011 - Learner Appeals Policy

LearnerAppeals Policy

POLICIES&PROCEDURES

1.Introduction

AnylearnerundertakingaprogrammewithThinkEmploymentLtd(hereinaftertheCompany)and whoisunhappyaboutanyaspectoftheassessmentprocesshastherighttocomplainthroughthe Complaints/PraisePolicy.

If,however,thelearnerdisagreeswithanassessmentdecision,thefollowingprocessshouldbe taken:

2.TheProcess

Learnerswhoareunhappyaboutanyaspectoftheassessmentprocessshouldfirstdiscussthe problemwiththeTutorwithin5workingdaysofreceivingtheirresult.

Forassessmentsthataretakenusingautomatedtestingsoftwarewhichhasbeenapprovedbythe relevantawardingbodies,theappellantshould:-

Maketheirreasonsclearatthistime

IntheeventofaLearnerraisingacomplaint,theassessmentreport,whichwillhavebeen producedbythesystem,willbefullydiscussedwiththeLearner Anactionplanwillbeagreedandafurtherassessmentdatescheduled Insomecircumstances theLearnermaybeofferedafreere-test(eg iftherehadbeenhardwareorsoftwareproblems) IftheLearnerisunhappywiththedecisionoftheTutor,theLearnermustwritewithin5 workingdaystotheHeadofQuality,whowillfullyreviewthecomplaintandattempttofinda solution.

IfasolutionisnotagreedonbetweentheHeadofQualityandtheLearner,theawardingbody appealprocedurewillbefollowed.Seedetailsbelow.

ForqualificationsthatareassessedbytheTutor/Assessor:

TheLearnermustmaketheirreasonsclearatthistimetotheTutor/Assessor.

TheTutor/Assessorwillreviewhis/herassessmentwiththeLearner,explainingthejudgement decision.

ShouldtheLearnernotbehappywiththisjudgementdecision,theLearnermustwritetothe leadInternalQualityAssurerwithin5workingdays.

TheleadInternalQualityAssurer(IQA)willreviewtheassessmentwithin5workingdaysof receivingtheenquiryandwillinformtheLearnerofhis/herdecision.

IftheLearnerisunhappywiththedecisionoftheleadIQA,thequerywillbesenttothe awardingbody’sExternalQualityAssurer(EQA)forhim/hertoreviewtheassessment.TheIQA willinformtheLearneroftheEQA’sdecisionassoonashe/shereceivesthisdecision.TheEQA’s decisionisfinal.

Thecentrewillkeepawrittenrecordofeachstageoftheprocesswithdatesandoutcomes.

1

3.Resultenquiry

Forsomequalifications,suchasfunctionalskills,theexampaperismarkedbytheawardingbody.If alearnerwisheshis/herpapertoberemarked,anenquiryshouldbesubmittedtotheawardingbody ratherthananappeal.

Whentheremarkgoesinfavourofthelearner,theawardingbodydoesnotcharge;however,when theremarkconfirmstheinitialgrade,theawardingbodyappliesafee.Ifthelearnerhasrequested theremark,thelearnerwillberequiredtopaythisfee.

4.Awardingbodies’appealsprocess

Note:theawardingbodiesusetheterm“CentreManager.”FortheCompany,theawardingbody CentreManageristheHeadofAdministration.Thewordinginthissectionistakenfromthe awardingbody’swording.

BCS

IfalearnerisnotabletoresolveanappealrelatingtoaBCSAssessmentattheapprovedcentre, thenhe/shehastherighttoappealtoBCS ThiscanbedoneviatheBCScentremanager, contactdetailsbelow,ordirecttotheBCSQualityTeaminwriting Learnerappealsmustbe madetoBCSwithin20workingdaysofthedateoftheassessmenttogetherwiththeappealfee (detailsoftheappealfeeonBCSwebsite) ThisfeewillberefundediftheLearner’sresult improvesfollowingtheappeal Theaddresswillbesuppliedonrequest BCSwillacknowledgereceiptoftheappealandadvisethelearnerorcentreofthetimescalefor adecision.

TheBCSRepresentativewillinvestigatethecircumstancesoftheappealandmakeareportto theappealspanel.Inveryexceptionalcases,theappealspanelmayrequesttheCentreManager possiblyaccompaniedbytheLearner,toattendameetingofthepaneltoprovidefurther explanationofthecircumstancesoftheappeal.

AppealspaneldecisionswillbegiveninwritingtotheCentreManagerandtheLearnerandare final.

