Candidate Appeal Procedure

AIM

This procedure describes how complaints and appeals are processed and how the associated responsibilities are allocated.

STATEMENT

It is Pragmatic Consulting procedure that complaints and appeals against assessment decisions will be treated both fairly and openly.

Pragmatic Consulting acknowledges the right of any Candidate who has applied for assessment to challenge the outcomes of their assessment if they consider that it has not been carried out correctly.

Candidates have 60 working days to challenge the outcome of their assessment from the date of the result notification being issued.

SOURCES AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF COMPLAINTS OR APPEALS

The possible sources and circumstances of complaints and appeals are as follows:

1. Assessors – relating to verification/quality assurance or administrative issues.
2. Candidates relating to:

• Registrations/quality assurance/certification issues.
• The conduct of the assessment.
• Availability of adequate assessment opportunities in which to demonstrate competence, and to Equal Opportunities and Access issues.
• Performance and knowledge evidence when set against awarding body assessment criteria as specified within the qualification handbook/assessment schedule.

3. Centre administration.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Pragmatic Consulting will make all Candidates aware of their right to appeal against decisions made by Assessors or to raise a complaint about aspects of the performance of Pragmatic Consulting. 

Pragmatic Consulting will make the Complaints and Appeals Summary and Notification Form (Appendix A) available to all Candidates upon request along with any applicable fees payable.

Pragmatic Consulting will aim to resolve Complaints or Appeals 'in house' initially in accordance with this policy. This does not preclude Candidates from taking their dispute or appeal to the awarding body if they are dissatisfied with the 'in house' outcome.  Pragmatic Consulting will forward these procedures if required.

Only written complaints and appeals will be processed in accordance with this procedure. The Candidate will be supplied with the Complaints and Appeals Notification Form and asked to return this to Pragmatic Consulting as soon as possible.

Upon receipt of the Notification Form, Pragmatic Consulting will send an acknowledgement letter by return of post.

The Administrator logs the initiation and progress of the dispute or appeal on the Complaints and Appeals Progress Log (Appendix B).

The Administrator, if necessary, will (within 15 working days of receipt) appoint an appropriate Investigating Officer.

Pragmatic Consulting is responsible for payment of the Investigating Officer.

The Administrator will contact the Candidate with the result of investigations and where necessary is responsible for negotiating the resolution of Complaints and Appeals with the Candidate and for signing off the Complaints and Appeals Progress Log.

PROCESS

Written complaints and appeals are always acknowledged to the Candidate without any prior judgement being made as to who may be in the wrong, and advised to the Assessor, or other interested parties as relevant by the Administrator.

COMPLAINTS

Whilst we always try to ensure that the Administrator carries out their duties in a professional and responsible manner, there may be exceptional instances when Candidates are unhappy with the service they have received.

In this circumstance, a letter of complaint should be addressed to:

Training Manager
Pragmatic Consulting Ltd
Unit 78
Avenue Q
Stoneleigh Park
Kenilworth
Warwickshire
CV8 2LG

A letter of acknowledgement will be sent to the Candidate from the Training Manager within 5 working days of receipt of the Complaint.

The Training Manager will investigate the complaint and a response will be sent in writing to the Candidate within 30 working days of the original complaint being received.

APPEALS

Having first consulted any other interested/involved parties, the Administrator will seek such further clarification from the Candidate as may be necessary to proceed.

The Assessor or other party against whom the complaint or appeal has been made is notified of the fact in writing with 5 working days of receipt of the Notification Form and requested to respond in writing with their views so that a judgement can be made within 14 working days.

If necessary, a suitable person may be appointed by the Administrator (within 15 working days of receipt of the complaint or appeal) to investigate the issue and if necessary to produce a detailed written report and return it to Pragmatic Consulting within 15 working days of appointment (30 working days of receipt of the complaint or appeal).

The Investigating Officer is likely to be an alternative assessor or trainer or other suitably qualified professional in the relevant industry for which the complaint and appeal relates.

The outcome of any action to be taken is advised to the Assessor and any other involved party and agreed before further contact is made with the Candidate.

This part of the process will lead to one of two results:

• They will either agree with the original decision (if they do, they will explain why).

• Or decide that the correct procedures or assessment criteria have not been followed and re-assessment will be required.

Once the report has been received by the Administrator the decision of Pragmatic Consulting will be formulated and will be sent in writing to the Candidate within 55 working days of the original complaint or appeal being received at the Centre.

All Candidates, if not satisfied with the decision of the Pragmatic Consulting, have the right of appeal to the awarding body and will be provided with the relevant complaints and appeals procedure on request.

PERIODIC REVIEW OF COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS

The aim is to enable Pragmatic Consulting to identify the root causes of avoidable/persistent areas of dispute or causes of appeal.  This will allow the Centre to plan measures to reduce or eliminate these problems in the future and to save costs arising from complaints and appeals.

All disputes and appeals received during one year to date will be reviewed at the Board Meeting.

A record will be kept of the review and findings and of any actions that can be taken to improve systems of operation or customer relations in the minutes of the board meeting and implemented by the Administrator on request of the board.

RETENTION OF RECORDS

All relevant records are retained in the Complaints and Appeals File for not less than five years from the date the dispute was received.

COST OF COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS

There may be a charge for processing complaints and appeals by Candidate’s, this cost will be advised by the Administrator, if applicable, when sending the Candidate, the Notification Form to be completed.

APPENDIX A - COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS NOTIFICATION FORM

APPENDIX B - COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS PROGRESS LOG