Compliments, Comments & Complaints Policy

POLICY STATEMENT

This is the Compliments, Complaints and Comments Policy (the Policy) which outlines the procedures and principles governing the receipt, acknowledgement, resolution and analysis of compliments, complaints and comments received by Everything Apprenticeships (EA). The Policy establishes a framework for promoting transparency, accessibility, fairness, and continuous improvement in addressing stakeholder feedback, while ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

OBJECTIVES

EA is committed to providing a quality service to apprentices, employers, staff, and other stakeholders, and working in an open and accountable way that builds trust and respect. Through active listening and responding to the views of stakeholders, we will gain a clear view of how they perceive us and respond positively and appropriately to their views. Through the effective implementation of this policy, we will:

• Enhance student satisfaction by promptly and effectively acknowledging compliments and addressing complaints and comments, ensuring a positive learning experience throughout their apprenticeship journey.
• Utilise feedback received through compliments, complaints, and comments to identify areas for improvement in our provision, including our training materials, curriculum delivery, and support services, thereby enhancing the quality of apprenticeship training.
• Foster transparency and trust with all stakeholders by demonstrating a commitment to actively seeking and addressing feedback in a fair, transparent, and responsive manner.
• Ensure fair and impartial resolution of complaints and concerns raised by stakeholders, striving to achieve resolutions that uphold the integrity of the training and associated services we provide, and maintain positive relationships.
• Utilise feedback as a valuable source of insight into apprentices' learning experiences, preferences, and needs, facilitating continuous improvement in teaching methodologies and support mechanisms.
• Ensure compliance with relevant apprenticeship standards, regulations, and quality assurance requirements governing the delivery of apprenticeship training, mitigating risks and safeguarding EAs reputation.
• Promote a culture of open communication and continuous improvement among staff members, encouraging them to actively seek and respond to feedback from apprentices and employers to enhance service delivery.
• Protect and enhance the reputation of EA as a leading provider of high-quality apprenticeship training by demonstrating a commitment to listening to and addressing stakeholder feedback in a professional and proactive manner.
• Engage stakeholders in meaningful dialogue, demonstrating responsiveness to their needs and concerns, and building strong partnerships for the mutual benefit of all parties involved in the apprenticeship process.
  This Policy aims to ensure that making a complaint, comment or compliment is easy and accessible, and that they are dealt with accordingly, promptly, politely, and confidentially where necessary.

SCOPE

This Policy applies to all stakeholders engaged with EA and includes (but is not limited to) apprentices, employers, staff members, trainers, facilitators / coach tutor assessors, and any individuals or entities involved in the delivery, administration, or support of apprenticeship training programs and services.

This policy governs the receipt, acknowledgment, resolution, and analysis of compliments, complaints, and comments received from stakeholders, ensuring consistency, fairness, and transparency in handling feedback across all interactions and touchpoints within the organisation.

Academic appeals are not part of this Policy. Please refer to EA Appeals Policy.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Directors are responsible for maintaining the Policy and ensuring that relevant organisational arrangements and resources are available to support its implementation and effectiveness. This includes overseeing the periodic review and update of the Policy to reflect changes in legislation, regulations, industry standards, and organisational needs. The Directors are accountable for fostering a culture of transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement in handling compliments, complaints, and comments throughout the organisation.

Other Stakeholders' Responsibilities:

All Staff, including trainers, assessors, and administrative personnel, and any individuals providing services on behalf of EA through a contract to deliver are responsible for familiarising themselves with the Policy and adhering to its principles and procedures in their interactions with apprentices, employers, and other stakeholders. Staff must promptly report any compliments, complaints, or comments received to the Designated Responsible Person (DRP) for appropriate action.

Apprentices and employers will have access to this Policy via the EA Learning Management Platform, and it will be covered as part of the apprentice induction to training with EA. Apprentices and employers are encouraged to actively engage with the Policy by providing constructive feedback, submitting compliments, raising concerns, or lodging complaints through the designated channels outlined in the Policy. By participating in the feedback process, apprentices and employers contribute to the continuous improvement of apprenticeship training programs and services.

The DRP, appointed by the Directors, is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Policy, including receiving, recording, investigating, and responding to compliments, complaints, and comments in a timely and professional manner. They are also tasked with monthly monitoring to analyse feedback data, identify trends, and recommend corrective actions or improvements to enhance service delivery and stakeholder satisfaction.

Quality assurance and compliance officers play a crucial role in monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the implementation of this Policy, ensuring compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards, and identifying opportunities for enhancing processes and practices related to compliments, complaints, and comments handling.