NCFE

Youmustsubmitanappealapplicationwithin30workingdaysofreceivingtheoriginal decision,theoutcomeofanenquiry,ortheoutcomeofareviewofanappeal(Stage1) Thedecisionofwhetherornottoaccepttheapplicationforanappealisbasedonseveral factors,andyouwillbenotifiedwithin5workingdaysfromthedatetheappealwassubmitted ifithasbeenacceptedorrejected.

Ifacceptedtostage1,wewillaimtoresolveanappealwithin20workingdaysofacceptance. Anappealoutcomereportwillbesentwithin5daysofthedecisionbeingmade,either upholdingorrejectingtheappealatthisstage.

2

YouhavetherighttosubmitanappealtotheIndependentAppealsCommittee(stage2) followingcompletionofthestage1appealsprocedureifyouarenotsatisfiedwithour decision/outcome.Wewillaimtoconfirmacceptancewithin5workingdays,andoncethe committeehavemadeadecisionyouwillbeinformedwithin5workingdays.

Ifthestage2reviewfoundthatwehadnotcorrectlyappliedourprocesses,proceduresor policiesfairlyorconsistently,wewillsendyouanappealoutcomeletteroremail,whichwill includeremedialactionstobecompleted,includingappropriatetimescales.

Ifthestage2reviewfoundallprocesses,proceduresandpoliciestohavebeenappliedcorrectly andinafairandconsistentwaytheappealwillberejected.ThedecisionoftheIndependent AppealsCommitteeisfinalandwillcompleteourappealsprocedure.Wewillnotacceptany furtherappeal.

OpenAwards

OpenAwardswillnotconsidertheappealrequestedbytheLearner.Theappealmustbedone byTheCompanyfortheLearner TheCompany’sstaffmembermustsubmittheirappealwithin 30workingdaystoOpenAwardsattheaddressprovidedinsection4below Theappeal submissionshouldincludethelearner’snameandregistrationnumber;detailsofthe qualificationaffected;afullstatementforthereasonsoftheappeal,aswellasanyinvestigation carriedoutbytheCompany(ifrelevant)andsupportingevidence/documents;thesignatureof thelearner

Thelearnerwillreceiveanacknowledgementofreceiptwithin5workingdays

OpenAwardswillreviewallavailableinformationandreporttheoutcomeoftheirinvestigations within30workingdaysofreceiptoftheappeal However,iftheappealinvolvesaremark,a revisedtimescalewillbeagreedon.Twopossibleoutcomesmayhappen:eitherthelearner’s appealissuccessful(forexample,theoriginaldecisionisamended,suchasachangeofan exam ’sgrade),orithasnotbeensuccessful(OpenAwardsstandsbyitsoriginaldecision). Ifthelearnerisnotsatisfiedwiththeaboveoutcome,theymayappealagainandanInternal AppealsPanelwillreviewthecase.OpenAwardswillacknowledgetheappealwithin5working days.ThePanelwillproduceareportandrecommendationswithin30workingdays.

Ifthelearnerisnotsatisfiedwiththereport,theymayappealtotheExternalAppealsPanel.This appealmustbereceivedwithin10workingdaysofthereport.OpenAwardswillacknowledge theappealwithin5workingdays.ThePanelwillproduceareportandrecommendationswithin 30workingdays.Theoutcomeofthisappealisfinal.

TrainingQualificationsUK(TQUK)

IfthelearnerisnotabletoresolveanappealrelatingtoaTQUKAssessmentattheapproved centre,thenhe/shehastherighttoappealtoTQUK.However,theyrecommendthatthe Learnermakeaninitialenquiryfirst.AnTQUKstaffmemberwillthenadvisethelearneronhow toproceedwithanappeal.

Shouldthelearnerwishtoappealfollowingtheenquiry,theTQUKAppealFormneedstobe submittedwithin4weeksfromthedateofanassessmentresult.

3

Thelearnerwillreceiveconfirmationofthereceiptoftheappealwithin2workingdays.Itwill take20workingdaysfortheappealtobereviewed.Adateastowhenthelearnerwillhearfrom TQUKwillgivegivenonreceiptoftheappeal.

Thelearnerhas10workingdaystoeitheraccepttheappealoutcomeorrejectit.Ifthelearner rejectstheappealoutcome,itwillgothroughtheTQUK’sIndependentReviewprocess.The outcomeofthisappealisfinal.

