Haley College believes that all clients, trainees/student and employees have a right to:
- Access all facilities and support needed to succeed.
- Be treated with courtesy, understanding and respect by Haley College.
- Have personal information treated confidentially.
- Encouraged to express concerns.
All complaints and appeals are handled systematically, objectively and appropriately according to the level of severity
2. Scope
This policy applies to all Haley College staff and trainees/student. Trainers in particular should have a clear understanding of this policy and procedure so that they can provide accurate and timely information to trainees/student.
3. Definitions
Policy
Haley College (“the RTO”) is committed to developing and maintaining an effective, timely, fair and equitable complaints handling system which is easily accessible and offered to complainants at no charge.
The RTO aims to:
- Develop a culture that views complaints as an opportunity to improve the RTO and how it operates;
- Set in place a complaints handling and resolution procedure that is student focussed and helps the RTO to prevent complaints from recurring;
- Ensure that any complaints are resolved promptly, objectively and with sensitivity and in complete confidentiality;
- Ensure that the views of each complainant and respondent are respected and that any party to a complaint is not discriminated against nor victimised;
- Ensure that there is a consistent response to complaints.
It is the RTO’s policy to respond promptly and effectively to individual cases of dissatisfaction by utilising the procedure set out in this document.
Definition of a complaint
A complaint can be defined as a student’s, client’s or other relevant stakeholder’s expression of dissatisfaction with any aspect of the RTO’s services and activities including, among other things:
- The enrolment, induction/orientation process;
- The quality of training or assessment provided;
- Access to personal records;
- The way someone has been treated.
A complaint is not about an assessment result. Students who wish to appeal an assessment decision should refer to the Appeals Procedure.
Before an issue becomes a formal complaint
Students, clients or other relevant stakeholder’s are encouraged, wherever possible, to resolve concerns or difficulties directly with the person(s) concerned. The C.E.O. is available to assist students, clients or other relevant stakeholders to resolve their issues at this level.
Relationship to the Essential Standards
This policy and procedure is designed to meet the requirements of Essential Standard 2.6 which requires that complaints and appeals are addressed efficiently and effectively. This policy and procedure is also designed to capture data to assist the RTO to continuously improve its operations as required by Essential Standards 1.1, 2.1 and 3.1..\Standards\Element 2.1.doc..\Standards\Element 3.1doc.doc
Procedure
This procedure is designed to be utilised by students, clients or other relevant stakeholders who wish to lodge a formal complaint.
Stage One:
Complaints must be submitted in writing to the C.E.O. Receipt of the complaint will be acknowledged within five working days.
The C.E.O. will then, if necessary, seek to clarify the outcome that the complainant hopes to achieve. When such clarification occurs in a face-to-face interview with the complainant, they may ask another person to accompany them. The RTO representative will then endeavour to resolve the complaint, providing a written report to the complainant on the steps that will be taken to address the complaint within 20 working days.
A Corrective Action Report ..\Audit Tools\Corrective Action Report.doc will be initiated during Stage One and details of the complaint, any actions arising and the outcome of the complaint will be recorded.
Stage Two:
If the complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome of the complaint, they may appeal the decision reached in Stage One in writing to the CEO within 15 days of receiving the written report of the outcome of Stage One. The CEO will appoint a person who was not involved in the original decision to consult with the complainant and other relevant parties. Where possible such consultations should take the form of face-to-face interviews so that the complainant has an opportunity to formally present their case. The complainant may ask another person to accompany them to interviews.
Once the CEO receives a report of the consultation procedure, they will provide a written report to the complainant on the further steps taken to address the complaint, clearly stating the reasons for the decision.
Stage Three:
If the complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome of their appeal, they may make a written request to the RTO that they wish the matter be dealt with through an external dispute resolution process facilitated by the Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET).
The RTO will then advise ACPET in writing of the request within 5 working days. ACPET will arrange for a Round Table Discussion (RTD) to be held between the RTO and the complainant within 10 working days of the written notification from the RTO. ACPET do not charge a fee for this service.
If the matter remains unresolved after the RTD then ACPET will appoint an independent mediator within 14 working days of the RTD. ACPET plays no role in the actual mediation. It is then up to the mediator, the complainant and the RTO to resolve the complaint. The RTO and the complainant will share equally any costs associated with the mediation.
The complainant may ask another person to accompany them to meetings with ACPET or the mediator.
The mediator will report to the RTO the outcome of the mediation, including any recommendations arising, within 14 days of the completion of the review. Once the RTO receives the report of the outcomes from the RTD or independent mediation, they will provide a written report to the complainant within 10 working days on the recommended actions to resolve the grievance.
The RTO agrees to be bound by the independent mediator’s recommendations and will ensure that any recommendations are referred to the Continuous Improvement Committee for action.
Further Action:
If the complaint still remains unresolved, the complainant may decide to refer the matter to an external agency such as Haley College or contact the National Training Complaints Hotline on 1800 000 674.
Nothing in this Complaints Handling and Resolution Policy and Procedure limits the rights of students to take action under Australia's Consumer Protection laws. Also, these dispute resolution procedures do not circumscribe a student's rights to pursue Appeals Process or other legal remedies.
Continuous Improvement
Any areas for improvement which arise where a complaint is found to substantiated are documented in a Corrective Action Report and handled according to the Continuous Improvement Policy and Procedure.
Record Keeping and Confidentiality
Records of all complaints handled under this procedure and their outcomes shall be maintained for a period of at least five years to allow all parties to the complaint appropriate access to these records, upon written request to the RTO.
All records relating to complaints will be treated as confidential and will be covered by the RTO’s Privacy Policy.
Publication
This Complaints Handling and Resolution Policy and Procedure will be published in the Student Handbook and included in the student orientation process.
For the information of Staff this policy and procedure will be included in the Staff Handbook.
