Eagle Education and Training is part of the Kaplan UK Group. Kaplan has many years’ experience of delivering high quality Apprenticeship Programmes.
Kaplan sponsors and supports Eagle Education and Training to establish & deliver high quality higher and digital apprenticeship programmes, transferring or seconding experience staff as appropriate.
Eagle Education & Training has, where appropriate, adopted Kaplan policies and processes, adapting them where necessary.
Complaints Policy
1. Complaint Definition
‘An expression of dissatisfaction with any individual, service or lack of service where a response is reasonably expected and has not been resolved by an informal approach’.
2. Introduction
The following describes our Customer Complaints Policy. This document will apply to Customers (Students/learners and employers) who are dissatisfied with the provision of Eagle Education & Training’s services and wish to make a formal complaint. The procedure may be used by existing and prospective customers.
3. Principles
We constantly seek to improve services and aims, therefore, to deal thoroughly, objectively and fairly with any complaint about business services, and to offer an appropriate remedy to anyone who is adversely affected by a service which fails to meet our standards.
Customers, either individually or collectively, are entitled to raise legitimate complaints and criticisms. We will not penalise anyone for making a legitimate complaint about College services. This entitlement is balanced by the requirement that the rights are not misused, and that the professional reputation of members of staff are protected. Disciplinary action may be taken if a complaint is shown to be malicious, frivolous, or vexatious.
It is expected that the documentation generated during the complaint procedure will remain confidential and that this will be respected by all parties.
We cannot deal fully with anonymous complaints, as a personal response would no longer be an option. We consider those about whom complaints are being made have the right to know the basis of the complaint and what is being claimed. A copy of relevant documentation will be forwarded to the person who is the subject of the complaint. We will, however, always ensure that the complainant’s identity is not disclosed, or implied as the complaint is investigated, without informing the relevant party first.
If the complainant is concerned about revealing their identity advice may be sought from anyone at the local centre or familiar to the Customer.
Customers are advised to raise the issue informally and ONLY ONCE with the Head of the appropriate Department or any other appropriate individual familiar to the Customer. It is anticipated that the vast majority of complaints will be resolved at this stage. This is the first and preferred method of resolution, without recourse to formal procedures. Informal complaints will be logged at this stage which will override any further informal approach made by any other individual subsequent to this.
4. Types of Complaint covered by this policy:
This is a single complaints procedure to cover different types of Customer complaint or grievance, which can be used to complain about any service the College provides. The list is not exhaustive, but is likely to fall under the following categories:
The behaviour of another Customer, i.e. Student or member of staff
Complaints arising from your educational experience e.g. poor teaching or supervision
Complaints in respect of academic and/or administrative support or other services.
Complaints relating to Government Funding will be investigated as per the Education & Skills Funding Agency’s procedure; a copy of this can be provided on request.
5. The complaints procedure is located at: Customer Complaints Procedure
6. Complaints affecting a number of Students
If the complaint is shared by a number of Students, it should be raised collectively as a group and follow the procedure outlined above. If the group of Students/learners will be submitting a letter of complaint for any of the stages it should be signed by all concerned.
7. Appeal against Outcome
If, on receiving the response, the Customer considers that:
- not all the evidence has been considered in reaching a judgment;
- the decision you have received is unfair or unlawful; or
- despite your complaint being upheld, you have still been disadvantaged; an appeal can made in writing to the Complaints Officer for the case to be reconsidered on any of these grounds. Both parties to any complaint have the right to appeal, within seven working days of learning of the outcome of the hearing. Grounds for appeal must include additional evidence to that submitted originally and should indicate in writing why the response to the complaint is not satisfactory. Taking into account all the previous attempts at resolution, the Senior Management team will make the final decision.
Customer Complaints Procedure
Our Senior Management team has overall responsibility for the complaints procedure. It monitors the complaints and comments received, and the effectiveness of this procedure in addressing them. Subject to complaints being dealt with on an individual basis, the Senior Management team will review any common causes or patterns of complaints which emerge.
The Complaints Officer is responsible for arranging, recording and ensuring that decisions are conveyed to the Senior Management team. All detailed documentation will be kept confidentially.
Stages of the Procedure
Informal stage
If you are considering making a complaint you are strongly advised to raise the issue informally with the appropriate Head of Department or member of staff you feel comfortable with. It is anticipated that the vast majority of complaints will be resolved at this stage. Your informal complaint will be logged and you will not be able to use the informal complaint route subsequently through any other individual.
This is the preferred method of resolution, without recourse to formal procedures.
Formal stage
If you are unable to resolve your complaint informally, you will need to provide us with details in writing to the Complaints Officer as soon as possible after the events about which you are concerned occurred, normally within fourteen working days. We may not be able to investigate your complaint properly if you delay.
The information must be submitted on the official complaints form.
The online version of the form is available here on our website.
If you are unable to access this form, please contact the Complaints Officer Samantha@eagle-education.co.uk for an alternative version of the form that can by submitted as a hard copy.
Please note that certified copies of documents (e.g. medical certificates) may be requested.
You will need to provide:
- your name;
- a contact address (and preferably telephone and/or mobile number and email address);
- your programme of study;
- the date on which the problem arose;
- whether anyone else was affected, or saw what happened; the response you would like from us;
- any supporting evidence.
You will receive a confirmation that the complaint has been received.
The investigation will be undertaken by our independent Complaints Officer who will respond within fourteen working days of receiving your complaint to let you know the outcome of the investigation and details of any actions to be taken. If we are unable to do so, you will be informed about how much longer it will take. You, and any individual against whom the complaint is being made, are entitled to submit written evidence to the Complaints Officer in support of your respective positions.
If at any time during this stage, or later, you would like to try to resolve your complaint informally, you can do this by contacting the Complaints Officer.
The possible outcomes of the formal complaint are as follows:
- Complaint not upheld (if the complaint is felt not to be warranted)
- Complaint upheld in whole or in part (if the complaint, or part of it, is felt to be fair in any of its elements)
- In the event of a complaint being upheld in whole or in part, recommendations will be made in respect of remedial action required. A response may be required from the individuals concerned, within a set timeframe.
We will respond by detailing how the complaint has been investigated, the evidence used, the conclusion reached, and, if appropriate, the steps to be taken to resolve the matter. Eagle may not be able to give you the precise redress you asked for, but you will have an opportunity of saying whether or not you are satisfied with the proposals.