DOCUMENT CONTROL

Policy number	PDTT22/23 (004) v2
Approval date	November 2022
Review date	October 2023
Policy owner/s	Curriculum and Quality Manager, Head of Skills and Training
Scope: applies to who	Students, Employers, Teaching and Support Staff

Introduction

We hope that all our service users will be satisfied with the services offered by PDTT. Indeed, we often get thanks and compliments! However, should a learner, an employer or a member of the public have concerns, we take these very seriously. While most issues that arise can be resolved informally, this policy outlines the steps available if it is felt the issue needs to be taken further.

Compliments

Please refer to stage 2 below to ensure that the Compliment Form goes straight through to the Head of Skills and Training to provide positive feedback. We really appreciate your feedback.

Who can make a complaint?

Anyone can make an informal or formal complaint about anything linked to administration, training, assessment, verification, or personnel conduct whether they are receiving services from PDTT or not. This includes learners; a group of learners; an employer; a contractor; members of the public and parents/carers of children under 18.

Reasons for a complaint

A complaint can arise when someone considers that a service has not been delivered as they might reasonably expect. This might take the form of: 

·         Inappropriate conduct of a PDTT representative

·         Failure to follow PDTT’s policies

·         Failure to follow an Awarding Organisation's Code of Practice

·         Failure to reach service standard

·         Failure to provide a service

·         Failure to carry out action promised

·         Inefficient delivery of service

·         Wrong or incomplete information given

How to make a complaint

By registering for a qualification through PDTT, learners and employers have agreed to abide by its Complaints Procedure, as outlined below. 

Stage 1

If a learner has a complaint that can be easily put right, in the first instance they can contact the allocated tutor or the tutor support member of staff. That member of staff will endeavour to resolve the matter satisfactorily. This should be dealt with within ten working days of the complaint being made.

Stage 2

In the unlikely event that the tutor or support tutor has not been successful, the complainant will complete the Complaint Form and they will refer the complaint to the Head of Skills and Training who will respond directly within five working days of referral and within three months of the complaints being logged centrally.

Stage 3

If the Head of Skills and Training is unable to resolve the matter, then the complaint should be referred to the Chief Executive Officer. They will respond within ten working days to the complaint. The response will give a full written explanation.

Stage 4

If you are not happy with the resolution of the complaint you can appeal
as follows:
Complaints relating to the learning programme - contact the Skills Funding Agency or Greater London Authority
Complaints relating to qualifications - contact the Awarding Organisation

Your complaint will not affect the way that you are treated while your complaint is investigated.

These timescales have been fixed to ensure that complaints are dealt with quickly, however they may be extended if agreed by both parties. Where complaints need to be dealt with outside of the time frames specified, all parties will be notified of this.

If a learner, or anyone else, has a complaint to make, they can ask to speak to, or see, the relevant Head of Skills and Training in person, or if unavailable, any other member of the Senior Leadership Team.  If they prefer to put their complaint in writing, they can submit the Complaint Form to the address below. The Head of Skills and Training will ensure the complaint is referred on to the person best placed to respond:

Head of Skills and Training

Hoss Malek

PDT Training

258 Harrow Rd,

Westminster, London, W2 5ES

Contact: hoss@pdt.org.uk

0207 2668 241 / 07852 319919

The aims of these procedures

This process aims to:

• Encourage complainants to resolve their dissatisfaction through open and informal procedures in the first instance
• Provide clear procedures for users of PDTT’s services to raise their comments in a way that is free from intimidation and excessive bureaucracy
• Ensure that staff are provided with the necessary guidance and skills to handle complaints effectively and appropriately, in accordance with the procedures
• Ensure that the complainant is advised of the outcome of their complaint within the specified timeframes
• Offer guidance and support to complainants in making their complaints and any subsequent appeals
• Ensure that privacy and confidentiality are respected when dealing with a complaint
• Ensure all complaints are investigated thoroughly and fairly
• Protect the complainant and other parties involved in the complaint from recrimination or reprisal both during a complaint and following its closure
• Remedy the complaint and recompense complainants where there are sufficient grounds to do so
• Provide the complainant with the right to appeal against the outcome of their complaint
• Resolve the complaint as quickly as possible within the time frames stated within this policy as far as reasonably possible

The basic principle of these procedures is that complaints should be resolved fairly and at the earliest possible opportunity. Any dissatisfaction should be addressed as quickly as possible to improve the quality of service provided.

The Head of Skills and Training will maintain a central log of complaints on the database which will be analysed regularly by the Leadership team. Complaints link into the company’s KPIs and reporting purposes and are taken seriously.

This Policy is reviewed annually and was updated in November 2022 by the Curriculum and Quality Manager and the Head of Skills and Training. This policy covers PDT Training and is a sub-policy of the PDT wide Complaint Policy and Procedure.

The steps below illustrate the proper procedures for responding to a complaint:

1. Talk to a relevant member of staff
2. If the issue is not resolved
3. Fill in a Complaint Form and send to us
4. If you do not require a response or you do not give your name
5. The Head of Skills and Training will pass on comments to the appropriate staff, and these will be used to continue to improve our service

 

Formal Complaint

The Head of Skills and Training will respond within 5 working days and will ensure that the appropriate member of staff carries out a full investigation.

You will receive feedback from the Head of Skills and Training on the investigation within three months of the complaint being logged centrally

If you are still unhappy with the investigation findings and wish to complain further, the Chief Executive Officer will respond within 10 working days and will review the investigation and decide whether the complaint should be presented to a Senior Panel for a hearing.

 

If you are not happy with the resolution of the complaint you can appeal
as follows:

• Complaints relating to the learning programme - contact the Skills Funding Agency or Greater London Authority

  • Complaints relating to qualifications - contact the Awarding Organisation.