Scope

This complaints and appeals policy will manage allegations involving the conduct of:

• National First Aid Training Institute (NFTI), its trainers, assessors, and other staff
• stakeholders and others
• affiliated third party trainers providing services on the RTO’s behalf, its trainers, assessors, or other staff, and
• a student of National First Aid Training Institute.

Definitions

Academic Appeal – is where a student disputes a decision made about an assessment outcome

Appeal – is where a student or staff member or stakeholder of NFTI or another interested party disputes a decision arising from a complaint, an assessment decision, or another decision made by the RTO.

Complaint – is any expression of dissatisfaction with an action or service of the Registered Training Organisation.

Complaints and appeals can arise from matters of concern relating to:

• training delivery and assessment
• the quality of training
• materials
• discrimination, and
• harassment

Natural Justice – is concerned with ensuring procedural fairness. It involves:

• decisions and processes free from bias
• all parties having the right to be heard
• all parties having a right to know how and of what, they are involved/accused
• investigating a matter appropriately before a decision is made, and
• all parties being told the decision and the reasons for the decision.

Person – is the someone making the complaint (complainant or appellant) and can be an individual, a group or an entity/organisation.

Third party – affiliated trainer or training organisation that has been accredited to provide training on NFTIs behalf.

Policy

This policy and procedure provide clear and practical guidelines to ensure that complaints received about National First Aid Training Institute, and its affiliated third party trainers, from students, trainers, staff and/or third parties can be resolved equitably and efficiently, and in accordance with the principles of natural justice.

 Complaints

• NFTI will work in a positive and constructive manner to resolve all grievances. All efforts will be made to ensure that customers, staff, and the public are protected and that any activity that may compromise the high standards of the organisation will be prevented, or appropriate disciplinary action taken.
• Confidentiality will be maintained between all parties concerned
• Face to face contact between the complainant and the person about whom the complaint is made will only occur with the mutual consent of both parties.
• All parties are entitled to the involvement of a support person who may be present and involved in all discussions at any stage of the process.
• All formal complaints are required to be submitted in writing, providing details as to any perceived infraction to the NFTI RTO Manager. This may be on NFTIs complaints form or in any other written format.
• Written complaints are to have a response acknowledging receipt of the complaint within two (2) business days.
• Copies of any complaints will be forwarded to the person about whom the complaint is made, and their version of the event requested, in writing, within five (5) business days.
• All complaints will be fully reviewed by NFTI management, with a response t the complaint being supplied to the complainant and the person about whom the complaint is made within five (5) business days of full information being received.
• NFTI securely maintains records of all formal complaints and appeals and their outcomes on the Complaints and Appeals Register. Only authorized individuals have access to these records.
• The complainant may withdraw the complaint or stop the investigation at any stage of the proceedings.
• NFTI will make every effort to ensure that all complaints are documented and attended to in a manner that is acceptable to both parties.
• All staff members will be provided with copies of this and any other procedures involving investigation of the complaint and advised of their rights, privileges, and obligations as a member of National First-Aid Training Institute.
• Following the close of the complaint/appeal, NFTI will internally investigate the cause of the complaint and identify any appropriate corrective actions to reduce the likelihood of the issue reoccurring will be taken.

Academic Appeals

• All students have the right to make an academic appeal against an assessment decision. Where a student is dissatisfied with an assessment the student/participant should discuss this informally in the first instance with heir assessor.
• If the issue cannot be resolved informally, a student can submit a formal academic appeal in writing to the General Manager within ten (10) business days of receiving the academic result.
• The academic appeal must include:
  • Date and location of the course undertaken
  • Name of the trainer
  • Reason for the appeal
• The General Manager will appoint an independent and impartial assessor to conduct an investigation and make a recommendation.
• The General Manager will make the final decision on all formal academic appeals. All parties involved in any formal academic appeal will be advised of the outcome in writing within ten (10) working days of the date of the appeal.
• If a student’s formal academic appeal is not successful will be advised in writing of the option to lodge a general appeal procedure or contact an external dispute resolution body.

General Appeals

• All parties have the right of appeal if they are not satisfied with the findings of the investigation. However, if no appeal has been received within five (5) business days of the delivery of the findings, the matter is deemed to have been closed.
• NFTI management will further attempt to resolve the issue following an appeal. If any of the parties involved are still not satisfied, they may seek review of the decision by referring their complaint to ASQA or request that the matter be reviewed by an external dispute resolution body.
• NFTI may be prepared to bear part of the cost of a single mediation session of up to two (2) hours duration. Where a cost will be incurred to the complainant, they will be informed of such costs.
• If NFTI considers that the complaint/appeal process may take more than sixty (60) calendar days, all involved parties will be informed in writing, stating the reasons why, and will be updated regularly in writing.
• If, following an independent review, no mutual agreement can be arrived at, and the complainant or the person about whom the complaint was made remains unsatisfied with the decision made by NFTI management, the party may lodge a complaint with National Complaints Hotline on 13 38 73 or by using the online complaint template at the Department of Education and Training.