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Complaints Policy and Procedure


Our aim:

Portuguese on Demand is committed to providing a quality service for its students and working in an open and accountable way that builds the trust and respect of all our clients. One of the ways in which we can continue to improve our service is by listening and responding to the views of our students and parents, and in particular by responding positively 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


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


Preamble

Definition: Portuguese on Demand defines a complaint as 'any expression of dissatisfaction (with the teacher, with a course, or with other materials or methodology used in class that relates to Portuguese on Demand 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.

Portuguese on Demand'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 Portuguese on Demand's attention normally within 8 weeks of the issue arising;

  • raise concerns promptly and directly with the teacher in Portuguese on Demand;

  • explain the problem as clearly and as fully as possible, including any action taken to date;

  • allow Portuguese on Demand a reasonable time to deal with the matter;

  • recognise that some circumstances may be beyond Portuguese on Demand's control.

 

Responsibility for Action: All Staff, and Representatives of Portuguese on Demand

 

Confidentiality: Except in exceptional circumstances, every attempt will be made to ensure that both the complainant and Portuguese on Demand maintain 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.

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Formal Complaints Procedure

 

Stage 1

In the first instance, if you are unable to resolve the issue informally, you should write to the teacher, so that 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 4 working days of receipt. You should get a response and an explanation within 15 working days.

Our contact details can be found on the Contact Us part of the Portuguese on Demand Website.

 

Stage 2

If you are not satisfied with the initial response to the complaint then you can ask for your complaint and the response to be reviewed. You can expect Portuguese on Demand to acknowledge your request within 4 working days of receipt and a response within 15 workings days.

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Portuguese on Demand's 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.

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This Policy is licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 4.0) licence. 

 

 

Page last updated by C.Jacobs on19 July 2022

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