Complaints Policy and Procedure

1. Introduction

Jokings International Business College ("the College" or "JIBC") is committed to providing a high-quality educational experience and maintaining appropriate standards of teaching, student support, administration, facilities, and institutional governance.

The College recognises that students, parents, staff, and other stakeholders may occasionally have concerns about its services, decisions, conduct, or operations. Complaints provide an important source of feedback and help the College identify areas requiring correction or improvement.

This policy establishes a clear, accessible, fair, impartial, and timely process for raising, investigating, and resolving complaints. No complainant will be disadvantaged or subjected to retaliation for raising a genuine concern in good faith.

2. Purpose

The purposes of this policy are to:

• Provide an effective process for resolving complaints.
• Encourage concerns to be addressed promptly and, where appropriate, informally.
• Ensure formal complaints are investigated fairly and impartially.
• Ensure all parties have a reasonable opportunity to present relevant information.
• Provide clear reasons for decisions.
• Protect confidentiality and personal information.
• Identify recurring concerns and opportunities for institutional improvement.
• Promote transparency, accountability, and confidence in the College's procedures.

3. Scope

This policy applies to complaints submitted by:

• Current students.
• Former students, where the complaint concerns events that occurred during their enrolment.
• Applicants to the College.
• Parents, guardians, or authorised representatives of students.
• Members of staff.
• Other persons directly affected by a service or activity of the College.

A parent, guardian, representative, or adviser may submit or assist with a complaint on behalf of a student only with the student's written consent, unless the student is a minor, lacks capacity, or exceptional circumstances apply.

This policy covers complaints concerning:

• The quality or delivery of teaching and learning.
• Student support and welfare services.
• Administrative or operational services.
• Facilities, equipment, learning resources, or accessibility.
• The conduct or behaviour of staff, students, volunteers, or contractors.
• The application of College policies and procedures.
• Decisions or actions taken by a department or member of staff.
• Discrimination, bullying, harassment, or unfair treatment.
• Misleading or inaccurate information provided by the College.
• Failure to provide an agreed or published service.

4. Matters Covered by Other Procedures

The following matters will normally be considered under the relevant specialist policy or procedure rather than this complaints procedure:

• Academic appeals concerning grades, assessments, progression, or academic decisions.
• Admissions appeals.
• Student disciplinary matters.
• Staff grievances or disciplinary matters.
• Safeguarding or child-protection concerns.
• Allegations of academic misconduct.
• Whistleblowing disclosures.
• Data-protection or privacy complaints.
• Requests made solely for compensation or legal action.

Where a complaint includes matters covered by more than one procedure, the College will determine the most appropriate way to consider it and will inform the complainant.

A safeguarding concern or allegation of immediate harm must be referred promptly to the Designated Safeguarding Officer and managed under the College's Safeguarding Policy. The complaints process must not delay protective action.

5. Definition of a Complaint

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction by one or more persons about an action, decision, omission, service, policy, facility, or standard of conduct for which the College is responsible and for which a response or remedy is reasonably expected.

• A routine request for information.
• A request for a service or correction.
• General feedback that does not seek a response or remedy.
• An academic appeal against an academic judgement or assessment decision.

A complaint is different from:

Where it is unclear whether a matter is a complaint, the College will discuss the issue with the person concerned and identify the appropriate procedure.

6. Principles Governing the Complaints Process

The College will handle complaints in accordance with the following principles:

7. Time Limit for Making a Complaint

A complaint should normally be raised within 30 working days of:

• The event giving rise to the complaint; or
• The date on which the complainant could reasonably have become aware of the matter.

The College may accept a complaint submitted outside this period where there is a reasonable explanation for the delay and it remains possible to investigate the matter fairly.

8. Stage 1: Informal Resolution

Complainants are encouraged to raise concerns informally at the earliest reasonable opportunity, provided the matter is suitable for informal resolution.

The concern should normally be raised with the relevant lecturer, tutor, programme coordinator, department, or College administrator. The person receiving the concern should:

• Listen carefully and clarify the issue.
• Consider any immediate action required.
• Seek a practical and proportionate resolution.
• Explain the outcome to the person raising the concern.
• Refer the matter to the formal procedure if it cannot be resolved informally.

Examples of informal remedies include:

• Providing an explanation or clarification.
• Correcting an administrative error.
• Arranging a meeting.
• Providing an apology.
• Reconsidering how a service is delivered.
• Agreeing an appropriate action plan.

The College should normally respond to an informal concern within five working days.

• The matter is serious or sensitive.
• There is an allegation of discrimination, harassment, abuse, or serious misconduct.
• The complainant reasonably believes informal engagement may result in retaliation.
• Previous attempts at informal resolution have failed.
• Informal resolution would be inappropriate in the circumstances.

A complainant is not required to use informal resolution where:

9. Stage 2: Formal Complaint

A formal complaint may be submitted where:

• Informal resolution has not resolved the matter.
• The concern is too serious for informal resolution.
• The complainant has a reasonable basis for requesting a formal investigation.

10. Possible Outcomes and Remedies

Where a complaint is upheld or partially upheld, the College may take one or more of the following actions:

• Provide an explanation, clarification, or formal apology.
• Correct an error or inaccurate record.
• Review or reconsider a decision where permitted.
• Provide an alternative service or reasonable support.
• Improve facilities, resources, or administrative arrangements.
• Provide additional guidance, supervision, or staff training.
• Review a policy, process, or departmental practice.
• Refer a matter for disciplinary or other appropriate action.
• Take reasonable steps to prevent recurrence.

A remedy will be proportionate to the nature, seriousness, and effect of the matter established.

