Complaints and Appeals Policy

Purpose

The Complaints and Appeals Policy articulates Orion’s commitment to providing a learning and working environment in which complaints and appeals are managed fairly and transparently.

Principles

• A complaint or appeal is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about any aspect of Orion.

• Orion’s approach for handling complaints is based on confidentiality, impartiality, procedural fairness, protection from victimisation and prompt resolution

Management Approach

1) The Client Liaison Manager is responsible for recording and obtaining initial information relating to the complaint unless that complaint or appeal is about the Client Liaison Manager (in which case it is to be referred to the Chief Executive Officer).

2) The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for the overall management of complaints however this may include delegating responsibility for the investigation/management of a complaint to another Orion Staff member or external entity.

Operationalising the Complaints and Appeals Policy

The following staged approach shows how the Orion Complaints and Appeals Policy is managed in terms of a process.

Informal Stage

          i. Once a complaint or grievance has been lodged the student is welcome and encouraged to involve a third party for support.

          ii. The Client Liaison Manager will make time available to the student or prospective student to discuss the grievance in full.

          iii. The Client Liaison Manager will document the points of the grievance and discuss the correct path of action to take to resolve the grievance.

          iv. If an agreement is reached the Client Liaison Manager will reply in writing to the student or prospective.

           v. If the student or prospective student is satisfied with the result then the issue is resolved.

          vi. Orion will print all communication relating to the grievance and keep on file for five (5) years which may be accessed by the student or prospective student.

If the student or prospective student is not satisfied with the result then the following steps will be taken to escalate the grievance.

Stage One

• The grievance will be acknowledged in writing with the date of receipt clearly stated.

• The process for handling the grievance will be started within ten (10) working days. The Client Liaison Manager will clarify the details of the grievance, which may include phone calls or face-to-face meetings.

• In the event that a face-to-face meeting is to occur all parties to the grievance may have another person present.

Once the Client Liaison Manager has resolved the matter and informed all parties to the grievance a written report will be provided within ten (10) working days. The report will detail the steps taken to resolve the grievance, reasons for the decision and details of the internal appeals process, which can be accessed if the parties to the grievance are not satisfied with the outcome.

Stage Two – Internal Review

If the parties to the grievance are not satisfied with the outcome as outlined on the written report they may lodge an appeal with the Chief Executive Officer.

• The appeal must be lodged in writing within twenty (20) working days and include a copy of the report from Stage one.

• The Chief Executive Officer will contact the parties to the grievance to organise a series of face-to-face meetings or phone calls to discuss the grievance in full.

• All parties to the grievance may have a third party involved.

• After the series of discussions the Chief Executive Officer will provide a written report advising the parties to the grievance of the further steps taken.

• The report will include reasons for the decision and will be made available within ten (10) working days.

• The report will provide details to the parties of the grievance of their right to access external support through their local training Ombudsman.