1. We encourage you to raise any concerns you may have as quickly as possible with an appropriate person, for example, your module leader, academic adviser, student support adviser, or Hallam Help. If this does not resolve your concerns, you can initiate the complaints procedure by completing the online concerns form.

2.  There are a maximum of three stages through which a concern may be considered:

Triage
3.  The Head of Student Policy, Casework and Compliance (or nominee) will undertake a preliminary assessment of the concerns reported on the concerns form and decide whether we can quickly resolve those concerns outside of the formal complaints procedure.

4.  If the nature of your concerns means that a quick resolution is not possible, it will be referred to the Investigation Stage of the complaints procedure if it meets the eligibility criteria set out in the Student Complaints Policy. The reasons why it may not be eligible are:

• You have submitted the concerns outside the timescale stated in the Student Complaints Policy.
• You are reporting concerns that have already been responded to under the complaint procedure or alternative university procedure.
• We consider your concerns to be vexatious or malicious.

5.  We will write to you to confirm your form has been received and is being considered within the triage stage. We will aim to complete the triage stage within 10 working days and will write to you again at the end of this to confirm the action we are taking, including whether your concerns have been passed to the investigation stage.

The Investigation Stage (Complaint Stage 1)
6.  The investigation will be proportionate to the scale of the issues being raised and the material impact they have had on you. The investigator may indicate where they feel a meeting is not necessary because they have all the information they require however you will have the opportunity to meet with the investigator should you wish to do so.

7.  The findings of the investigation will be considered by the Head of Student Policy, Casework and Compliance who will make an overall decision (i.e., whether the complaint is upheld, partially upheld, or not upheld) and decide upon any redress and remedial action to be applied.

8.  The decision will be reported to you in writing. The response will:
• Confirm the decision, comment on the key aspects of the case, and direct you to the more detailed findings set out within the Complaint Investigation Report.
• Set out the nature and terms of any offer made in full and final settlement of the complaint.
• Explain the grounds and timescales by which you may escalate your complaint to the Review Stage (Complaint Stage 2).

The Review Stage (Complaint Stage 2)

9.  You may request a review of the Stage 1 decision in one or more of the following situations:
• Where you have evidence that the procedures were not properly followed during Stage 1, and that this impacted the decision on your appeal.
• Where you have new, relevant evidence that you can demonstrate you were unable to provide earlier for reasons beyond your control.
• You believe the outcome at Stage 1 was clearly unfair or manifestly unreasonable.

10.  You can request a review of the Stage 1 decision by completing the Complaint Review Form. You should do this within 10 working days of us sending you the Stage 1 outcome. Forms received beyond the 10-working day period will only be considered in exceptional circumstances where you have provided a valid reason, with evidence, for the delay.

11.  The Deputy Vice Chancellor (or nominee) will determine whether the request is eligible for consideration. The reasons why it may not be eligible are that:
• It is late without a valid reason.
• It does not relate to any of the situations by which a review can be requested.
• It is not supported by new, relevant evidence.
• It is raising new issues not reported in the Stage 1 complaint.

12.  Where the request is eligible for consideration, the Deputy Vice-Chancellors (or nominee) will offer to meet with you to discuss it. If you choose to attend, we will:
• Confirm the date of the meeting and the names of those attending no later than two weeks before it is due to take place.
• Provide you with a copy of all the information sent to the Review Panel regarding your appeal.
• Permit you to be accompanied by one other person.

13.  The findings on your request will be reported to you in writing and, where appropriate, will explain any action we will take. The decision will be final from a university point of view. If you remain dissatisfied with that response, you can apply for a review of your case by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA). We will issue a Completion of Procedures letter which will explain how to do this.

Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA)

14.  The OIA is the independent body appointed in the higher education sector to review complaints by students against higher education providers. The OIA will not normally consider a case until the internal procedures of the University have been exhausted and a Completion of Procedures statement is issued. We will issue, or offer, a Completion of Procedures statement at the point that we issue a final decision on your complaint. This will normally be in one of the following scenarios:

• Where your complaint is ruled ineligible for progression at either of the formal stages of the complaint's procedure.
• Where we issue the final decision at the review stage of the complaint's procedure.