Independent Trainers’ Complaints Policy and Procedure

Our aim:

Independent Trainers is committed to providing a quality service for its clients and working in an open and accountable way that builds the trust and respect of all our stakeholders. One of the ways in which we can continue to improve our service is by listening and responding to the views of our customers, staff and stakeholders, and in particular by positively reacting to complaints, and by putting mistakes right.

Therefore, we aim to ensure that:

  • making a complaint is as easy as possible;
  • we treat a complaint as a clear expression of dissatisfaction with our service which calls for an immediate response;
  • we deal with it promptly, politely and when appropriate, confidentially;
  • we respond in the right way – for example, with an explanation, or an apology where we have got things wrong, or information on any action taken etc;
  • we learn from complaints, use them to improve our service, and review annually our complaints policy and procedures. We recognise that many concerns will be raised informally, and dealt with quickly.

Our aims are to:

  • resolve informal concerns quickly;
  • keep matters low-key;
  • enable mediation between the complainant and the individual to whom the complaint has been referred.

An informal approach is appropriate when it can be achieved. If concerns cannot be satisfactorily resolved informally, then the formal complaints procedure should be followed.

Preamble

Definition:

Independent Trainers defines a complaint as ‘any expression of dissatisfaction with an Independent Trainers tutor, or with the Admin Team, that relates to Independent Trainers and that requires a formal response’.

Purpose:

The formal complaints procedure is intended to ensure that all complaints are handled fairly, consistently and wherever possible resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction.

Independent Trainers’s responsibility will be to:

  • acknowledge the formal complaint in writing;
  • respond within a stated period of time;
  • deal reasonably and sensitively with the complaint;
  • take action where appropriate.

A complainant’s responsibility is to:

  • bring their complaint, in writing, to Independent Trainers’ attention normally within 8 weeks of the issue arising;
  • raise concerns promptly and directly with a member of staff of Independent Trainers;
  • explain the problem as clearly and as fully as possible, including any action taken to date;
  • allow Independent Trainers a reasonable time to deal with the matter;
  • recognise that some circumstances may be beyond Independent Trainers’ control.

Responsibility for Action:

All Staff and the Director of Independent Trainers.

Confidentiality:

Except in exceptional circumstances, every attempt will be
made to ensure that both the complainant and Independent Trainers
maintains confidentiality. However, the circumstances giving rise to the complaint may be such that it may not be possible to maintain confidentiality (with each complaint judged on its own merit). Should this be the case, the situation will be explained to the complainant.

Monitoring and Reporting:

The Director of Independent Trainers will receive annually an anonymised report of complaints made and their resolution.

Formal Complaints Procedure

Stage 1

In the first instance, if you are unable to resolve the issue informally, you should write to the member of staff who dealt with you so that he or she has a chance to put things right. In your letter, you should set out the details of your complaint, the consequences for you as a result, and the remedy you are seeking.

You can expect your complaint to be acknowledged within five working days of receipt. You should get a response in writing (via email) with an explanation within 15 working days. If you are unsure which member of Independent Trainers staff to write to, your complaint should be sent to the: Admin Team – info@independent-trainers.com

Our postal address is:
Independent Trainers
Kemp House
152 – 160 City Road
London
EC1V 2NX

Stage 2

If you are not satisfied with the initial response to the complaint, then you can write to the director and ask for your complaint and the response to be reviewed. You can expect the director to acknowledge your request within 5 working days of receipt and a response in writing within 15 workings days.

Independent Trainers aim is to resolve all matters as quickly as possible. However, inevitably some issues will be more complex and therefore may require longer to be fully investigated. Consequently, timescales given for handling and responding to complaints are indicative. If a matter requires more detailed investigation, you will receive an interim response describing what is being done to deal with the matter, and when a full reply can be expected and from whom.

Final Stage

If you are not satisfied with the subsequent reply from Independent Trainers owner we recommend that the matter is referred for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). There are a number of providers that can supply this service, which is free to the consumer. Independent Trainers are likely to agree to any recognised provider; by which we mean any organisation that is an authorised entity for the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI).

One suitable organisation is the ADR Group who work in accordance with Schedule 4 (Regulation 10.1) of the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Competent Authorities and Information) Regulations 2015.

Postal Address:
ADR Group
The Dounsells
Mores Lane
Brentwood
Essex
CM14 5RZ

Tel: 020 3600 5050
E mail: consumer-dispute@adrgroup.co.uk
Web address: www.consumer-dispute.co.uk