Complaints and Appeals (IVOSA Model Policy, draft v1.0)

For adoption or adaptation by registered providers
Provider: [Provider name]
Responsible person: [Name or role]
How to contact us: [Email, form or postal address]
Review date: [Date]

OUR COMMITMENT
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We welcome concerns and deal with them fairly, promptly and without treating anyone badly for raising them.

WHAT IS A COMPLAINT?
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A complaint is a concern about our service, conduct, course, trainer, administration or another part of the learner or buyer experience.

WHAT IS AN APPEAL?
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An appeal is a request to review an assessment, certification, adjustment or other formal decision.

HOW TO RAISE A CONCERN
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A concern may be raised verbally or in writing. We may ask for enough information to understand:

  - what happened;
  - when it happened;
  - who was involved;
  - what outcome is being requested.

We will help someone put the concern in writing where needed.

INFORMAL RESOLUTION
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Where suitable, we will try to resolve a straightforward concern quickly and informally.
The person may still ask for a formal review if they are not satisfied.

FORMAL REVIEW
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We acknowledge a formal complaint or appeal promptly and aim to provide a full response within [10 working days].
If more time is needed, we explain why and give an updated date.
The reviewer considers the available information fairly and should not review their own disputed decision where another suitable person is available.

POSSIBLE OUTCOMES
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We may:

  - uphold the original decision;
  - change the decision;
  - apologise or correct an error;
  - repeat or review an assessment;
  - replace a trainer or amend a process;
  - take another reasonable action.

We explain the outcome and the main reasons.

FURTHER REVIEW
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If the person remains dissatisfied, they may request a final internal review by [name, role or independent reviewer].
Where the issue relates to IVOSA registration or standards, they may also contact IVOSA. IVOSA will not normally replace the provider's own process before it has been used.

FAIR TREATMENT AND CONFIDENTIALITY
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No one is disadvantaged for raising a genuine concern.
Information is shared only where needed to review and respond to the matter.

RECORDS AND LEARNING
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We keep a simple log of formal complaints and appeals, outcomes and actions.
We review patterns and use them to improve our service.

REVIEW
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We review this policy at least once a year and sooner if a complaint or appeal shows that it should change.

This is a draft IVOSA model document (v1.0), for design and governance/legal review.
It is not yet approved for live use. Edit this file directly to adapt the wording for your organisation.