Gateway

CompletetheGatewayQualifications’appealsformandsubmititwithin20workingdaysofthe dateofthepublicationofthedecisionwhichisbeingappealed. Gatewaywillconfirmreceiptofappealwithin2workingdays,andwillnotifyoutcomeof decisionwithin20workingdaysofappealreceipt.Thisstage–Stage1–willinvolvean individualthatGatewaywillappointtoreviewtheappeal.

IftheappellantisnotsatisfiedwithStage1’sdecision,theymayproceedtothenextstage–Stage2–bywritingwithin15workingdaysfromthedateofStage1outcome Thisstagewill involveapanelappointedbyGateway Thedecisionatthisstageisfinal

Skillsfirst

IftheLearnerisnotabletoresolveanappealrelatingtoaSkillsfirstAssessmentattheapproved centre,thenhe/shehastherighttoappealtoSkillsfirst Thismaybedonebycompletingthe appealsform,whichisavailableonSkillsfirstwebsite–skillsfirstcouk Therewillbeacharge tomakeanappeal,thedetailsofwhichareontheSkillsfirstwebsite AppealsmustbemadetoSkillsfirstwithin20workingdaysofthedateyourexaminationresult wasissuedbySkillsfirst.

Skillsfirstwillacknowledgereceiptoftheappealwithin2workingdays.

TheSkillsfirstCustomerServiceTeamLeaderwillundertake,within10workingdays,aninitial, informalassessmentoftheappealtoensuretheappealdocumentationiscompleteandto ascertainiftheissuecanberesolvedbeforeitgoestoaformalappeal.

TheappealwilleitherbeupheldorrejectedandtheLearnerwillbeinformedofthedecision. ShouldtheLearnerwishtogothroughaformalappeal,he/shewillneedtofollowthe instructionsgivenbytheSkillsfirstCustomerServiceTeamLeader.

JCQ

JCQAppealsBooklet–effectivefromNovember2020–isavailableat https://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/appeals

4

5.Takingtheappealfurther

Shouldthelearnernotbesatisfiedwiththefinaldecisionoftheawardingbody,theymayraisethe issuewiththequalificationregulator:

ComplaintsOfqual

EarlsdonPark 53-55ButtsRoad Coventry CV13BH

Orpublic.enquiries@ofqual.gov.uk

ThelearnermayalsofollowOfqual’sproceduresat https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofqual/about/complaints-procedure.

7.ReviewofthePolicy

ASeniorLeaderwillreviewthispolicyannuallyormorefrequentlywheretherearesignificant changesincircumstances.

Contact Name Address/Tel No

See the “Contact and responsibility list” document displayed in centre See the “Contact and responsibility list” document displayed in centre Head of Quality See the “Contact and responsibility list” document displayed in centre See the “Contact and responsibility list” document displayed in centre Head of Administration, acting as the Awarding Body Centre Manager Angela Dennehy

Employment Ltd 140 Victoria Street Grimsby

E Lincs

1NX Tel: 01472 898221 BCS Quality Team qualityassuranceteam@bcs uk NCFE

the appeals form at Appeals form

co

email it to appeals@ncfe org uk Open Awards Appeals must be made in writing and should be addressed to the Head of Quality and Standards at the following address: Open Awards Estuary Commerce Park 17 De Havilland Drive Speke Liverpool L24 8RN TQUK

and submit the Appeal Form through Creatio Green system Queries regarding the appeal: quality@tquk org Gateway Complete the appeals from at Appeals Form - Gateway Qualifications Skillsfirst Complete the enquiry on their website – https://skillsfirst co uk/contact

Tutor

Think

N

DN31

Complete

(qualhub

uk) and

Complete

5

To be disseminated to: All Staff / Service Users

Authorised by:

Lead IQA

Head of Administration

Head of Quality

Amendments:

Sept 2018 - Updated

Policy Ref: 011

Issue Date: March 2015

Review Due: December 2024

Dec 2018 – Layout amended and Introduction and ‘meanings’ included Contact list clarified and notified of display in centres

Dec 2019 – No changes

Dec 2020 – OCR removed and Open Awards added; appeals form link added for NCFE; replaced Head of Operation with Head of Operation, and Candidates with Learner

May 2021 – TQUK appeal process added; enquiry added; Ofqual email address added

November 2021 – Changed Head of Operation to Head of Quality; amended Open Awards process in section 4; emboldened time frames

April 2022 – Changed Head of Central Support to Head of Administration; removed City & Guilds, and Proqual; added Gateway’s appeals procedure.

Dec 2022 - Removed Skillsfirst and Ascentis

Aug. 2023 – Added again Skillsfirst

Jan 2024 - Replaced "Senior Manager" with "Senior Leader"