DEFINITIONS

A Complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction or concern raised by an apprentice, employer, or any other stakeholder (or group of stakeholders) regarding any aspect of the apprenticeship training program or services provided by EA. Complaints may relate to issues such as inadequate support, poor communication, discrimination, or breaches of policies or regulations. Potential grounds for complaints could be defined as unfair or discriminatory actions or decisions, dissatisfaction with levels of service, inaccurate information provided on qualifications, selection procedures, support for individuals or time taken to deal with enquiries. This is not an exhaustive list; however, these are the more common themes.

A Comment is a statement or observation provided by an apprentice, employer, or other stakeholder regarding their experiences, suggestions for improvement, or general feedback on the apprenticeship training program or services offered by EA. Comments may include constructive criticism, suggestions for enhancement, or positive feedback on areas of strength.

A Compliment is a positive expression of appreciation or praise provided by an apprentice, employer, or other stakeholder regarding the quality of the apprenticeship training program, services received, or the conduct of EA Staff. Compliments from employers could include recognition of an apprentice’s growing knowledge, skills or behaviours being applied in the workplace or their exemplary performance. From apprentices this could include enjoyment of training sessions, pastoral and professional support, exceptional service, or positive outcomes achieved and the impact this may have on their career. From Staff this could include recognition of support for their wellbeing, or for colleagues who went above and beyond to assist them.

PROCEDURES

EA Staff will be proactive both in seeking out, and its approach to handling complaints, comments, and compliments, so that we can identify good practice and identify those areas where we have fallen short of our high standards.

The DRP is responsible for maintaining a record of all complaints, comments, and compliments, and for sharing this information with the Directors and Senior Management Team at relevant management meetings.

COMPLAINTS

Complaints made may be used as part of Staff review meetings, appraisals, and training. Staff who wish to make a complaint should instead refer to the Grievance Procedure. Further information can be found in the Staff Handbook.

Where a complaint is raised by more than one individual, this will be known as a group complaint, and EA will request that an individual is nominated to represent the group and for the purpose of communication. Group complaints may require longer to handle, investigate and / or resolve.

INFORMAL COMPLAINTS

In many cases, a complaint raised can be resolved informally. An informal, practical, and sensible approach should be taken to resolve such an issue.

Following notification of a complaint, the DRP (the responder) will log the complaint, make an assessment as to whether the complaint can be handled informally, and respond to the complainant, advising them that the complaint is currently being handled informally, within 3 working days with an explanation or apology.

The complainant has 5 working days following receipt of the explanation or apology to confirm that they are satisfied with the resolution, or to request the complaint be escalated to Formal Complaint at which point the Stage 1 Formal Complaint process will commence.

If neither of these are received, the complaint will be closed.

FORMAL COMPLAINTS

If a complaint cannot be resolved informally, or if a formal complaint is received, the formal complaints procedure must be followed. Formal complaints will be logged and may be selected at random for review by the Directors.

Formal complaints can be made in writing to:

Everything Apprenticeships 

c/o Rubitek Solutions Limited 

Vanilla Business Suites
42 Coventry Road
Market Harborough 

Leicestershire
LE16 9BZ

Or by email to: feedback@everythingapprenticeships.com 

Or by telephone to: 0330 133 0540

Formal complaints may be handled in one or two stages as follows: 

Stage 1

• STEP 1: Apprentices, employers, or other stakeholders who wish to raise a complaint should clearly identify the nature of the issue they wish to complain about, including specific details such as the date, time, location, individuals involved, and the desired outcome.
• STEP 2: Complaints should be submitted in writing by email to feedback@everythingapprenticeships.com.
• STEP 3: Upon receipt of a complaint, EA will write to the complainant to acknowledge the complaint, typically within 3 business days following receipt, and provide a complaint reference number, along with contact details for the DRP who is responsible for handling the complaint, and the expected timeline for resolution.
• STEP 4: The DRP will conduct a thorough investigation into the complaint, gathering relevant information, interviewing involved parties, and assessing the circumstances surrounding the issue. This will typically take no more than 10 business days, the only exception being where the nature of the complaint requires a longer period of investigation. Once the investigation is complete, the DRP is responsible for ensuring appropriate action is taken to address the complaint and resolve the issue in a fair, impartial, and timely manner.
• STEP 5: The DRP will notify the complainant and the Directors of the outcome of the complaint within 5 business days following completion of the investigation.

