Candidate Appeals Procedure

If a candidate/trainee is not satisfied with the product or service they have received from First Aid For All Limited the following procedures are in place to resolve the situation.

First Aid and other Training

Candidates are strongly recommended to pursue any complaint informally before following the formal route, as many appeals can be resolved satisfactorily in this way.

If after an initial discussion (phone or email) with First Aid For All Limited staff, the candidate/client is not satisfied then he/she should contact First Aid For All Limited by email within 3 weeks of the assessment. The email must giving all the relevant details of the issues.

The specific complaints procedure that will be followed depends on the course and the regulator/accredditation that applies. If unsure, please contact us and we will inform you. You can also check your invoice and course joining instructions to see what is specified. You will have one of the following options:

- First Aid For All Limited (FAFA) Appeals Procedure for our own courses and qualifications
- First Aid Industry Body (FAIB) Appeals Procedure
- Ofqual Regualted Qualifications

See below for the further details of each policy.

NOTE: for progressing an appeal to the stage of FAIB or ITC/Ofqual

First Aid For All Limited (FAFA) Appeals Procedure

First Aid For All will acknowledge receipt of the appeal within 5 days of receiving the correspondence. One of the company Directors will investigate the issues with the trainer/assessor in question. The Director will check the administration procedures to ensure the assessment has been carried out correctly, according to the assessment criteria and the course syllabus. The Director must ensure the assessment is fair and reasonable and the trainer/assessor is not biased or prejudiced in any way.

Before a final desision is made and depending on the situation, the candidate may be invited back to address the issues identified by the trainer/assessor. This may require the candidate to attend another course with a different trainer/assessor.

The candidate will be informed of the decision within 21 days and a written account of the outcome will be emailed to him/her. If the candidate is still not satisfied with the outcome have the option of going to Trading Standards with their case.

First Aid Industry Body (FAIB) Appeals Procedure

If a complaint arises from a FAIB approved course, FAIB aim to resolve the complaint to the customers satisfaction (as far as is possible) in the shortest possible time.

There are 3 stages to our complaints process.

Stage 1

The complaint should be raised with the Trainer of the course.

If it is not resolved it progresses to Stage 2

Stage 2

The complaint is reviewed by a second person within the Training Organisation. That person must be First Aid occupationally competent and have an assessing qualification. It can be another Trainer/Assessor

If it is still not resolved it then progresses to Stage 3

Stage 3

The complainant should send all the relevant paperwork to the Regulator who will then review all aspects of the case include taking the views of the complainant and the views of the Training Provider where the complaint was initially made.

FAIB (First Aid Approvals and Monitoring Section) will be the final arbiter of any appeal for FAIB approved courses e.g. First Aid at Work courses and Emergency First Aid at Work courses.

ITC Ofqual Courses Appeals Procedure

Appeals Policy and Procedures

Appeals to First Aid For All Limited

1.1 Appeals
Any individual or organisation that is affected by an assessment decision made by First Aid For All Limited and their assessors is eligible to take advantage of the appeals process.

1.2 Learner appeals
Appeals may be made regarding areas of concern from learners, including but not limited to:
• Administration and assessment errors
• Perceived discrimination
• Request for reasonable adjustments or special considerations
• Failure to take into account any special circumstances
• Decisions relating to malpractice or misconduct

Learners are strongly recommended to informally pursue any appeal, enquiry, or grievance by making a telephone or email enquiry to First Aid For All Limited, before following formal systems, as many appeals can be resolved satisfactorily through these informal means.

There is a time limit for making appeals of 3 weeks from course completion. There is a time limit of a further 3 weeks for First Aid For All Limited to review this appeal. An appeal review fee is payable to First Aid For All Limited (refundable if the appeal is upheld).

Disagreement with an assessment judgment is not normally grounds for an appeal. First Aid For All Limited assessors follow strict criteria when making their assessment decisions in accordance with ITC assessment specifications.

Appeals generally fall into the following broad categories:
a) Administration error - perhaps a mistake in recording results.
b) Assessment error - perhaps using criteria other than those specified in the qualification.
c) Discrimination - the method of assessment was not fair and reasonable under the circumstances, or the assessor was biased or prejudiced.
d) Decisions regarding reasonable adjustments and special considerations

1.3 Specific point of contact
Ask for C Dunkerley
0161 250 1616, info@firstaidforall.uk

1.4 Summary of appeals process
The full appeals process is summarised below. It is anticipated that most queries will be resolved informally by First Aid For All Limited with a minimum of delay.

a) Clarification of the original decision
b) Informal dialogue to review the context and criteria of the decision.
c) If informal methods are unsuccessful then a formal appeals in writing can be initiated by the affected individual.
d) First Aid For All Limited to contact and discuss the assessment decision with the course assessor and review all available and relevant evidence.
e) Reference may be made to ITC First for guidance, if specialist expertise is required.
f) Appellant informed of decision and any subsequent actions by the Centre.
g) Where the decision is over turned the affected individual will be informed.
h) Where the decision remains unchanged or the affected individual is dissatisfied, the learner may refer directly to ITC First using their Appeals Procedure that is available as a download from the website or by request to the ITC Office.
i) All learners have the right to raise a COMPLAINT to the external regulators of the qualification they are enrolled upon, regarding their appeal. If learners are not satisfied with how their appeal has been handled by ITC First then learners may also refer a COMPLAINT to the appropriate external national regulator Ofqual or SQA accreditation.

Ofqual: www.ofqual.gov.uk
SQA Accreditation: accreditation.sqa.org.uk

Note: Regulators will scrutinise First Aid For All Limited and ITC First against their published procedures. THE REGULATORS CANNOT OVERTURN ASSESSMENT DECISIONS OR ACADEMIC JUDGMENTS.

1.5 Monitoring, reporting and evaluating appeals decisions
Learners' appeal enquiries will be dealt with according to the timescales contained in First Aid For All Limited Customer Charter. Should the result of an appeal call into question the accuracy of other First Aid For All Limited results then each questionable result will be investigated by the Centre Manager. Appropriate and proportionate action will then be taken which may include:
a) An increased level of scrutiny in the relevant area.
b) Reporting to our Awarding Organisation/Body

1.6 Personal interest
All appeals decisions made by First Aid For All Limited will follow these published procedures and will be taken by individuals who have no personal interest in the decision(s) being appealed.

1.7 Appeals against First Aid For All Limited decisions
These maybe referred to ITC First only after the full Centre appeals process has been followed.

Contact:
ITC First Chief Executive Officer
0345 370 7610
www.itcfirst.org.uk

First Aid and other Products

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