Policy · Student policies
Complaints & appeals procedure
Version [0.X] · Owner [COMPLAINTS OFFICER] · Last reviewed [DATE] · Next review [DATE]
Working draft — not yet formally adopted
This procedure is a working draft pending adoption by [COMMITTEE NAME] on [DATE]. All timescales, post-holders and external routes are marked as placeholders. Whether the college can use the Office of the Independent Adjudicator scheme is recorded below as [CONFIRM] and must be settled before this procedure is relied upon.
The college would rather hear about a problem early than discover it years later. Complaining is a normal part of holding an institution to account, and no one is treated less favourably for doing it.
Section 1
Scope and principles
This procedure covers complaints from students, applicants, patients, members of the public, and staff or organisations dealing with the college. It applies to the standard of teaching, the conduct of staff or students, the administration of the college, the delivery of a programme, the handling of an application, and the service provided in the teaching clinic.
Two matters are handled elsewhere. A concern about the safety or welfare of a child or an adult at risk goes straight to the designated safeguarding lead under the safeguarding policy — do not wait for this procedure. A formal appeal against an academic decision is dealt with at section 5 below.
The procedure is built on five principles:
- Informal resolution first, wherever that is possible and the person complaining is willing.
- No detriment. Raising a complaint will not affect your marks, your place on a programme or the care you receive.
- Reasons. Any decision made under this procedure is given to you in writing, with the reasons for it.
- Promptness. Timescales are published, and if we cannot meet one we will tell you why and give a new date.
- Confidentiality, within the limits of what an investigation requires. We will tell you who needs to know what.
Section 2
The staged procedure
There are six stages. You may enter at stage 1 or stage 2; stages 3 to 6 follow in order. A complaint may be resolved at any stage, and you may withdraw at any point.
Stage 1 · Informal
Raise it with the person concerned
Most problems are misunderstandings or oversights, and most are settled by talking to the tutor, supervisor or member of the college office involved. You can do this in person, by email or through your course representative. We aim to respond within [XX] working days. If you would rather not approach the person directly, start at stage 2 — you do not have to justify skipping this stage.Stage 2 · Formal complaint
Put the complaint in writing
Send a written complaint to the college office at [COMPLAINTS EMAIL], marked for the attention of [COMPLAINTS OFFICER]. Include what happened, when, who was involved, what you have already tried, and what outcome you are seeking. Do this within [XX] working days of the event, or of becoming aware of it. We acknowledge complaints within [XX] working days and tell you who is dealing with it. If your complaint is about a member of staff, that person is not the person who investigates it.Stage 3 · Investigation
The complaint is investigated
An investigating officer — normally [ROLE, e.g. the Registrar or the Director of Education] — reviews the documents, speaks to those involved and, if you wish, meets you. You may bring someone with you. The investigation is completed within [XX] working days of acknowledgement, and you receive a written outcome setting out the findings, the reasons, and any remedy. Remedies may include an apology, a change to a process, a repeat of teaching or assessment, or a refund of fees for a service not delivered.Stage 4 · Panel hearing
Ask for a panel to consider the complaint
If you are dissatisfied with the outcome, you may ask for a panel hearing within [XX] working days of receiving it. The panel has [NUMBER — e.g. three] members, at least one of whom is independent of the college, and none of whom has been involved in the events complained about. You receive the papers at least [XX] working days in advance, may submit further evidence, and may be accompanied or represented. The panel’s written decision, with reasons, is issued within [XX] working days of the hearing.Stage 5 · Appeal
Appeal the panel's decision
A further appeal is available within [XX] working days of the panel decision, on one or more of these grounds: a procedural irregularity that could have affected the outcome; evidence that was not reasonably available earlier; bias or prejudice; or a remedy that is disproportionate or impossible to deliver. An appeal panel — constituted differently from the first — considers the appeal on the papers or at a hearing, and its decision is the college’s final internal position.Stage 6 · External
Take it to an external body
If the matter concerns an award, an assessment decision or a programme validated by an awarding body, you may ask [AWARDING BODY NAME] to consider it once the college’s internal stages are exhausted. Where the college is eligible to participate in the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) scheme, students may also complain to the OIA: [CONFIRM — WHETHER THE COLLEGE IS A MEMBER OF THE OIA SCHEME, AND FROM WHICH DATE]. Data protection complaints may go to the Information Commissioner’s Office (see the privacy notice). Patient complaints about a registered practitioner may also go to that practitioner’s professional body or regulator.
