Complaints Policy and Procedures
Sussex Downs College puts students first. We will do our best to ensure that all learners, on and off-campus, have a successful and enjoyable experience. We are also committed to serving the wider business and social community. We are committed to continuous improvement in all our work.
SUSSEX DOWNS COLLEGE
COMPLAINTS POLICY & PROCEDURE
COMPLAINTS POLICY
1. Policy Statement
Sussex Downs College puts students first. We will do our best to ensure that all learners, on and off-campus, have a successful and enjoyable experience. We are also committed to serving the wider business and social community.
We are committed to continuous improvement in all our work but we recognise, however, that sometimes we do not always achieve our best. Sometimes mistakes are made and things are not done as well as they should be. We have a commitment to our students and stakeholders to ensure that any complaints they may have about our service are dealt with fairly, efficiently and effectively to the best of our ability and within our resources. We recognise that complaints can be used actively to improve our performance.
Complaints will be regularly analysed and reported on to Senior Managers and to the Corporation. We will make clear to complainants how to complain when things go wrong and will ensure that we are sensitive to issues of confidentiality. We will also set ourselves a deadline to respond to complaints.
2. Policy Context
This policy applies to students individually or in a group and stakeholders including members of the local community who are affected by our service. Specifically the purpose of the policy is to ensure that complaints, whether about teaching and learning or general complaints about College services, are responded to promptly, fairly and effectively in accordance with the Policy Statement. We take the opportunity to learn from every complaint.
Procedures and other documentation and statements, which have been adopted to turn the policy into action are :
• Complaints procedure
Other ways that student views can be made known are :
• Student surveys and focus groups
• Student Council, Student Union and Student Executive
• Membership of the Corporation
• Student Conference
3. Location and access to the Policy
• College Intranet
• College U:Drive
• Main Reception at each campus
• Learning Centres at each campus
• Office of Head of Standards & Development at Cross Levels Way, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 2UF
COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
This procedure sets out the way in which Sussex Downs College deals with complaints made about its staff, services or students.
1. It is intended for use by Sussex Downs College students, parents, employers, former students and staff, student teachers or other people on work experience, other visitors to the college and the general public. Students who are dissatisfied with the outcomes of internal assessments should use the Student Assessment Appeals procedure, not the Complaints Procedure.
2. Before using this procedure complainants are requested to talk directly about their dissatisfaction with the individual(s) involved, to see if an informal resolution is possible. Students who have Personal Tutors can try to resolve issues with their tutors. Only if these measures fail should the issue be raised as a complaint.
3. Where a complaint is not resolved informally to the satisfaction of the complainant, a written or verbal complaint followed in writing may be made to the Head of Standards & Development.
4. Students on franchised provision or studying in centres other than the main campuses should approach their Centre Manager in the first instance. If the issue cannot be resolved they should contact the Head of Standards & Development as in 3. above.
5. Officers of the Student Union may also bring complaints on behalf of students following the procedure detailed in 3. above.
6. The Head of Standards & Development will organise the response to the complaint. The complaint will be acknowledged in writing within 3 working days of receipt in the Quality & Development office and will state that an investigation will take place into the issues raised. Complaints are normally dealt with in writing but a complainant can request a meeting with the Head of Standards & Development.
7. The complaint will be passed to the Head of the appropriate College to carry out an investigation by contacting appropriate staff who are involved in the complaint or responsible for the students involved. The Head of Standards & Development will maintain an overview of the progress of the complaint and be responsible for informing the complainant of what is happening. The Head of Standards & Development will write to the complainant with the outcome of the complaint and actions to be taken by the college. Our target is that this will take place within 15 working days.
8. If the complaint relates to serious staff incompetence or inappropriate behaviour, then the Head of Standards and Development will inform the line-manager at Head level of the staff concerned. He will also inform the Head of Human Resources, who will jointly proceed with a formal disciplinary investigation, which will include interviews with the complainant, the individual(s) complained of, and witnesses.
9. If an issue relating to student behaviour with disciplinary potential, including instances of harassment, is revealed, or if this is the nature of the original complaint, then the Head of Standards will inform the appropriate Head of College who will carry out an investigation under the Student Management Procedures.
10. Impartial support through Student Services at the main campuses is available for students whose complaints are likely to lead to a student or staff disciplinary investigation.
11. If the complainant wants to appeal because they are not satisfied with the resolution of their complaint, s/he may appeal to the Principal and he will carry out an investigation of the process previously followed. If the process is found to be thorough and to have considered all the evidence then the outcome will not be changed. If still dissatisfied, the complainant can appeal to the Corporation via the Clerk. The Chair of Corporation will review the process with the Principal to ensure that College procedures were adhered to. Finally, there exists a right to complain to the Learning and Skills Council or other appropriate statutory bodies. The Council will check that published procedures are adequate and have been followed. Addresses are available from Reception at main campuses.
12. The Head of Standards & Development will keep a log of all complaints received on each campus. These will be analysed and presented regularly to the CST and the Curriculum and Standards Committee.
