COMPLAINTS POLICY 2024/2025
VERSION CONTROL VERSION AUTHOR
DATE
COMMENTS
Ibrahim Jogee & Holly Street
1.0
09/2022 Proposed New Policy
1.1
Ibrahim Jogee & Holly Street
10/2023 Added process for Higher Education learners.
1.2
Head of Quality 07/2024 Annual review and minor updates.
1.3
Head of Quality 10/2024 Addition of External routes for complaints
Version control is to be employed for any amendments to the content which result in substantive changes to the meaning, intent or outcome of the policy or process described within and must be approved by the Executive Committee. Spelling mistakes or other typographical errors are not required to be subject to Version Control.
POLICY OWNER POLICY OWNER Director of Quality
ACCOUNTABLE EXECUTIVE
Chief Education Officer
APPROVAL CONTROL Approval of this Policy and subsequent amendments is by the Board DATE APPROVED APPROVED REQUIRED BY July 24 Quality Governance Board
POLICY REVIEWER
DATE OF NEXT REVIEW
ACCOUNTABLE EXECUTIVE
Director of Quality
July 25
Chief Education Officer
Quality Governance Board
July 25
Chief Education Officer
CONTENTS
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 Purpose.................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Process for Further Education ................................................................................................................4 Stage 1 - Line Manager .........................................................................................................................................................................5 Stage 2 - Senior Manager ...................................................................................................................................................................5 Stage 3 - Independent Senior Manager .................................................................................................................................. 6 Complaints we cannot help with:................................................................................................................................................ 6 Process for Higher Education.................................................................................................................. 7 Recording of Complaints............................................................................................................................ 7 Appealing a Complaints Outcome....................................................................................................... 7 External Appeals...................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
SCL Group places a significant emphasis on feedback and views complaints as a valuable tool to drive improvements in the quality of our services. SCL Group’s policy is to respond to all feedback, whether positive or negative, in a prompt and courteous manner. All complaints will be treated seriously with a full investigation process in place to seek a resolution which all parties are satisfied with. In all circumstances, complainants are encouraged to raise their concerns with the member of staff directly in the first instance.
At SCL Group we are committed to providing high quality services for all our service users, taking users’ views into account and using the findings to promote and develop the capacity for sustainable improvement. A complainant may be a learner, prospective learner, employer, or any other interested party that indicates dissatisfaction with the current level of service that they are receiving/have received. Complaints from employees of SCL Group should be made using the formal Grievance Procedure.
SCL Group take complaints about work, colleagues, learners, and levels of service very seriously. If you are not satisfied with any aspect of SCL Group including
associates, please follow the process for raising a complaint: We will need you to provide us with the following information: • a clear, detailed description of what your complaint is about.
• copies of any letters or emails or relevant documentation related to the complaint. • any details relating to the complaint if you have raised them previously informally or directly to the person/person responsible for the matter you are complaining about. • your email address and/or postal address (so we can respond to your complaint) Please send all the details to the below address or email address, clearly marking the subject matter of your correspondence as: ‘Complaints Team.’ This will allow your complaint to be directed to a member of our complaints handling team who will allocate the request to the correct department or member of staff:
Complaints Team SCL Education Group 7 Lakeside Business Park Swan Lane Sandhurst Berkshire GU47 9DN Or enquiries@wearescl.co.uk
Stage 1 - Line Manager Complaints go to the line manager of the individual or team that your complaint references. The line manager will investigate, with the target of responding to your complaint within 10 working days. Stage 2 - Senior Manager Complaints are investigated by the senior manager responsible for the team that your complaint references. They will investigate with the target of responding to your complaint within 10 working days.
Stage 3 - Independent Senior Manager Complaints are investigated by a senior manager who is independent of the individual or team that your complaint references. They will investigate with the target of responding to your complaint within 10 working days. External Escalation This will be the final route of escalation within SCL Group. Therefore, if you remain unhappy after following our own internal complaints procedure and your complaint refers to services you have received relating to your course and achieving your qualification, then please contact the awarding organisation directly. Someone within the team will be able to provide you with the information to raise this complaint, you should also be able to find their complaints policy and contact them on the Awarding Organisations website. Should you address your complaint to the Awarding Organisation and remain unhappy with the outcome, you may then raise your complaint to the relevant qualification regulator. • Qualifications Wales is the regulator of non-degree qualifications and the qualification systems in Wales • SQA Accreditation for SCQF Provision • OFQUAL for RQF qualifications delivered anywhere else Complaints we cannot help with: We can only handle complaints about the work, colleagues, learners, and levels of service provided by SCL Group and associates. We cannot help with complaints regarding any third parties as your complaint should be made to the organisation directly. We will provide guidance on how to raise a complaint with them.
If your complaint relates to a Higher Education programme of study and is about: • The quality and standard of service provided by the university, including teaching and learning provision. • Failure to provide a service as advertised or reasonably expected. • Unsuitable facilities or learning resources. • Failure of the university to follow an appropriate administrative or academic process. Please visit De Montfort University’s Student Complaints for further details.
SCL Group and will record all complaints, both formal and informal, and a complaints log will be maintained internally. All complaints will be monitored and tracked until the complaint has a formal outcome. The CEO of SCL Group will present an overview of the complaints log to the Executive Team on a regular basis.
If you are unhappy with the outcome of your complaint, please contact Stuart Allen, Chief Education Officer, directly via email: stuart.allen@wearescl.co.uk. If your complaint is related to apprenticeships, contact Fiona Hawkesley, Executive Director of SCL Professional directly via email: fiona.hawkesley@wearescl.co.uk. Your complaint and the process followed will then be reviewed to ensure that viable measures have been actioned accordingly to resolve your issue to the best of SCL Group’s ability.
Please note, due to regulations applicable to employment law and GDPR, you may not always be informed of the outcome of your complaint if it directly applies to a member of staff. We will however strive to give you as much information as possible regarding the measures SCL Group has taken to address your complaint. External Appeals If your complaint relates to a course funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency and you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you can contact the agency directly via post within three months of the complaint decision, using the contact details below:
Complaints Team Education and Skills Funding Agency Cheylesmore House Quinton Road
Coventry CV1 2WT
If your complaint relates to a Higher Education programme and you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you may be able to apply for a review of your complaint to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) providing that the case you take to the OIA is eligible under its rules. Should you decide to make a complaint to the OIA, you must request a Completion of Procedures letter from De Montfort University. Please visit De Montfort University’s Student Complaints for further details.
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