Section 3
Stages and timescales at a glance
| Stage | Who handles it | Deadline to raise | Indicative response |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Informal | The tutor, supervisor or officer concerned | [XX] working days of the event | [XX] working days |
| 2 · Formal complaint | [COMPLAINTS OFFICER] | [XX] working days of the event or of awareness | Acknowledgement [XX] working days |
| 3 · Investigation | [INVESTIGATING OFFICER ROLE] | — | [XX] working days from acknowledgement |
| 4 · Panel hearing | Panel including one independent member | [XX] working days from the outcome | Decision within [XX] working days of the hearing |
| 5 · Appeal | Appeal panel, differently constituted | [XX] working days from the panel decision | [XX] working days |
| 6 · External | Awarding body, OIA, ICO or professional regulator | Set by the external body | Set by the external body |
Deadlines are paused where a complaint is waiting on information only you can provide. If we pause a deadline we will confirm in writing that we have done so and why.
Section 4
Complaints about clinical care
The teaching clinic treats members of the public, so clinical complaints are taken seriously and handled quickly. A patient who is unhappy about their care may raise it with the supervising practitioner at the time, or write to the Clinical Director at [CLINICAL EMAIL]. The clinical route follows the same stages as above, with two differences: the investigation is led by the Clinical Director, and where the complaint concerns a possible adverse event it is also recorded and reviewed under the health & safety policy.
You do not have to be a patient to complain about the clinic, and you do not have to be a student to complain about teaching you attended as a member of the public. If the complaint concerns a registered practitioner’s fitness to practise, the college will tell you how to refer the matter to the relevant professional body or regulator — [PROFESSIONAL BODY / REGULATOR AND CONTACT].
A clinical complaint does not require you to accept any further treatment, and you may ask for your records to be transferred to another practitioner at any time.
Section 5
Academic appeals
An academic appeal is a challenge to a formal decision about assessment, progression or an award. It is not a request for a remark, and it is not a complaint about teaching — those go through the stages above. Appeals must be submitted to [APPEALS EMAIL] within [XX] working days of the publication of the result or decision being appealed. There is no charge to appeal.
| Grounds on which an appeal may be made | What is not a ground |
|---|---|
| A procedural irregularity in the assessment process that could have affected the outcome | Disagreement with the academic judgement of the marker — this is not a ground of appeal, however strongly it is felt |
| Evidence that was not available, and could not reasonably have been made available, at the time of assessment | Wishing to improve a mark in order to progress, to satisfy a sponsor, or to change a classification |
| Bias, prejudice or a conflict of interest on the part of a marker or assessor | Dissatisfaction with a mark that is within the normal range of academic variation |
| Administrative error in recording, calculating or publishing a result | Illness or other personal circumstances that were not disclosed at the time and were not submitted for extenuating circumstances consideration |
| Failure to make reasonable adjustments that had been agreed in advance | A decision not to grant an extension or an adjustment where the published process was followed |
An appeal is considered by someone who was not involved in the original decision. The possible outcomes are that the appeal is not upheld, that the decision is referred back for reconsideration, or — where the irregularity makes it necessary — that a fresh assessment opportunity is offered. Marks are not reduced as a result of appealing.
Section 6
Records and learning
Every formal complaint and appeal is logged, with the outcome and any remedy, and the record is kept for [XX] years in line with the retention schedule. Records are kept separately from student academic files, so that a complaint does not sit on a student’s record.
An anonymised summary is reported each year to [COMMITTEE NAME], including the number of complaints, the stages reached, the outcomes and the actions taken as a result. The purpose of the report is to fix causes, not to count faults.
Section 7
Support and representation
You can ask [STUDENT SUPPORT / ADVISER ROLE] for help in setting out a complaint, and you can be accompanied or represented at any meeting or hearing by anyone you choose, including a fellow student, a friend or an adviser. We will make reasonable adjustments to the process where you need them — for example a different format for documents, extra time, or a meeting by video. Independent advice is available from [INDEPENDENT ADVICE SERVICE].
If you are complaining on someone else’s behalf, we normally need their written consent before we can discuss their information with you. The exception is a safeguarding concern, which we will always act on.
Section 8
Unreasonable or persistent complaints
The college will always deal with a complaint on its merits, including a complaint that is unwelcome or that is made repeatedly about the same matter. Where correspondence becomes abusive, or where the same matter is pursued after the procedure has been exhausted, the college may limit the number of contacts, require communication to be in writing, or decline to consider further correspondence on that matter. Any such decision is taken by [ROLE], is confirmed in writing with reasons, and is recorded. It does not affect the right to approach an external body.
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Not sure whether to complain?
If you are unsure whether something is a complaint, an appeal or simply a question, ask the college office. We will tell you which procedure applies and what happens next.