General policy statement

Learnmore Network Limited and its associate and subsidiary companies (hereinafter called Learnmore) will ensure that any and all complaints made about the training and assessment service or staff it provides will be fully investigated, recorded, actioned and followed up in order to bring the complaint to a satisfactory conclusion. Learnmore aims at providing an outstanding service to all its customers, learners and stakeholders. Shortfalls in service standards are taken very seriously and the lessons learned from them implemented swiftly.

Learnmore also recognises the right of every learner to question and understand the decisions made by our Learning Partners and, if appropriate, to appeal against those decisions. In all cases, complaints and appeals will be dealt with in strict confidence and without detriment to the complainant.

Implementation of policy

Learnmore will ensure the effective implementation of this policy by:

• having a clear procedure for learners, customers, staff and other stakeholders to follow should they wish to appeal or complain
• ensuring that learners, in particular, understand the appeals procedure from the outset of their journey with Learnmore, to be achieved through information provided at induction
• acknowledging all complaints or appeals within one working day of receipt
• responding to all complaints or appeals within seven working days of receipt
• aiming to achieve a conclusion to the complaint or appeal that satisfies the complainant at all times
• escalating all issues that require the attention of management, to the management of Learnmore
• making sure that the complainants are safeguarded at all times
• providing an honest and transparent response to complainants including the provision of non-confidential information when requested
• supporting complainants to access external procedures (e.g. awarding body appeals procedures) if they are not satisfied by the judgment of Learnmore.

Quality assurance arrangements for appeals

The effectiveness of the appeals policy will be monitored and improved, as follows:

• the management team will review any complaints and appeals as part of the monthly meeting to analyse the effectiveness of the way they have been handled
• a complaints and appeals log is maintained to identify any key trends and repeated issues. This can be found on the shared drive
• all lessons learnt from complaints and appeals will be embraced and good practice adapted, where appropriate
• key issues arising regarding the quality of our service or assessment practice will be fed into our self-assessment process and quality improvement plan

Appeals Procedure

All appeals will be dealt with within 7 working days of receipt. The process is as follows:

1. the appealing Learner contacts their Learnmore Learning Partner to discuss their position
2. if an agreeable solution cannot be determined, the Learner and the Learning Partner will contact the Internal Quality Assuror (IQA). Exactly who makes this contact will be decided between Learner and Learning Partner, and the other party kept fully informed
3. the IQA investigates the reason(s) for the appeal, and:
   • has the assessment decision reviewed by a peer Learning Partner
   • reviews the assessment decision personally
4. the IQA reports the appeal to the External Quality Assuror (EQA) and reports on reason(s), action(s) taken and finding(s)
5. the IQA provides feedback on the outcome to both the Learner and the Learning Partner, giving reasons for the appeal to be upheld or not upheld
6. if the appeal is upheld, the IQA will arrange the necessary training and support for the Learning Partner regarding the qualification standards relating to the appeal

External support

If the appellant remains dissatisfied with our response as a centre, or the outcome of their complaint, they can escalate the matter further by contacting the relevant Awarding Organisation for their qualification.

If the appeal remains unresolved at this stage, the complainant can escalate the matter to the qualification regulator, Ofqual.

This link contains the procedure: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofqual/about/complaints-procedure

If the complaint is in relation to funding, and the complainant is dissatisfied with our response, or the outcome, they can escalate the matter by contacting the Education and Skills Funding Agency:

The Education & Skills Funding Agency           Email: [email protected]

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

This link contains the procedure: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/education-and-skills-funding-agency/about/complaints-procedure

Review of this policy

The effectiveness and validity of this policy will be reviewed in January 2025 and revised as appropriate. In any event, this policy will expire 31st January 2026 and will be reissued by 1st February 2026.