Compliments & Complaints

WE WOULD LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK!

If you have a suggestion, compliment or a complaint, all you have to do is email us at quality@luminate.ac.uk with as much detail as you can. Make sure you include any useful information such as staff names, campus and course information etc., so we can follow up your comments with the relevant departments.

If you would like to make a complaint or report a concern, the following information gives an overview of the process; full details can be requested by contacting the Quality Improvement team on 0113 284 6349 /07814818732 or by emailing quality@luminate.ac.uk.

It is important to be clear about the difference between a concern and a complaint, as taking informal concerns seriously at the earliest stage will allow the relevant teams to take quick action so the issue doesn’t continue to develop.

A concern is defined as a matter for the college’s attention, interest, or care, or something that may be affecting a person’s welfare or happiness (directly or indirectly). Where possible it should be addressed informally in accordance with the college’s complaints policy.

A complaint is defined as an expression of dissatisfaction that should be drawn to the college’s attention for responsible action, to be investigated in accordance with the college’s formal complaints procedures once the appropriate informal options have been exhausted.

Complaints can be made by email, telephone, in person or in writing – please contact the Quality team by email at quality@luminate.ac.uk, by phone on 0113 284 6349 / 07814818732 or in writing to the following address:

FE Colleges: FAO Quality Team

QTLD Directorate

Teacher Development Centre

Park Lane Campus

Park Lane

Leeds

LS3 1AA

INFORMAL

We recommend that concerns are dealt with informally wherever possible, so in the first instance please try to resolve any issues directly with the staff member concerned or another relevant staff member, for example a course tutor, coaching tutor, Deputy Head etc.

STAGE 1

If the staff member is unable to resolve the concern, or it does not specifically relate to a particular person, a complaint will be raised with the relevant Head of Department who will investigate in conjunction with the Quality Team. We will confirm receipt of your complaint with you within two working days (unless received during periods of college closures). A response will be fed back to you as quickly as possible. On average, Stage 1 complaints are dealt with within 10 working days. If any additional time is needed or delays occur we will keep you updated in the interim.

STAGE 2

If your complaint cannot be resolved at Stage 1, you have the option to escalate it to Stage 2 of our complaints procedure. This can be done by contacting the Quality team using the details provided above within 10 weeks of a response at the previous stage. There are instances of immediate escalation and further detail of these can be found in our policy document. We will confirm receipt of your complaint (as above) with you and instigate an investigation with the appropriate Director into your complaint to find a resolution within 15 working days. Where circumstances mean it will take more than 15 working days to complete a thorough investigation, we will let you know the reasons for the delay, when an outcome should be expected and how often you can expect updates as the investigation progresses.

APPEAL

Where you have followed stage’s 1 and 2/immediate escalation of our policy and remain dissatisfied with the resolution offered, you have the right to appeal within one month of the Stage 2 response. A member of the college’s Executive Leadership Team will review your appeal and a written response will be sent to you within 20 working days.

COMPLIMENTS

As an organisation, we are focused on transforming lives by providing outstanding education, training and outcomes for all our students and apprentices. The aspiration is to always add value for students and society by having a positive impact, allowing all students to succeed and improve their lives. You can submit a compliment for a member of staff, a team or a specific organisation. Compliments will be passed on to our staff, their line manager and are used to identify areas of good practice and opportunities for development. Please direct any positive feedback to the contact details provided above.