel will only accept complaints from clients, or on behalf of clients. Family members, stakeholders and/or members of the public, when complaining about matters affecting them rather than a client, do not have recourse to the ICRP, but may refer a complaint to the Ombudsman.
- To make a request for a review of a complaint by the Panel you should first have availed of the internal complaints process within Sage Advocacy.
- If you have not already done so please contact complaints@sageadvocacy.ie or phone 01 536 7330.
- If you have already availed of the internal complaints process and are unhappy with the outcome, you can request a review. This should be made within 30 days of the decision on the complaint. In certain circumstances the Panel may agree to extend this time limit.
You will need to set out the grounds on which the review is being sought and explain why you believe that the decision on the complaint was wrong.
You must fill in a Request for a Review of Complaint form. You can also request a form by phoning Sage Advocacy at 015367330 or emailing complaints@sageadvocacy.ie.
In reviewing any decision on a complaint, the Panel must first decide whether a review is necessary.
In doing so they will be guided by a number of factors. The full list of factors is available in the next section below. For example, the Panel will only consider a complaint about the work of Sage Advocacy and will not consider any anonymous or frivolous complaints. The Panel will also need to be given reasons why you think the decision on the complaint was wrong.
If a review is not felt to be necessary, the Chair of the Panel will inform you in writing of the reasons for its decision.
If a review is necessary the Panel will send a copy of your request to the CEO of Sage Advocacy and ask for a response to the points made in your request. This response will be sent to you by the Panel for further comment by you. Any further comments you make will be provided to the CEO and the Panel will then proceed with a review of your complaint.
Please note that full documentation related to the complaint needs to be made available to the Panel, and this may also include personal data relating to the client of Sage Advocacy, and, where relevant, the person acting on behalf of the client.
The Panel will be guided by the following:
- The original complaint must have been examined and decided by the CEO and the outcome has not been accepted by the complainant;
- When considering a request for a review, the Panel will have regard to the same criteria considered by the CEO when examining the original complaint.
These criteria are as follows:
- The complaint cannot be considered frivolous or vexatious;
- The complaint cannot be anonymous;
- The complaint must have been made directly by a client, on behalf of a client or by a bona fide third party;
- The complaint must relate to the work of Sage Advocacy and not to another organisation, agency or service;
- The complaint does/did not relate to HSE Safeguarding & Protection Team/Garda Síochána concerns which are dealt with under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons Policy of Sage Advocacy;
- The complaint was/is not the subject of legal proceedings;
- The complaint cannot be considered if it relates to an Information or Subject Access Request made to Sage Advocacy under the General Data Protection Regulations 2016, which may be appealed directly to the Data Protection Commission.
In addition, the complainant should give reasons as to why the decision of the CEO on their complaint justifies a review such as, but not confined to:
– new evidence which has come to light which could materially affect the basis of the CEO’s decision; and/or
– evidence of a substantial flaw which significantly affected how the decision on the complaint was reached by the CEO.
The Panel can either:
- confirm the CEO’s decision on the complaint; or
- refer the matter back to the CEO for reconsideration in accordance with guidance provided by the Panel.
The Panel will then inform you in writing of its decision and if it feels no further action is necessary it will explain the reasons why.
The Panel’s decision is normally final and conclusive. However, it may, in certain circumstances, be reviewable by the Ombudsman.
The Panel will strive to carry out its review within 28 days of receiving full comments from the CEO and Complainant, and the entirety documentation related to the request for a review. However, the complexity of some cases may require more time. When the Panel makes its decision, a short summary written report will then be forwarded to the person who made the complaint within the next 7 days.
Marie Tighe (Chair)
Marie Tighe is currently a full-time carer. Before this
Marie worked as Project Manager in the HSE National Office for Human Rights and
Equality Policy. Her areas of responsibility included the revision and
oversight of the HSE National Consent Policy, the Do Not Attempt Resuscitation
(DNAR) Policy, Advance Care Planning and Advance Healthcare Directives. Marie
has held a number of senior management posts both at General Management,
Director of Nursing and Programme Management in Corporate Healthcare and General
and Children’s Acute Teaching Hospitals. Marie has a strong interest in the
voice of older person and ensuring the autonomy of a person is preserved for as
long as possible.
Marie has served on a number of boards and committees Marie was a Ministerial appointment to the Advance Healthcare Directives Multidisciplinary Working Group 2017: Member of Council at Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital from 2002 – 2013, Director of Research Foundation, Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital 2010 – 2016, Member of Research and Ethics Committee, Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital 2002 – 2016, Ministerial Appointment to the Board of the National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery 2002 – 2010. Marie was also a member of HSE National Steering Group on Assisted Decision Making, Advance Healthcare Directives Subgroup and Writing Group, Guidance and Documentation Working Group of the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015, Education and Training Working Group of the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015, Information and Communications Working Group of the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015, Divisional Leads Committee of the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015 and HSE Lead on the National Consent Steering Committee published in 2019.
Martina Larkin
Martina Larkin is a solicitor who works as the CEO of The Meath Foundation, a charity that supports world class research, education, quality improvement, innovation and arts at Tallaght University Hospital. Martina has a particular interest and experience in human rights and advocacy having not only worked as an advocate with the National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities but also as an executive manager of Cheshire Ireland, a HSE funded charity that provides services and support to people with disabilities. She continues in the role of Company Secretary to Cheshire Ireland and serves on the Governance Sub Committee of Charities Institute Ireland.
Of particular relevance to Sage Advocacy, Martina has expertise in the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) legislation and she works as member of the Decision Support Service’s panel of Decision Making Representatives and Visitors.
Martina’s skillset enables her to provide a human rights based approach to her work, a sound understanding of good governance and a commitment to promoting and following due process.
Wally Young
Wally Young is a public relations consultant and media trainer who provides a mix of public relations consultancy, advocacy and media interview training to a select range of clients. He is the former Head of Media Relations for the Defence Forces. He retired in 1996 to establish Young Communications.
Mr Young was engaged as communications adviser to the anti-tobacco organisation ASH Ireland for 20 years up to 2017, after which he was appointed to the board of ASH Ireland. He advised both ASH Ireland and the Irish Heart Foundation in the lead up-to and introduction of the workplace smoking ban in 2004.
Mr Young was engaged as a media adviser (part-time) over an eleven-year period to both President Michael D Higgins and President Mary McAleese. He advised President McAleese in her 1997 election campaign and President Higgins in his re-election campaign in 2018.
Mr Young is a current board member with the Irish Heart Foundation and the Tobacco Free Research Institute Ireland(TFRII). He joined the Independent Complaints Review Panel in 2024.