Complaints Policy

At SmileWisdom, we want to provide you with an outstanding educational experience and an excellent service. One of the ways in which we can improve what we do is by listening to you and responding to your views. SmileWisdom value the feedback that students and Practices provide and complaints are monitored, evaluated and reported to SmileWisdom senior management. Our aim is to deal with complaints in a fair, reasonable and timely manner. When signing your Student Agreement with your SmileWisdom you are agreeing to the policies and procedures which outline what you can expect from us and what we can expect of you. These policies, including the Complaints Policy, are available from SmileWisdom.

Introduction

What is a Complaint? A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about an aspect of a service or facility provided by the SmileWisdom. Who can make a Complaint? Students or delegates who are enrolled on a course, programme or activity at SmileWisdom. We would not normally accept a complaint from Ex-students unless the complaint is received by the SmileWisdom within eight weeks of the end date of the course. It is expected that complaints are made promptly and normally within 3 months. If a complaint is about a member of staff, they will be notified and given the opportunity to respond. In all other respects the SmileWisdom will maintain confidentiality regarding complaints and request that students, delegates and Practices do the same. SmileWisdom has the right not to accept complaints (e.g. where a complaint is judged by the SmileWisdom to be frivolous, vexatious or malicious).

Complaints Procedure

Stage 1- Informal Complaints Procedure: You should in the first instance raise any concerns with the tutor or lecturer. SmileWisdom will aim to resolve the issues you raise within 10 working days.

Stage 2 – Formal Complaints Procedure: If your complaint has not been resolved using the informal complaints procedure, or if it is inappropriate to use the informal procedure because the complaint is of a serious nature, you may make a formal complaint. Your complaint may be referred back to the informal complaints procedure if you skipped that stage without due consideration. How to make a formal complaint: Formal complaints must be made in writing or by email. Please Email the SmileWisdom Operations Director at training@smilewisdom.co.uk. Your complaint form letter or email should include clear detailed reasons for your complaint, an indication of the resolution or outcome you seek, and copies of any documents upon which you wish to rely. SmileWisdom Operations Director administers the formal complaints process and will acknowledge, monitor and respond to your complaint. SmileWisdom aim to acknowledge, investigate and report on the outcome of your formal complaint and any resulting action within 20 working days of receipt of your complaint. These timescales may be extended by the SmileWisdoms in certain circumstances e.g. where the issues raised by a complaint are serious ones or to take account of SmileWisdom holidays.

You can normally expect:

• Complaint acknowledgement: Your complaint to be acknowledged within 3 working days of receipt.

• Complaint investigation, outcome and action: An investigation of your complaint will be undertaken by a SmileWisdom Operations Director and aims to complete this stage within 15 working days of receipt of your complaint. The investigation may involve speaking with relevant individuals and / or looking at relevant documentation. You may be asked to attend a meeting to discuss your complaint. You may not bring legal representation with you to this meeting if it is to occur but you may bring a friend or relative. If you have any particular requirements (e.g. English as a second language, a learning difficulty and / or disability) you may bring a second person with you.

• Complaint response: The SmileWisdom Operations Director aim is to provide a written response to within 20 working days of receipt of your complaint. If after 10 working days of getting a response you do not request a review, the SmileWisdom will regard your complaint as closed.

Stage 3 – Review of Formal Complaints: The SmileWisdom Operations Director aims to investigate and resolve all complaints in a fair and reasonable manner. If you are not satisfied with the outcome or any action taken relating to your formal complaint you have the right to request a Review on one or more of the following grounds:

• New material evidence has come to light which was not reasonably available at the time of the complaint investigation

• You believe the outcome of the complaint was manifestly unreasonable &/or any resulting action was disproportionate

• The complaints procedure was not followed.

If you wish to request a Review email within 10 working days of the date of the SmileWisdom Operations Director’s written response to your complaint to: The SmileWisdom Managing Director Mike.hutter@smilewisdom.co.uk. You must clearly explain the reasons for your request for a Review including the grounds upon which it is based and enclose copies of all the documents you wish to rely upon.

You can normally expect:

• Complaint acknowledgement: The Managing Director or nominee, will acknowledge your review request within 3 working days of receiving it.

• Complaint review and action: The managing Director, or nominee, will consider your request for a Review and determine whether it meets one or more of the grounds stated above. If your request for a Review does not meet one or more of the grounds for review, the complaint outcome will not be reviewed. A Completion of Procedures notification will be sent to you by the Managing Director or nominee, to close the matter.

If the Managing Director, or her nominee, determines that your case needs to be reviewed, you will be notified who will lead the Review (reviewing manager) and what the Review will involve, including timelines. This may include speaking with relevant individuals and / or looking at relevant documentation. You may be asked to attend a meeting to discuss your complaint. Again, you may not bring legal representation with you to this meeting if it is to occur but you may bring a friend, or relative. If you have any particular requirements (e.g. English as a second language, a learning difficulty and / or disability) you may bring a second person with you. You will receive notification about the Review arrangements or Completion of Procedures within 10 working days of receipt of the Review request.

Review outcome: The outcome of a Review will be either to:

• Uphold the complaint outcome and/or any action.
• Substitute an alternative outcome and/or action.

You will be informed of the outcome of the Review normally within 5 working days of it being decided upon by the reviewing manager. The decision of the reviewing manager is final and SmileWisdom will not consider your complaint further. The Review outcome will be contained in the Completion of Procedures notification.

THE COMPLAINTS PROCESS

Stage 1 Informal Stage

• The complainant raises the issue(s) or event(s) with a Tutor

• The issue is investigated and an early resolution is identified normally within 10 working days

• The student is satisfied with the outcome and so no further action is required and the case is closed

• The student is not satisfied with the outcome and is entitled to proceed to Stage 2 (Formal Process)

Stage 2 Formal Stage

• The complaint is send as an email. An acknowledgement letter is sent usually within 3 working days of receiving the complaint.

• The issue is investigated by a designated manager and an outcome shared with the complainant normally within 20 working days of receiving the complaint.

• If the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome, they may request a review within 10 working days of receiving the outcome.

• If a Review is not requested the complaint is regarded as closed.

Stage 3 Review Stage

• All requests for a Review must be sent to the SmileWisdom Operations Director within 10 working days of receiving the outcome stating the grounds for the Review. The SmileWisdom Operations Director will acknowledge receiving your Review request normally within 3 working days and inform you of the outcome of the Review request usually within 10 working days.

• If the request for a Review is not upheld, you will be informed and a Completion of Procedures notification sent.

• If the request for a Review is upheld, the next stages, including the reviewing manager and the planned timelines will be communicated to you.

• The Review is conducted and outcomes are communicated to you normally within 5 working days of its completion with a Completion of Procedures notification.