2. Overview of the Procedure

The Student Complaints Resolution Procedure has three levels:

• Stage 1: Frontline / Local Resolution

• Stage 2: Formal Departmental Investigation and Resolution

• Stage 3: Formal Institutional Review and Final Resolution

Early resolution of the complaint should be sought and it is expected that the vast majority of complaints will be resolved at Stage 1. Should any complaint not be resolved through this internal three stage process, students are able to request that their complaint be independently reviewed by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) (www.oiahe.org.uk), the HE sector ombudsman. Apprentices may choose to request that their complaint be independently reviewed by the OIA or the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), but not both.

To make a complaint, students must start at Stage 1 unless there are truly exceptional circumstances which make it inappropriate to do so.

Go to Section 3 of the Procedure