Stage 2

If a complainant is not satisfied with the initial response to a Formal Complaint, they can request a review of the investigation and response as follows:

• STEP 1: The complainant should write to the Directors (either by letter or email) who can be contacted by email at directors@everythingapprenticeships.com, or at the address detailed above. The communication should detail the complaint reference number provided at Stage 1. On receipt, the compliant will be assigned to a director who will update the complaint log.
• STEP 2: The Director will acknowledge receipt of the review request within 3 working days of receipt.
• STEP 3: The Director will review the original complaint and the outcome from the original response within 10 workings days of receipt of the Stage 2 request, the only exception being where the nature of the review request requires a longer period of review. If the review determines that the matter requires more detailed investigation, the complainant will receive an interim response describing what is being done to deal with the matter, and when they can expect a full reply, and who they will receive this from.

If any part of a Formal Complaint is upheld EA will advise the complainant accordingly and give due consideration to how any improvement can be made in the future. For example, by reviewing procedures or arranging for internal training.

In extreme circumstances, internal disciplinary procedures may be exercised where the performance or behaviour of one or more Staff is deemed to have contributed to the complaint.

VEXATIOUS COMPLAINTS

Whilst every effort is made to address a complaint and resolve it to the satisfaction of all parties, if EA considers a complaint vexatious in nature (that is a complaint pursued, regardless of its merits and considered to be unreasonable, without foundation, frivolous, repetitive, burdensome, or unwarranted), EA may cease to investigate it any further.

The decision as to whether a complaint is vexatious rests with the Directors.

UNRESOLVED COMPLAINTS

If a complaint remains unresolved and the complainant is still not satisfied, or where the complaint relates to an external organisation, the complainant will be directed to the relevant complaints department or procedure. This may include one or more of the following organisations:

Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) Ofsted
Awarding Organisation
Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)
Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Equality Advisory and Support Services (EASS)

COMMENTS AND COMPLIMENTS

Comments and compliments received may be used in EA marketing. Where applicable, EA will seek consent from the individual who made the comment / compliment, including any other individuals where the comment / compliment relates to them. Comments and compliments may also be used as part of Staff review meetings, appraisals, and training.

• STEP 1: Apprentices, employers or other stakeholders who wish to make a comment or give a compliment can do so through various channels including our online chat facility, via feedback forms, by email to hello@everythingapprenticeships.com, via suggestion boxes, or in-person communication with staff members.
• STEP 2: Upon receipt of a comment or a compliment, EA will acknowledge this promptly, typically within 5 business days following receipt. Any comments or compliments received verbally should be recorded electronically and forwarded to the DRP.
• STEP 3: If applicable, the DRP will liaise with the individual who made the comment / compliment and address any questions, suggestions, or ideas. The DRP can if applicable, change the comment / compliment to a complaint, with agreement from the individual who made the comment / complaint and in such cases, the relevant procedure(s) will apply.
• STEP 4: If applicable, the DRP will seek prior agreement from the individual who made the comment / compliment for its use in EA marketing material.
  

PROMOTING THIS POLICY AND GAINING COMMITMENT

We are committed to ensuring that all staff and wider stakeholders fully understand, comply with, and actively engage with our policies. Our board and senior management are dedicated to fostering a culture of policy adherence and continuous improvement across our organisation.

Our induction process ensures that new staff members are introduced to our policies from the outset, providing them with the necessary information and guidance to adhere to our standards. Additionally, our annual appraisal process includes a thorough review of staff implementation of our policies, recognising and celebrating successes while identifying areas for improvement.

EA considers staff and wider stakeholder insights and perspectives when refining and reviewing its policies. This ensures our policies remain relevant, effective, and responsive to the evolving needs of our organisation and stakeholders. In addition, we proactively seek out examples of best practices from exemplar training providers, incorporating learnings and insights to further enhance our policies. By continuously benchmarking against industry standards and embracing innovative approaches, we strive to maintain the highest standards of policy governance and effectiveness.

APPLICABLE LAWS, REGULATIONS AND OTHER POLICIES

This Policy has been written in line with the following legislation and regulations:

• Consumer Rights Act 2015
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018
• Apprenticeship Standards and Funding Rules
• Equality Act 2010

and should be read in conjunction with, but not limited to, EA Policy documents for Quality Assurance, Safeguarding, Data Protection, and Disciplinary processes, ensuring consistency and coherence in handling feedback across all areas of operation.

APPROVAL AND REVIEW

The Directors are responsible for ensuring the Company meets its obligations in line with this policy.

This policy shall be reviewed by the Directors and updated where necessary before being approved at least annually to ensure that it (and any subsidiary policies and procedures) remains appropriate considering any relevant changes to the law, organisational policies, or contractual obligations.

This policy is approved by the Directors  on 18th March 2024.