09:15 - 09:45 Registration

09:45 - 10:00 Chair's Welcome and Clarification of Learning Objectives

10:00 - 11:00 Student Complaints Handling: Latest Developments

• Understand the current landscape of student complaints and consider the findings of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator’s (OIA) Annual Report

• Explore recent updates to the OIA Good Practice Framework regarding how to deliver learning opportunities with others and supporting disabled students

• Identify key themes in complaints, appeals and extenuating circumstances claims

11:00 - 11:15 Morning Break

11:15 - 12:00 Responding to Complaints & Conducting Investigations

• Effective communication techniques that will help to avoid escalation of a complaint

• Undertaking fair and legally compliant investigations

• Learn how to establish a robust compensation and refund policy

• Approaching appeals and investigations and confidently deal with unacceptable complainant behaviour

• Recognise how to provide a meaningful apology to complainants

12:00 - 12:45 Case Study: Learning from Student Complaints

• Consider what student complaints indicate and how you can learn from their feedback

• Examine different examples of complaints and investigation reports that have been managed effectively

• Identify best practice when it comes to the style, tone, vocabulary and presentation of facts in complaint responses

• Establish who should be managing different stages of the complaints process

• Discuss the challenges of handling complaints

12:45 - 13:45 Lunch

13:45 - 14:30 Workshop: Responding to Different Types of Complaints

• Know which forms of complaints are covered by your institution’s jurisdiction

• How to categorise and respond differently to complaints

• Recognise how to deal with complaints, appeals and extenuating circumstances claims from students with mental health difficulties

• Use a range of techniques including informal resolution, mediation and conciliation to resolve matters more swiftly

• Establish straightforward disclosure procedures and develop a culture where students feel comfortable raising concerns

14:30 - 14:45 Afternoon Break

14:45 - 16:00 Workshop: Develop an Effective and Robust Complaints Procedure

During this afternoon workshop, work with the Chair and peers to develop an action plan for creating a robust complaints procedure in your institution

• Understand how integrated resolution pathways can improve complaints handling across all departments and services

• Develop a system for logging complaints

• Provide information and guidance for staff when it comes to dealing with complaints

• Improve the consistency and transparency of your complaints procedure by developing an action plan for your institution

16:00 - 16:15 Feedback, Evaluation & Close