11. Stage 3: Appeal

A complainant who remains dissatisfied with the Stage 2 outcome may submit an appeal within 10 working days of receiving the written decision.

An appeal is not a complete rehearing of the original complaint. It must be based on one or more of the following grounds:

• The complaints procedure was not followed and this materially affected the outcome.
• The decision was unreasonable in light of the available evidence.
• Relevant evidence was not considered.
• New evidence has become available that the complainant could not reasonably have submitted earlier.
• The investigator had a material conflict of interest or demonstrated bias.
• The remedy was clearly disproportionate or inadequate.

The appeal must:

• Be submitted in writing.
• Identify the grounds of appeal.
• Explain the outcome being challenged.
• Include any relevant new evidence.
• State the outcome being requested.

12. External Escalation

Where the relevant programme or institutional arrangement permits, a complainant who has completed all stages of the College's internal procedure and remains dissatisfied may request a review by Oxford International.

The request must normally be made within 15 working days of receiving the College's final internal decision.

• The complainant's full name and contact details.
• The College complaint reference number.
• Copies of the formal complaint and the College's decisions.
• The grounds on which further review is requested.
• Any relevant supporting documents.

Correspondence should be directed to:

The request should include:

The external reviewer will determine whether the College followed its published procedure, acted fairly, and reached a reasonable decision on the available evidence. The outcome of the external review will be communicated in writing.

This section applies only where Oxford International has formal authority to review complaints relating to the relevant programme. If another awarding body, regulator, or external review body has jurisdiction, the College's final internal response will provide the appropriate contact and escalation details.

13. Complaints Submitted by Groups

Where several individuals wish to complain about the same matter, the College may ask the group to appoint one or more representatives to communicate on its behalf.

Each member of the group must confirm that they consent to the representative acting for them. The College may consider related complaints together where doing so is fair, proportionate, and efficient.

14. Anonymous Complaints

The College may consider an anonymous complaint where it raises a serious concern and sufficient information is available to conduct a fair investigation.

Anonymity may limit the College's ability to:

• Verify the allegations.
• Obtain additional information.
• Provide a detailed outcome.
• Take formal action.

A person making an anonymous complaint should provide as much specific and supporting information as possible.

15. Support and Representation

A complainant or respondent may be accompanied at a formal meeting by a reasonable support person, such as:

• A parent or guardian.
• A fellow student.
• A member of staff.
• A student representative.
• Another person approved by the College.

The support person may provide assistance but must not obstruct the process, answer questions on behalf of the individual without permission, or behave inappropriately.

Legal representation is not normally required because the complaints process is an internal institutional procedure. Any request for legal representation will be considered in light of the nature and complexity of the case.

16. Confidentiality and Data Protection

Complaints will be handled confidentially and sensitively. Information will be disclosed only where necessary to:

• Investigate or resolve the complaint.
• Provide procedural fairness.
• Protect a person from harm.
• Obtain professional advice.
• Meet a legal, regulatory, or contractual obligation.

The College cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality because sufficient information may need to be disclosed to enable a fair investigation.

All personal information will be collected, used, stored, shared, and retained in accordance with applicable data-protection requirements and College policy.

17. Records and Monitoring

The College will maintain secure records of formal complaints, including:

• The nature of the complaint.
• Relevant correspondence and evidence.
• The investigation conducted.
• Decisions and reasons.
• Remedies or corrective action.
• Appeal outcomes.
• Completion dates.

Complaint records will be retained in accordance with the College's records-retention requirements.

• Identify recurring issues and trends.
• Monitor compliance with response times.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of remedies.
• Improve services, policies, and staff training.
• Report relevant findings to management.

The College will periodically review anonymised complaints data to:

Complaint records will not normally form part of a student's academic record unless the information is relevant to another authorised process.

18. Unreasonable, Abusive, or Persistent Conduct

The College is committed to considering genuine complaints. However, it may take proportionate steps where a complainant's conduct becomes abusive, threatening, harassing, excessively repetitive, or otherwise unreasonable.

Possible measures include:

• Requiring communication through a single named contact.
• Limiting communication to writing.
• Establishing reasonable communication intervals.
• Declining to reconsider matters already fully addressed unless new evidence is provided.
• Ending communication where the complaints process has been completed.

Any restriction will be based on the person's conduct rather than the fact that they made a complaint. The complainant will normally receive written reasons for the restriction and information about any available review.

Threatening, discriminatory, or violent conduct may be referred to the appropriate disciplinary process or external authority.

19. Complaints Made in Bad Faith

A complaint will not be considered malicious merely because it is not upheld.

Where there is clear evidence that a person knowingly submitted false information, fabricated evidence, or made a complaint primarily to harass or harm another person, the College may refer the matter for consideration under the relevant disciplinary procedure.

20. Timeframes

The College's standard response times are:

These timeframes may be extended where a complaint is complex, key individuals are unavailable, further evidence is required, or circumstances outside the College's control cause delay. The complainant will be notified promptly and given a revised date.

21. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed regularly by the College Complaints Officer and senior management to ensure that it remains effective, accessible, and consistent with applicable laws, regulations, partnership arrangements, and recognised higher-education practices.

Earlier review may take place following:

• A significant complaint.
• A change in law or regulatory guidance.
• A change in institutional or partnership arrangements.
• Evidence that the procedure is not operating effectively.

22. Contact Details

Formal complaints should be submitted to:

23. Conclusion

Jokings International Business College is committed to addressing complaints fairly, respectfully, and effectively. This policy ensures that members of the College community can raise legitimate concerns, receive a reasoned response, and seek a review where appropriate.

The College will use lessons arising from complaints to strengthen accountability, enhance institutional practices, and maintain high standards of education and student service.