Complaints Procedure

Introduction

Choice Training has a staged complaints procedure through which we aim to resolve concerns as quickly as possible. Stage 1 of the procedure differs slightly for students, employers, or complaints of a general nature.

Employees or former employees should use Choice Training’s Grievance Policy and Procedure. Further details and advice on this can be obtained from Human Resources.

Details of the three stages of the complaint’s procedure are outlined below.

What is a complaint?

A complaint is broadly defined as “an expression of dissatisfaction by one or more students about a Choice Training action or lack of action, or about the standard of service provided by or on behalf of Choice Training.” The complaints process is designed to provide an opportunity for you to make a complaint about Choice Training services or staff.

We undertake to investigate all issues that are raised and deal with them through a process that is fair, consistent, timely and easy to follow.

Timescales

To help us to investigate and resolve any area of dissatisfaction you should notify us of your concern at Stage 1 immediately and no later than 3 months of its occurrence.

Complaints made at Stage 2 must be made within 3 months of exhausting Stage 1 of the complaints procedure and complaints made at Stage 3 must be made within 3 months of exhausting Stage 2 of the complaint’s procedure.

Stage 1

Students

Rather than let an issue of concern or an area of dissatisfaction become a complaint, we hope that you will try to resolve your issue promptly by: -

raising your concerns directly with the person who, in your opinion, is responsible, or directly with your lecturer/course tutor, or directly with the course leader or manager for your course, or

using Choice Training course evaluation system to bring concerns to the attention of course teams and/or college managers, or

using your student representative on the course team or Programme Board to take forward any concerns

Once you have raised an issue of concern, Choice Training will respond in a timely fashion.

Employers

If you are dissatisfied or have any concerns with the service provided by Choice Training, you can raise the issue:

directly with the Course manager
through Choice Training course evaluation system
Directly with the Manging Director-Robert Tye

General

If you are a member of the public, parent, ex-student or general user of Choice Training and you are dissatisfied or have concerns about the service provided, you should in the first instance:

raise the issue directly with the person who, in your opinion, is responsible, or
raise the issue with the supervisor or manager for the area/service concerned

Stage 2

If you concern is not resolved at Stage 1 or you feel the issue has not been responded to satisfactorily, you can take your complaint to Stage 2 of Choice Training Procedure. You should write to HR, Choice Training, Seareach House, Wantz Road, Dagenham, Rm108P, identifying both the nature of the complaint and, if appropriate, the individual against whom the complaint is being made. Any complaint against an individual will be dealt with in a confidential manner. You will receive a response within ten working days detailing how we plan to investigate and when you might expect a detailed answer.

Stage 3

If you are dissatisfied with the response to your Stage 2 complaint, you have the right to escalate your complaint to stage 3. You should put your complaint in writing, detail the reason for your dissatisfaction, what you have done to try to remedy the complaint informally and what you would like us to do next. Any complaint against an individual will be dealt with in a confidential manner. Stage 3 complaints should be sent to the office of Managing Director. You will receive a response within ten working days detailing how we plan to investigate and when you might expect a detailed answer.

The Managing Director will acknowledge receipt, review the documentation, the investigation, and the resolution to come to a judgement on the validity of the appeal. The possible judgements are:

Appeal rejected – the original resolution will be pursued 2.
The appeal is upheld – Managing Director will propose and alternative solution to the appellant. Following the outcome of the appeals stage, a formal response will be sent to the complainant within 20 working days of receipt of the appeal.

External Resolution

If a complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of the stage 3 process, they can appeal to the relevant external body. If the complaint relates to a Further Education course funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency and the above complaints and appeals procedure has been exhausted, the complainant can contact the Education and Skills Funding Agency within three months of the complaint decision using the contact details below:

You must contact the ESFA within 12 months after the issue happened.

Email or post your complaint to the ESFA complaints team.

ESFA complaints team

complaints.ESFA@education.gov.uk

Complaints team
Education and Skills Funding Agency
Cheylesmore House
Quinton Road
Coventry
CV1 2WT

The ESFA will reply to let you know what will happen next

The ESFA does not deal with complaints about employment issues (for example, a problem with your contract if you’re working as an apprentice).