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College Complaints Guidelines

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This guidance has been put together to help you understand the complaints procedure as well as the options and support available to you.

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What is the complaints procedure?

The complaint procedure is available to students that have raised issues or concerns informally, but feel they have not been provided a satisfactory solution.

The complaint procedure covers a range of academic and non-academic issues. The college has set out the following circumstances as examples of grounds for a complaint:

  • If we have not obligations outlined in your programme handbook or in policies that support the wider student experience.
  • If you have been given misleading or incorrect information in prospectuses or other published promotional information.
  • Concerns you have about the delivery if your programme, the supporting administration, facilities, resources or services.
  • Circumstances that have caused significant distruption to your studies.
  • The approach we take to student welfare, financial support or our implementation of the UK government's immigration policy
  • Complaints about the conduct of a member of staff.
  • Services delivered by organisations or individuals contracted by RCA that impact on you.

Please ensure you contact the SU Advice Officer before submitting a complaint, as we can advise on how your specific complaint fits into the above categories.

What are the stages to a complaint?
Stage 1 (local resolution):
  • A Stage 1 complaint is the first step in the complaints procedure and provides opportunity for your complaint to be resolved informally within the department/school.
  • These are usualyl submitted using the RCA Student Complaints Form, found within the complaints policy document. The SU Advice Officer can assist you with this.
Stage 2 (formal complaint):

  • If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your Stage 1 complaint, you can progress to a Stage 2 formal complaint.

  • Stage 2 complaints are submitted using the RCA Student Complaints form, and should be submitted within 21 working days of receiving the Stage 1 outcome.
  • If the complaint is taken up, the investigator will be from a different part of the College than where your complaint is about, and different to the staff involved in Stage 1.
Stage 3 (review):

  • If you are unhappy with the outcome of Stage 2, you can put in a request for a review.

  • You should submit a Stage 3 Review Form normally within 14 working day from the outsome of Stage 2.

  • There are criteria that must be met in order to conduct a review.
  • If there are met and it is decided that the Stage 2 outsome should be reviewed, a revised outcome will be approved by the Chief Operating Officer.
When can I put in a complaint?

You should aim to submit the Stage 1 complaint within 20 working days after the incident/issue it relates to. The SU Advice Officer can assist you with working out your timeline if you are unsure.

When can I expect to hear back about my complaint?

There can be multiple steps within one stage of a complaint, and each step will have its own timeline. The SU can advise you on the appropriate timeline for each stage.

Stage 1: 

After submitting a Stage 1 complaint, you will receive an acknowledgement email normally within 3 working days. This email will either:

  • Set out how the matter you raised has been addressed.

  • State the actions that will be taken to address the matter, and by when.
  • Invite you to a meeting to discuss your complaint.
Stage 2: 

You should submit your Stage 2 complaint within 21 working days of receiving the Stage 1 outcome.

The Complaints Manager will aim to acknowledge your complaint by email within 3 working days.

You will normally receive a further email within 14 working days of submitting your complaint to state that the College will either:

  • Confirm that your complaint will be formally investigated.
  • Ask you for clarification about an aspect/s of your submission.
  • Reject your grounds for a complaint and provide the reason/s why.

Once you have provided more information, the Complaints Manager will confirm within 5 working days if the complaint will be investigated or rejected.

Stage 3: 

To begin a Stage 3 complaint, you should a Stage 3 Review Form within 14 working days of the Stage 2 outcome. 

The College Registrar will aim to provide email acknowledgement within 3 working days. 

You will normally receive an email to confirm the outcome of the review within 14 working days of submitting your complaint. 

How can I write a complaint?

The complaints form will ask you to set out the main points of your complaint, numbering each issue if there are multiple. For each issue you will have to state:

  • Who or what is being complained about.
  • The events that took place in chronological order.
  • The consequences that you believe you have suffered as a result.

It is best to use simple language so that your complaint is as clear and concise as possible. If you mentioned an event or communication, make sure to state the date it occured.

Can I have legal representation?

You cannot use legal representation in an RCA complaint procedure. As complaints are an internal procedure, lawyers do not have any jurisdiction

If lawyers became involved, the RCA complaints procedure would have to stop until any legal proceedings have been completed.

What happens if my complaint goes to a panel?

In exceptional cases, a College Panel may be established at Stage 2 to help form a conclusion.

The panel will take place with 21 working days of the provisional outcome being provided to you. The panel will consist of at least one Senior Academic and one Senior Professional Services Staff who have not been involved in your case. A member of the students' Union will also attend to support and represent you.

The panel's outcome will be shared with you normally within 3 working days of the meeting. The Students' Union can support you at every stage

What are the potential outcomes for my complaint?

Each complaint is individual and the potential outcomes will depend on the nature of the complaint and the specific outcomes you are seeking. The complaint form asks you to describe the outcomes you are looking for. Generally speaking, you will receive one of the following results:

Upheld

This means that your complaint has been accepted and the university will make the effort to implement the reccomendations proposed during the complaint process.

Partially upheld

This means that there are some elements of the complaint that have been acknowledged and it is expected that some of the recommendations will be implemented.

Rejection

This means that the complaint has not been accepted and the reccomendations will not be implemented. With all outcomes, there will be a written response detailing the decision.

What can the students’ union do to support me?

The Students' Union can provide impartial advice and guidance on any potential or ongoing complaint. You can meet with the SU's Advice Officer to discuss the complaint process and the options available to you. We can provide guidance on writing your complaint and collecting appropriate evidence to best present your case. We can attend any meetings or panels with you in order to provide support.

The Students' Union does not have power over the outcome or direction of a complaint. If you are dissatisifed with the outcome of the RCA's complaints procedure, we can advise you on how to take the issue to an external body, such as the OIA (Office for the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education)

Can I submit a group complaint?

It is possible to submit a complaint as a group. This is appropriate when the issue you are experiencing is affecting multiple students, for example, a seminar group may choose to complaint about a problem faced on their programme. The group can nominate one student to represent the group in written communication and meetings. This student would be the main point of contact for the College regarding the group complaint

The Students' Union can support a group complaint in the same way as an indivudal. The Advice Officer can meeting with the students as a group.

What are my options if I am not happy with the final outcome?

If all options have been exhausted within the university complaints procedure and you are still dissatisfied with the outcome, you can take your complaint to the Office of Independent Adjudicator (OIA). They provide an independent, impartial and transparent review of complaints that are made by students against a higher education provider. The OIA can look over complaints 12 months after a Completion of Procedure Letter has been issued.

You can speak to the Students' Union Advice Officer to discuss different options available to you after the RCA complaint procedure has been completed.