What is a complaint?
We regard a complaint as any expression of dissatisfaction about our action or lack of action, or about the standard of service provided by us or on our behalf.
What can I complain about?
You can complain about things like:
- The quality and standard of any service we provide
- Failure to provide a service
- The quality of our facilities or learning resources
- Unfair treatment or inappropriate behaviour by a student or staff member
- The failure of the college to follow an appropriate administrative process
- Dissatisfaction with college policies
Your complaint may involve more than one aspect of the above, more than one department, or be about someone working on our behalf.
Who can complaint?
Anyone who receives, requests or is directly affected by the services of the college can make a complaint to us. We encourage anyone with a complaint to approach us directly, but can accept a complaint made on your behalf (e.g. through a Student Council representative, a friend or a family member) provided you give us your clear written authority to liaise with your representative, and provided you also give them clear authority to act on your behalf.
How do I complain?
You can complain in person, by phone, in writing, or by email. It is easier for us to resolve complaints if you raise them as soon as you become aware of the issue, and directly to the service concerned. Please talk to a member of staff within the department you are complaining about so that they can try to resolve any problems on the spot. If you do not feel able to speak to anyone in the area about which you are complaining, you should explain this when completing the complaint form.
When complaining, tell us:
- Your full name and address and studend ID number
- As much as you can about the complaint
- What has gone wrong
- How you would like us to resolve the matter.
Is there a time limit for making a complaint?
Normally, you must make your complaint within one month of:
- the issue arising, or
- finding out that you have a reason to complain.
In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to accept a complaint after the time limit. If you feel that the time limit should not apply to your complaint, please tell us why.
What will happen if I complaint?
Our complaint procedure has two stages:
Stage 1 – Frontline Resolution
We aim to resolve complaints quickly and close to where we provided the service. This could mean an on the-spot apology and explanation if something has clearly gone wrong, and immediate action to resolve the problem. Where possible, and if you feel able to, you should raise your concerns with the relevant staff member. This can be done face-to-face, by phone, in writing or by email.
We will give you our decision at Stage 1 within five working days, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
If you are not satisfied with the response we give at this stage, we will tell you what you can do next. If you choose to, you can take your complaint to Stage 2 of the complaint procedure. You may choose to do this immediately or shortly after you get our initial decision.
Stage 2 – Complaint Investigation
Stage 2 deals with two types of complaint: those that have not been resolved at Stage 1 and those that are complex and require detailed investigation.
When using Stage 2 we will:
- Acknowledge receipt of your complaint within three working days and tell you who is dealing with your complaint
- Discuss your complaint with you to understand why you remain dissatisfied and what outcome you are looking for
- Give you a full response to the complaint as soon as possible and within 20 working days.
If our investigation will take longer than 20 working days, we will tell you. We will agree revised time limits with you and keep you updated on progress.
Getting help to make your complaint
Although we accept complaints that are made in person through phone or Student Council, we strongly encourage you to complete the online complaint form or email your complaint to [email protected], in the interests of clarity and in order to best assist the investigation process.
We are committed to making our service easy to use for all students. In line with our statutory equalities duties, we will always ensure that reasonable adjustments are made to help you access and use our services.
