Complaints & Appeals Policy

PURPOSE

Business Station is committed to providing quality training and assessment in accordance with the Standards
for Registered Training Organisations (SRTOs 2015). This policy provides the framework and general principles
for complaints and appeals Business Station.

This policy is based on providing and maintaining training services that are fair and reasonable and afford a
forum where issues or inadequacies can be resolved. The Business Station process provides adequate
opportunity for complaints and appeals to be forwarded to Business Station management for resolution in a
timely, confidential, and sensitive manner. Business Station will ensure that the principles of natural justice and
procedural fairness will be adhered to throughout the hearing of all complaints and appeals.

The object of this policy is to ensure that Business Station staff always act in a professional manner. This policy
provides clients with a clear process to register a complaint. It ensures all parties involved are kept informed of
the resulting actions and outcomes.

SCOPE

Business Station acknowledges the student’s right to lodge a complaint or appeal when they are dissatisfied with
the training and/or assessment services and experiences that they have been provided by Business Station or
by a third-party provider (if applicable).

Business Station ensures that clients have access to a fair and equitable process for expressing complaints and
appeals, and that Business Station will manage the complaint by implementing principles of natural justice and
procedural fairness.

With this Business Station ensures that:

1. it has a procedure for collecting and managing complaints and appeals in a constructive, timely, confidential, and sensitive manner.
2. these procedures are communicated to all staff, contractors, third party partners and students.
3. each complaint and appeals and its outcome is recorded in writing.
4. complainants and appellants are given written statements or communication of the appeal or complaints overseeing outcomes, including decisions and reasons for the decisions.
5. outcomes of complaints and appeals are used to review current practices which may potentially lead to continuous improvement initiatives to mitigate the likelihood of the complaints and appeals.

POLICY PRINCIPLES
Complains and Appeals Policy:

1. Details concerning the scope of Business Station Complaints and Appeals Policy are to be clearly displayed throughout the Business Station and contained within the Student Handbook, Staff Handbook and Website.
2. Complaints and appeals are treated seriously and dealt promptly, impartially, sensitively and in confidence.
3. Complaints and appeals will be resolved on an individual case basis and as the needs arise.
4. All Business Station students have the right to express a concern or problem and/or lodge a formal complaint if they are dissatisfied with the training and assessment services they have been provided, including through a third party (if applicable) or the behavioural conduct of another learner or Business Station.
5. Business Station supports the right of a student to lodge an appeal against any assessment decision and will not impair that right in any way. Business Station will do everything possible to address the appeal in an unbiased and professional manner.
6. The handling of a complaint or appeal is to commence within ten working days of the lodgement of the complaint or appeal and all reasonable measures are taken to finalise the process as soon as practicable.
7. All complaints and appeals are acknowledged in writing and finalised as soon as practicable. Business Station will aim to complete the complaints process as quickly as possible and within a total of thirty calendar days. Business Station will keep the learner informed of the progress of the complaint throughout the process by phone communication, email correspondence or face-to-face meeting.
8. If the complaint will take more than sixty calendar days to finalise, Business Station will inform the complainant in writing providing the reasons why more than sixty calendar days are required.
9. All complaints will be recorded in the Business Station Complaints and Appeals Register and on the student record in the Student Management System. These records including the outcomes will be secured and maintained by Business Station.
10. No Business Station shall disclose information to any person without the permission of the RTO Manager, A decision to release information to third parties can only be made after the complainant is given permission for this to occur.

Types of Complaints

A complaint or grievance may include allegations involving the conduct of:

1. the RTO, its trainers and assessors or other staff members.
2. a third-party providing services on behalf of Business Station; or
3. a student of Business Station.

Grounds for Appeal

Valid grounds for an appeal against an assessment decision (where the client feels the assessment decision is
incorrect) could include the following:

1. the judgment as to whether competency has been achieved and demonstrated was made incorrectly.
2. the judgement was not made in accordance with the assessment plan.
3. alleged bias of the assessor.
4. alleged lack of competence of the assessor.
5. alleged incorrect information from the assessor regarding the assessment process.
6. alleged inappropriate assessment process for the competency.
7. faulty or inappropriate equipment; and/or
8. inappropriate conditions.

Appeal Outcomes

1. Appeal is upheld; in this event the following options will be available:
   1. The Business Station assessment will be re-assessed, potentially by another assessor.
   2. Appropriate recognition will be granted.
   3. A new assessment shall be conducted / arranged.
2. Appeal is rejected / not upheld; in accordance with the Business Station assessment policy, the client will be required to:
   1. undertake further training or experience prior to further assessment; or
   2. re-submit further evidence; or
   3. submit / undertake a new assessment

Complains and Appeals Process

1. Business Station adopts the principles of natural justice and procedural fairness at every stage of the complaints and appeals process. Business Station manages and manages all complaints and appeals in accordance with the Complaints Handling Process and Appeals Process document.
2. Students are provided with a clear process to follow to lodge a complaint or an appeal. All parties involved will be kept informed of the resulting actions and outcomes.
3. If a student has a complaint, they are encouraged to speak immediately with the trainer / assessor to resolve the issue. If the complainant is not satisfied that the issue has been resolved, they will be asked to complete a Complaints Form and lodge a formal complaint.
4. The complaint resolution procedure is based on the understanding that no action will be taken without consulting the complainant and respondent, using a process of discussion, cooperation, and conciliation. The rights of the complainant and respondent will be acknowledged and protected throughout the complaint resolution process, including the conduct of separate interviews initially.
5. In the interest of confidentiality, the number of people involved in the resolution process will be kept to a minimum. All complaints will be managed as staff-in-confidence and will not affect or bias the progress of the client in any current of future training.
6. Final decisions will be made by the RTO Manager of Business Station or an independent party to the complainant.
7. If the complaints process fails to resolve the complaint or the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of the complaint, the matter will be referred to an independent third party for review, at the request of the complainant. The complainant will be advised of all costs incurred by the third-party review.
8. Business Station reserves the right to nominate or agree to the independent party and will cooperate fully with the independent third-party review.

Consumer Protection Officer

At Business Station, the RTO Manager will be appointed the Consumer Protection Officer. The Consumer
Protection Officer will be the primary point of contact for all complaints and appeals.

The RTO Manager may delegate responsibility for the resolution of the complaint
and appeal if necessary. Business Station will ensure that its staff and those acting on its behalf in accordance
with the Business Station’s Code of Conduct and Appeals Policy.

MONITORING AND IMPROVEMENT

All complaints and appeals will be discussed at Management Meetings and/or at Continuous Improvement
Meetings to identify potential causes of complaints or appeals, to discuss appropriate corrective action to
eliminate or mitigate the likelihood of re-occurrence, and to identify an opportunity for continuous
improvement of the processes.

VERSION CONTROL

Version Control Table

CUSTOMISATION INSTRUCTIONS

RTO INFORMATION

Complaints and Appeals Policy V2.1 11/11/2021 Next Review 6/6/2022 RTO 45731

Download our Complaints & Appeals Policy here: