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Further Education and Apprenticeships Compliments, Comments and Complaints Policy

Compliments, Comments and Complaints Policy

Policy Details
Policy Owner	Quality Manager
CE Sponsor	Deputy Principal
Date created this year	11 June 2024
Version:	Approved by:	Date approved:	To be reviewed:
2	College Executive	June 2025	June 2026
2	Curriculum and Quality Committee	26 June 2025	June 2026

Version Control
Version Number	Changes from previous 12 months policy
1	Complete re-write of policy.

2	Changes to policy in year

		Yes/No	Comments
1	Does the policy/guidance affect one group less or more favourably than another on the basis of:
	Race or ethnicity	No
	Disability	No
	Gender	No
	Religion or belief	No
	Sexual orientation	No
	Age	No
	Marriage and Civil Partnership	No
	Maternity and Pregnancy	No
	Gender Reassignment	No
2	Is there any evidence that some groups are affected differently?	No
3	If you have identified potential discrimination, are any exceptions valid, legal and/or justifiable?	N/A
4	Is the impact of the policy/guidance likely to be negative?	No
5	If so, can the impact be avoided?	N/A
6	What alternatives are there to achieving the policy/guidance without the impact?	N/A
7	Can we reduce the impact by taking different action?	N/A

1. Complaints Procedure

It is the aim of Colchester Institute to provide all students, apprentices, parents/guardians of students and employers with a high-quality service. However, from time-to-time problems may occur. You have the right to pursue the resolution of any difficulties and the College will undertake to respond to your complaint with care and concern. We do ask that complaints are logged in a timely fashion.

2. Making a Complaint

Problems should first be discussed with the relevant department. If you wish the complaint to be logged, it will be recorded at this point.
If discussion does not resolve the matter or if it is not appropriate, you may wish to escalate matters using the formal complaints procedure. The complaint should be made in writing, by telephone or via the online process accessed here: https://www.colchester.ac.uk/forms/concerns-and-complaints-form
When accessing the College website directly, the online form is located on the home page of the College portal via the Contact Us button, and then by clicking on the pink Concerns and Complaints button.

3. Response to complaints

In response to complaints the College will:
Make an initial response, acknowledging your complaint within 5 working days.
Research the circumstances/details of the matter and provide, usually with a maximum of 15 working days, a full response, including, where appropriate, explanation and details of any actions taken.
Log and track all complaints for Quality Assurance purposes.

4. Complaints about results

If your complaint is about external assessment, you should contact the Examinations Office who will explain the procedure for the relevant awarding organisation concerned.
Complaints about the outcome of formal disciplinary or progression decisions. A complaint about the outcome of a disciplinary process or a progression decision will be dealt with via an appeals process.

5. Vexatious Complaints

The College reserves the right to restrict contact in regard to any complaint that is considered to be frivolous, vexatious or motivated by malice. This includes, but is not limited to, complaints which are obsessive, harassing, repetitive or are designed to cause disruption or annoyance.

6. If you are still not satisfied

If the College’s complaints procedure has been exhausted and you are still dissatisfied the Education and Skills Funding Agency have their own complaints procedure, which reviews the processes the College has gone through when dealing with your complaint and the decisions that have been made.
A copy of the complaints procedure can be accessed via the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/complainfurthereducationapprenticeship

7. Higher Education Programmes

The procedure for complaints relating to Higher Education can be accessed via this link: https://www.colchester.ac.uk/legal/ucc-student-concerns-compliments-complaints-procedure-policy/

Colchester Institute Responds to Government Withdrawal of Management and Leadership Apprenticeship Funding

“The Government’s decision to defund management and leadership apprenticeship standards from September 2026 represents a significant change for employers and providers across the sector. At Colchester Institute, our commitment remains to support employers and apprentices through a smooth transition, ensuring continuity for existing learners while shaping new, high‑quality pathways for future leadership development. We will work in partnership with our employers to co‑design practical alternatives that continue to strengthen workforce capability and build organisational resilience.” – Ashley Gallagher, Head of Professional Apprenticeships and Skills at Colchester Institute

The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed that funding for certain management and leadership apprenticeship standards will be withdrawn from 1 September 2026.

The affected standards currently delivered by Colchester Institute include:

Team Leader/Supervisor (Level 3)
Operations/Departmental Manager (Level 5)
Coaching Professional (Level 5)
Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (Level 6)

In addition, the DfE has announced a national cap is being placed on new apprenticeship starts, limiting the number of new enrolments permitted across the sector between now and August 2026.

Please note, existing apprentices are unaffected and will continue their studies as planned.

We recognise how important these programmes are for developing leadership and management capability within organisations. We remain committed to:

Safeguarding the progress of existing apprentices.
Managing remaining start opportunities responsibly and in line with national guidance.
Working collaboratively with employers to design a new, high‑quality alternative curriculum offer that supports continuing leadership and skills development beyond 2026.

A consultation process with employers will launch shortly. This will inform our future leadership and management training provision, including both apprenticeship and non‑apprenticeship options. We welcome input from a range of stakeholders, and should you wish to contribute to shaping the future of our management offer, please reach out to employers@colchester.ac.uk help shape the conversation.

Further national and local updates will be provided here as soon as new guidance becomes available.