Providing Feedback

Compliments

If you feel that you have received exceptional service from a member of the Yeovil College team, or you have had a positive experience at the college, please click here to submit a compliment or to read just a small portion of the overwhelmingly positive feedback we have received from staff, students, parents, and employers.

 

PROCESS FOR HANDLING COMPLAINTS

Yeovil College is committed to a quality learner experience. The college constantly seeks to improve its services and to regularly monitor any complaints or comments received, and the effectiveness of the procedures to address them. Any feedback including positive comments are valuable in helping us to address areas where there is less satisfaction and to help us do more of what is valued.

Learners and other stakeholders who wish to record feedback regarding services provided by the College should be encouraged to raise the issue with the appropriate member of staff. Issues are best resolved informally with those directly responsible. However, if the issue cannot be resolved informally, it should be treated as a formal complaint. Formal complaints must be in writing and forwarded to the Quality Manager at the College address or by email via feedback@yeovil.ac.uk.

There is a four-stage process for dealing with Complaints and Appeals, which is summarised below. Full detail and information can be found by reading the Complaints Procedure named ‘Customer Feedback Policy and Procedure (including complaints)’ here.

 

STAGE 1 – INFORMAL COMPLAINT

We encourage all learners and other stakeholders to share any concerns as promptly as possible with a relevant staff member, both to allow for the swift resolution of an issue, which may in turn reduce the impact on others, but also to allow for the opportunity for an issue to be resolved informally before the time limit to raise a formal complaint has elapsed. These concerns may be raised with a relevant staff member through multiple channels, including a face-to-face discussion, a phone conversation, email correspondence, or sending a Microsoft Teams message (if an internal student).

 

STAGE 2 – FORMAL COMPLAINT

If you are not satisfied with the outcome at Stage 1, you can escalate your complaint or appeal to the Quality Manager (Feedback@yeovil.ac.uk). Formal Complaints must be raised within six weeks of the events about which the complaint is being raised.  A full investigation will be conducted with the aim of completing a written response within a maximum of 15 working days. If the complaint cannot be investigated within this period, the Quality Manager should write to the complainant before the expiration of the investigation period, to provide an estimate of when a full response will be provided.

 

STAGE 3 – INTERNAL APPEAL

If complainants are not satisfied with our response and want to pursue matters further, they should write to the Principal within 10 working days of receiving their response, setting out why they are dissatisfied. The Principal will consult with the investigating manager and other staff as appropriate and respond to the complainant in writing within 10 working days of receiving the appeal. If the appeal cannot be concluded within this period, the Principal should write to the complainant before the expiration of the appeal period, to provide an estimated timeline for a comprehensive response.

 

STAGE 4 – EXTERNAL REVIEW

If you have completed the College’s internal procedures and are still dissatisfied with the outcome, there is a potential for seeking a review. In the case of Further Education learners, appeals can be submitted to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), while Higher Education learners should direct appeals to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA). You should read the ‘Customer Feedback Policy and Procedure (including complaints)’ carefully to understand the routes for external review available to you, and must ensure your complaint meets the criteria/rules specified in their respective policies.

 

PROCESS FOR HANDLING ACADEMIC APPEALS

If you have reason to believe that an assessment decision relating to your work is incorrect or has in some way been based on incorrect or partial information, you have the right to appeal against that decision without fear of reprisal or victimisation. Yeovil College will deal with such appeals seriously, impartially and within a reasonable timescale.

There is a four-stage process for dealing with Academic Appeals, which is summarised below. Full detail and information can be found by reading the Academic Appeals Procedure here.

 

STAGE 1 – INFORMAL APPROACH

In the first instance, an informal approach is preferred. You should inform your Study Programme Manager or Programme Leader, who should create a record of the discussion and consult the course’s Internal Quality Assurer. If the matter cannot be resolved within 10 working days from the publication of results, the appeal may progress to the second stage.

 

STAGE 2 – FORMAL APPEAL

To progress to the second stage of the academic appeal, you should write to the Quality Manager (at the College address or via feedback@yeovil.ac.uk) within 20 working days of the publication of results, clearly stating what you are appealing and on what grounds, including any available evidence in support of your appeal. You should receive communication in writing within 15 working days of receipt of your appeal to inform you of the outcome of the investigation.

 

STAGE 3 – INTERNAL APPEAL

If you are unsatisfied with our response and wish to pursue matters further, you should write to the Assistant Principal within 10 working days of receiving the outcome of the formal investigation, providing details as to why you are dissatisfied. A panel meeting should take place within 15 working days, and you should be informed of the decision within 5 days of the meeting taking place.

 

STAGE 4 – EXTERNAL REVIEW

Depending on your programme and level of study, if you have completed the College’s internal procedures and are dissatisfied with the outcome, you might be able to access a further step of external review. For example, Higher Education learners should direct appeals to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA). You should read the Academic Appeals Procedure carefully to understand the routes for external review available to you, and must ensure your complaint meets the criteria/rules specified in their respective policies.

Should you require any reasonable adjustments to enable to you to submit an academic appeal, please refer to section 8 of the Academic Appeals Procedure.