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Appeals policy

This page sets out the Cambridge Marketing College (CMC) policy on dealing with appeals.

Purpose

To ensure CMC adopts robust procedures for dealing with appeals relating to EPAO assessment decisions. Reviewed December 2023 and next review date is September 2024

Applicability: IQAs

Background

CMC is committed to providing the highest levels of service to its customers, including employers, and learners. It anticipates that issues or complaints can be resolved through the complaints or enquiries procedures and these procedures will be followed in the first instance. However, in the event that a customer remains dissatisfied having exhausted these procedures, they have recourse to the appeals process.

CMC has and will maintain a robust policy and associated procedure for handling appeals from centres and individual learners. These procedures will ensure that:

  • All appeal decisions are taken by individuals who have no personal interest in the decision being appealed
  • All appeal decisions are taken by individuals who have appropriate competence
  • Appellants are kept informed of the progress of their appeal
  • Appeals are dealt with within published timescales
  • The specific needs and interests of learners are considered and protected
  • Customer facing versions of the appeals policy and procedure are communicated to learners and centres and published using appropriate media
  • Every endeavour is made to ensure compliance with relevant legislation and in particular the handling of sensitive data in accordance with the GDPR
  • Where an appeal results in the identification of a failure in the assessment process, CMC takes all reasonable steps to identify any other learners affected, correct or mitigate as far as is possible the effect of the failure, and ensure that the failure does not recur
  • An appeal may be only made on the grounds that CMC did not apply its procedures consistently, or that its procedures were not followed properly and fairly
  • Learners (or a centre on behalf of a learner(s)) undertaking end point assessment with the EPAO may appeal against the grade(s) on receipt of their results.

CMC’s approach to handling appeals

The appeals procedure for Cambridge Marketing College covers the process for raising appeals against an academic decision that has been made. Should a learner feel that proper process has not been followed or that the academic decision was not made in accordance with the regulations of the programme of learning then they may appeal to Shane Minett, Operations and Finance Director, via one of the following methods:

Call: 01954 234943 or

Email: shane@marketingcollege.com

Write to: Operations and Finance Director, Cambridge Marketing College, Cygnus Business Park, Middlewatch, Swavesey, Cambridgeshire, CB24 4AA

Examples of areas where an appeal may be raised are as follows:

  • If the learner believes that Cambridge Marketing College has not applied our procedures consistently or that procedures were not followed properly, consistently and fairly;
  • If the learner is not satisfied with the conduct of the assessment and believed it disadvantaged them; and
  • If the learner feels that the premises/environment for assessment has disadvantaged them.

(Should a learner wish to appeal against a decision made after a complaint has been investigated then please refer to our Complaints Procedure).

When you contact us, please give us your full name, contact details, and include a daytime telephone number along with:

  • A full description of your appeal (including the subject matter and dates and times if known);
  • Any names of the people you have dealt with so far;
  • Copies of any papers or letters to do with the appeal; and
  • Any other factors for consideration such as any extenuating circumstances that the learner either did not address at the time or believes that were raised but were not taken into consideration when the decision was made.

Appeals will be investigated and a review panel may be formed in order to reach a decision. We aim to investigate and respond to appeals within 10 working days (or 40 working days if a Review Panel is required).
This will be the final route of escalation within our company. In the unlikely event that you are still unhappy, you have the right to contact the relevant awarding bodies: the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations; for apprenticeships the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA); or for Functional skills (Maths and English) HABC. If a complaint is taken to these bodies, we will nominate a Customer Support Officer to ensure that the complainant is has clear communication about how the complaint is progressing.

Chartered Institute of Marketing

Complaints can be sent by:

  • Email: comments@cim.co.uk
  • Post: Quality and Complaints Executive, CIM, Moor Hall, Cookham, Berkshire, SL6 9QH, UK
  • Telephone: +44 (0)1628 427120

Each complaint will be acknowledged within five working days of receipt, and when further investigation is required, responded to within 20 working days by the Quality and Complaints Executive. If individuals are not satisfied with the response, they may seek further clarification from the Quality and Complaints Executive who will then notify the Head of the specific department for further action/advice if necessary.

Chartered Institute of Public Relations

Complaints must be in writing and made within two calendar weeks of the occasion of the subject of complaint and can be sent to the CIPR AB Manager:

Each complaint will be acknowledged within one calendar week of receipt, and when further investigation is required, responded to within 6 calendar weeks by the CIPR AB Manager. The CIPR AB manager will, if necessary, refer the complaint to the Board of Examiners. Their decision on the issue is final.

BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT

Complaints must be in writing within 20 working days of the assessment and can be sent to directly to the BCS Quality Assurance Team in writing.

Apprenticeships

Complaints must be made within 3 months of getting a decision from your organisation and can be sent to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA):

  • Email: the ESFA complaints team: complaints.ESFA@education.gov.uk
  • Post: Complaints team, Education and Skills Funding Agency, Cheylesmore House, Quinton Road, Coventry, CV1 2WT

ESFA will acknowledge your complaint within 5 days and will let you know what will happen next.

Functional Skills (Maths and English)

The Awarding Organisation is Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance (HABC) and their appeals policy can be located on their website: www.highfieldabc.com. Alternatively please speak to the HABC team on 0845 2260350.

Should you address your appeal to one of these organisations and remain unhappy with the outcome you may then raise your appeal to the relevant qualification regulator (for example, OFQUAL, SQA Accreditations or Qualifications Wales dependent upon the qualification). Either a representative of CMC, the CIM, CIPR or HABC will be able to offer you guidance on the appropriate qualification regulator in each instance and provide contact details. If you have any queries about the contents of this policy, please contact the Operations Director directly on 01954 234943 or email shane@marketingcollege.com.

If there are wider implications from the appeal

Some appeals may have wider implications, for example the outcome of an appeal may indicate a failure in CMC’s assessment process. In these circumstances, CMC will identify other learners who may have been affected, correct or mitigate the effect of the failure and take all necessary steps to avoid a recurrence. If the matter has implications for centres and other individual learners, CMC will inform these organisations and individuals about the impact it could have on them and the corrective action that is to be taken.

In the event that the outcome of an appeal requires a review and revision of other policies and procedures, (such as those for reasonable adjustments or special considerations, or for malpractice and maladministration), CMC will undertake this work, making recommendations to the appropriate committees where necessary, as quickly as possible. Revisions will be communicated to centres, learners and CMC personnel at the earliest opportunity.

Monitoring appeals

CMC will ensure that:

  • appropriate records are maintained of the numbers of appeals received and their outcomes
  • reports are made to the CEO Governing Body as part of the self-evaluation procedure
  • guidance from the regulators is reviewed and the policy is updated to comply with best practice

Compliance with EPAO requirements

CMC will comply with the requirements of any appeals process established by the regulator of EPAO in the form in which it may be published and revised from time to time.