1. Policy
Ella Baché College of Skin and Beauty Therapy (“the College”) is committed to developing and maintaining an effective, timely, fair and equitable grievance handling system which is easily accessible to all complainants.
The College aims to:
- Develop a culture that views grievances as an opportunity to improve the organisation and how it works;
- Set in place a grievance handling system that is client focussed and helps the College to prevent grievances from recurring;
- Ensure that any grievances are resolved promptly, objectively and with sensitivity and in complete confidentiality;
- Ensure that the views of each complainant and respondent are respected and that any party to a grievance is not discriminated against nor victimised;
- Ensure that there is a consistent response to grievances.
A grievance can be defined as a person’s expression of dissatisfaction with any aspect of the College’s services and activities, including both academic and non-academic matters, such as:
- the enrolment, induction/orientation process;
- the quality of education provided;
- academic issues, including student progress, assessment, curriculum and awards in a VET course of study;
- handling of personal information and access to personal records;
- the way someone has been treated.
This Student Grievance Handling Policy and Procedure is designed to ensure that the College responds effectively to individual cases of dissatisfaction.
2. Policy coverage
In relation to non-academic grievances, the term “student” or “complainant” applies to both current students of the College and persons seeking to enrol with the College (which includes students who are, or would be, entitled to VET FEE-HELP assistance as well as persons seeking to enrol with the College in a VET unit of study that meets the course requirements who are, or would be, entitled to VET FEE-HELP assistance).
In relation to academic grievances, these procedures apply to current students of the College (which includes students who are, or would be, entitled to VET FEE-HELP assistance).
This Policy and Procedure will be made available to students regardless of the location of the campus at which the grievance has arisen, the mode in which they study or their place of residence.
3. Before an issue becomes a formal grievance
Students are encouraged, wherever possible, to resolve concerns or difficulties informally with the person(s) concerned. There are support staff available to assist the resolution of issues at this level.
4. Procedure
This procedure can be utilised by students (who for the purposes of non-academic grievances includes persons seeking to enrol in a course with the College) to submit a grievance of an academic or non-academic nature. Grievances of an academic nature include issues related to student progress, assessment, curriculum and awards in a course of study (which includes a VET course of study). Grievances of a non-academic nature cover all other matters including grievances in relation to personal information that the College holds in relation to an individual.
During all stages of this procedure the College will take all steps to ensure that:
the complainant and the respondent will not be victimised or discriminated against; the complainant has an opportunity to formally present their case and each party to the grievance may be accompanied and assisted by a support person at any relevant meetings; a full explanation in writing for decisions and actions taken as part of the process will be provided to all parties to the grievance; where the internal or external grievance handling or appeal process results in a decision that supports the complainant, the College will immediately implement any decision and/or corrective and preventative action required and advise the complainant of the outcome; there is no cost to domestic students utilising this grievance and appeals process. International students who wish to lodge an external appeal must pay ACPET a $200 fee.
4.1 Stage one – formal grievance:
Formal grievances must be submitted in writing marked to the attention of the Student Liaison Officer as follows:
Student Liaison Officer
Ella Bache College of Skin & Beauty Therapy
Level 2, 77 Berry St
North Sydney NSW 2060
Receipt of the grievance will be acknowledged within five working days and the grievance handling process will commence within ten days of the receipt of the formal grievance and all reasonable measures will be taken to finalise the process as soon as practicable.
The Student Liaison Officer will then, if necessary, seek to clarify the outcome that the complainant hopes to achieve. Such clarification may be sought by written or verbal request or by a face-to-face interview with the complainant. When such clarification occurs in a face-to-face interview the complainant or respondent may ask another person to accompany them.
The Student Liaison Officer will then endeavour to resolve the grievance and provide a written report to the complainant on the steps taken to address the grievance, including the reasons for the decision, within ten working days. The report will also advise the complainant of their right to access the internal appeals process if they are not satisfied with the outcome of their formal grievance.
4.2 Stage two – internal appeal:
If the complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome of their formal grievance they may lodge an appeal with the General Manager (who is senior to the original decision maker) within 20 working days of receiving notification of the outcome of their formal grievance
Appeals must be submitted in writing marked to the attention of the General Manager as follows:
General Manager
Ella Bache College of Skin & Beauty Therapy
Level 2, 77 Berry St
North Sydney NSW 2060
The General Manager will consult with the complainant and other relevant parties within ten working days of the appeal being lodged.
Where possible such consultations should take the form of face-to-face interviews. The complainant or the respondent may ask another person to accompany them to these interviews.
Following the consultation, the General Manager will provide a written report to the complainant advising the further steps taken to address the grievance, including the reasons for the decision, within ten working days. The report will also advise the complainant of their right to access the external appeals process if they are not satisfied with the outcome of their internal appeal.
4.3 Stage three – external appeal:
If the complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome of their appeal, they may lodge an external appeal to the Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) within 20 working days of receiving notice of the outcome of their appeal.
Contact Details for ACPET:
Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET)
PO Box 551, East Melbourne, Vic 8002
Ph: 1800 657 644 Fax: (03) 9416 1895
Email:acpet@acpet.edu.au
Domestic students who wish to lodge an external appeal must complete the form for domestic students available at http://acpet.edu.au/students/student-support/appeals and email it to: student.appeals@acpet.edu.au or post it to: PO Box 551 East Melbourne Vic 8002.
International students who wish to lodge an external appeal must complete the form for international students available at http://acpet.edu.au/students/student-support/appeals and email it to: student.appeals@acpet.edu.au or post it to: PO Box 551 East Melbourne Vic 8002. International students must also pay ACPET a $200 lodgement fee.
Once an application is made, ACPET will advise the College of the external review application made by the student. Both the student and the College will be requested to provide documents in support of the application within 14 days, including student files and records, to ACPET. ACPET will then forward all documents to an External Reviewer.
The External Reviewer considers the documents and makes a determination. The decision and determination is forwarded to ACPET. ACPET will then send the decision to all parties.
Turnaround time for an appeal is within 4 to 6 weeks of lodgement.
The College agrees to be bound by the external reviewer’s recommendations and the General Manager will ensure that any recommendations made are implemented within 30 days of receipt of the report from the External Reviewer.
The following flowchart provides a visual representation of the external appeals process.
6. Enrolment status
Where a student chooses to access this policy and procedure, the College will maintain the student’s enrolment while the grievance handling process is ongoing.
7. Record keeping and confidentiality
A written record of all grievances handled under this procedure and their outcomes shall be maintained for a period of at least five years to allow all parties to the grievance appropriate access to these records, upon written request to the General Manager. These records will be maintained at Level 2, 77 Berry St, North Sydney NSW 2060.
All records relating to grievances will be treated as confidential and will be covered by the College’s Privacy and Personal Information Procedures.
8. Approval, publication and training
This Policy and Procedure was approved by the College’s sole director on 19th November 2010.
This Policy and Procedure will be made available to students and persons seeking to enrol with the College through publication in the Student Handbook and on the College’s website (www.ellabachecollege.edu.au).
For the purposes of communicating to and training staff, this Policy and Procedure will be included in the Staff Handbook and form part of the staff induction process (which will be facilitated by the General Manager).
9. Version control
| Student Grievance Handling Policy & Procedure |
| Approved by: College’s sole director | Version 1.1 | Date: 19 November 2010 |
