Intent

We are committed to providing high quality of service at all times. To achieve this objective it is paramount to have regular feedback for any delivery organisation to improve performance by identifying actions needed to be taken from time to time. This is why W1se Angels welcomes openness and frankness from its learners, Apprentices, employers and other stakeholders as an important driver in our commitment to continuous improvement and part of demonstrating that we are an equitable organisation. The policy and procedure also ensure a clear framework is in place for handling all complaints - and compliments - within a consistent approach and that subsequent action involves lessons and good practice being embedded across W1se Angels.

Implementation Aims

W1se Angels is committed to excellence in in the delivery of our educational provision. We welcome feedback from learners, Apprentices, employers or other stakeholders, whether that feedback is positive or critical.

We also aim to meet our statutory obligations when responding to complaints received by us.

We treat any expression of dissatisfaction which requires a response regarding any part of our service or members of staff as a complaint.

 

We will always take complaints seriously whilst seeking to provide redress and learn from the experience whenever appropriate.

 

Feedback is important to us because it helps us to improve, by establishing the full circumstances of a complaint we can identify what we could do to prevent the problem occurring again.

Equally compliments can help us focus on what we do well and how we can share aspects of good practice.

 

W1se Angels endeavours to provide a consistently high-quality service at all times. If, however, any learner, Apprentice, employer (including for learners on a work placement) or other stakeholder is unhappy with our service or provision and wishes to make a complaint on the grounds of the quality of provision of that service, or conduct of one of our staff, we will aim to resolve the complaint as quickly and equitably as possible. Where possible we will strive to resolve the complaint informally.

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Where an informal resolution is not possible, we will follow the procedure set out below. In all circumstances we will seek to act sensitively and maintain confidentiality whenever possible.

Objectives

• to establish a clear framework for addressing all complaints and compliments
• to ensure all complaints are dealt with in a timely and appropriate manner
• to provide a channel for complaints available to a wide range of service users
• to ensure impartial consideration
• to resolve issues raised to the satisfaction of both the Complainant and the company
• to learn lessons from all complaints and make recommendations which will support our policy of continuous improvement.
 

Scope of the Policy

The Policy covers a wide range of issues relating to learner, Apprentice, employer or other stakeholder satisfaction (or not) with W1se Angel’s services, performance and educational provision– it does not cover issues relating to academic matters including assessment, marking and grading or staff grievance which are covered by our procedures for dealing with learners concerns and staff grievance respectively.

Roles and Responsibilities

Managerial responsibility sits with the Compliance Manager

Procedural Framework

There is a clear framework to support staff in handling all complaints and compliments to ensure a consistent approach to complaints and compliments and subsequent action across W1se Angels activities and this involves directing all formal complaints and compliments through the Compliance Manager. This accountability ensures:

• the maintenance of accurate records to enable clear analysis of matters affecting people within W1se Angels and the central collation of data enables W1se Angels to identify trends, raises awareness increases awareness and helps us to improve our services.

• the most impartial perspective possible, allowing a fair and objective consideration of all issues.
• a mechanism for ensuring that the most appropriate department initially investigates the complaint
• continuous improvement in business processes.

 

Process

Making a complaint or providing a compliment Anyone may feedback to any staff member at any time about any aspect of W1se Angel’s activity. In the first instance, it may be helpful to contact the person dealing with your matter, who will do their best to resolve your concerns. If you do not feel able to discuss your concerns with them, please contact the person responsible for the overall supervision of your matter, who will be named or by writing directly to program manager.

 

If you do not feel able to raise your concerns with either of these people, or you are unsatisfied with their response, please write directly to our Compliance Office whose contact details are provided below.

 

All compliments and complaints are logged with the Compliance Office in the central database.

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Learners, Apprentices, employers or other stakeholders and other stakeholders may raise complaints/compliments in various ways including in writing, email, phone, in person, via the Comments and Feedback suggestion boxes situated in our educational delivery Centres and Academy buildings or by the Complaints & Customer Feedback section of our Web pages.

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The contact details for making either a complaint or compliment are:

Web Page: www.w1seangels.co.uk
Telephone number is: 0203 865 4277
Email address: info@w1seangels.co.uk

 

Complaints

Making a complaint or expressing dissatisfaction is as easy as possible.

In the first instance staff may try to resolve the complaint informally.

If a swift and adequate response cannot be offered the formal process will be followed.

In all cases complaint information must be recorded in section 1 of the Feedback Form by the staff member receiving the complaint. (Appendix 1)

 

In all cases staff must inform the Compliance Office of the complaint and complete a copy of the Complaints Form so that it is duly recorded in the central W1se Angels Complaints Central Register and a copy placed in the Complaints Folder. (Appendix 2).

Time scales

The time scales may vary subject to the complexity of the complaint and the need for any internal investigation from case to case.

• We will acknowledge all written complaints within 2 working days of receipt.

• It is W1se Angels’s commitment to seek to resolve all complaints within 14 working days from the date the first complaint was made.
• However, if we need more information or responses from a Complainant, we will allow up to 14 working days for the Complainant to respond and then the completion time for the complaint will be within 30 working days.

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• Allowing for complex cases with several such interactions, may mean investigations for W1se Angels may take up to 60 working days to fully complete.

• An Appeal against the outcome of the complaint must be made by the Complainant within 14 days of the outcome of the complaint.

 

Records and confidentiality

All conversations with you during the Complaints Procedure and all correspondence and documents produced by you or us in the course of our Complaints Procedure are confidential and only for the purpose of carrying out the procedure, except that

1. They may be referred to by you or the our staff member involved, in a subsequent complaint;

2. Under a regulatory auditing requirement we must keep records of complaints and permit inspection of them by the relevant statutory body. We will keep our file for 6 years to comply with that requirement.
3. You agree that within W1se Angel, those implementing any further internal procedures arising from your complaint, and our Senior Management Team - who are responsible for the monitoring of the complaints procedure and considering improvements to it - may be given sufficient information about your complaint to carry out their functions. Where possible information supplied to them about your complaint will be anonymised.

 

Complaints Procedure.

i. When a complaint is received, the person who receives the complaint must complete in full Section 1 of the W1se Angels Form. Appendix 1. (Please note; it is the responsibility of the person completing the form to ensure it is fully completed).
ii. Inform the Compliance Office and give them a copy of the completed form to be filed, and registered.
iii. The Compliance Office will establish which business department is the most appropriate to deal with and resolve the complaint. This will include consideration of which department would be most suited to dealing with the potential for complaints that may relate to any external bodies such as those, for example, for accreditation of qualifications or funded provision.
iv. The Compliance Office will then pass it onto the head of the relevant department to deal with the complaint as a matter of urgency.
v. The Complainant is to be provided with an acknowledged of the complaint within 2 working days (48 hours) of receipt and evidence of the contact is to be sent to the Compliance Office within 5 days working days. If no information received by Day 6, this will be escalated to the HR Manager.
vi. The head of the relevant department will investigate the situation and whenever necessary obtain statements from all those involved.

vii. In all cases the head of the relevant department should try to establish what actually took place and where the responsibility lies.
viii. Copies of any letters sent to the Complainant must be attached to the complaint documentation for any future reference.
ix. A written response should be issued detailing the outcome of the investigation and any subsequent actions to be taken by W1se Angel, where applicable.
x. Once the complaint has been resolved and if the Complainant is satisfied –the case is closed.
xi. On closure of a complaint the central register is to be updated by the Compliance Office.
xii. If the matter is not resolved by the investigation or if the Complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome, the Compliance Office will inform the Complainant that they may appeal the decision.
xiii. Any complaints that have had no Manager input over 7 working days will be escalated by the Compliance Office to Senior Leadership Team and HR.
xiv. Any complaints that may have a safeguarding or well-being concern, must include handling from a Safeguarding Officer, and reported to necessary authorities, if applicable.

Appeals Procedure

i. If the matter is not resolved by the investigation or if the Complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome, they wish to appeal and have notified the Compliance Office of this within 14 working days of W1se Angels’s response, the Compliance Office will appoint a Review Manager.
ii. The Review Manager will be a member of the Management Team and who has had no involvement in the complaint at any stage.
iii. The Complainant’s request for a review will be acknowledged within 48 hours from the date of appeal.
iv. The appointed Review Manager will consider all aspects of the complaint and how it has been handled by W1se Angels.
v. The findings of the review will be communicated to the Complainant within 14 working days. vi. If the review is complex and likely to exceed this timescale the Complainant must be kept informed of progress at least every 10 working days.
vi. Copies of any correspondence with the Complainant must be included with the complaint documentation for any future reference.
vii. A written response should be issued detailing the outcome of the investigation and any subsequent actions to be taken by W1se Angels where applicable.
viii. Once the complaint has been resolved and the Complainant is satisfied, the complaint is to be closed and there is no further action.
ix. On closure of a complaint the central complaints register is to be updated by the Compliance Office.
x. If the complaint is not substantiated and the Complainant remains dissatisfied with the outcome, they may appeal to The Director of W1se Angels within 14 working days of W1se Angels’s response to the Appeal.
xi. This is the final stage of W1se Angels internal complaints procedure. Should the complaint involve matters that relate to funded provision or accredited qualifications, the Complainant will be advised of any relevant external body and their contact details.
xii. Where a complain

xiii. it is continued to any external body or department under our statutory obligation we shall co-operate with any investigation carried out by the Department and act on any recommendations made by the Department following the investigation.

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Monitoring and Recording Complaints and Compliments

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1- It is an essential part of a W1se Angel’s Management System that all compliments and complaints are recorded and monitored. Even if they are resolved easily and quickly there may be opportunity to learn from the situation and improve working practice, processes or procedures as a result.
2- The subject of complaints once resolved will be monitored by the Senior Management Team monthly for the purposes of learning and improving working practices, processes and systems.
3- The compliments will be monitored by the Senior Management Team monthly for the purposes of learning and improving working practices, processes and systems. Copies of all compliments should be forwarded to the Compliance Office who will maintain a central register of compliments. Compliments should be celebrated and shared by Managers amongst teams and publicised via the Groups communication channels (LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and any other Social Media, website, intranet (Teams, Share Point) and at Senior Leadership Team meetings)