Service complaints

1. Introduction and scope

1.1 The School is committed to providing a high quality of education and service to all of its members. This procedure enables it to deal with complaints about its services and to improve them.

1.2 This procedure applies where a student is dissatisfied with a service provided by the School that is not directly related to its core provision of teaching, learning, research and supervision (to which the Procedure for the Consideration of Complaints from Students on Academic Matters applies). It covers services which are provided by any administrative division of the School, including the library, or by any academic office holder, which includes the Deans of the School and Advisers to Male and Female Students.

1.3 This procedure does not apply to complaints about a policy, or policy decision, of the School. There is student representation on most policy-making committees at LSE. Therefore, any student wishing to submit a complaint of this kind should do so by contacting his/her representative on the most relevant committee.

1.4 The School has a number of procedures and Codes of Practice and will refer complaints made under one procedure for consideration under a different procedure when it is considered appropriate to do so. A student will not normally be able to submit a complaint under this procedure that has been, or is likely to be, investigated under a different set of regulations.

1.5 Consideration will be given to the number, and type, of investigations which will be carried out if a complaint relates to more than one department.

1.6 Administrative departments and offices which provide a service to students will monitor the number and type of complaints they receive each academic year under this procedure.

1.7 This procedure will be reviewed regularly by the Planning and Corporate Policy Division.

2. Principles for complaints management

2.1 The following principles will govern the submission and investigation of service complaints from students:

(a) Local resolution

The policy of the School is that wherever possible complaints should be resolved locally and promptly with the minimal degree of formality. Complaints about a service should therefore initially be dealt with at the divisional level. If a complaint cannot be resolved at that level there are specific procedures that allow for resolution at a higher level.

(b) Confidentiality

Privacy and confidentiality will be assured in the School's handling of service complaints unless disclosure is necessary to progress the complaint, in which case the complainant's consent to disclosure will be sought. The School will take action to avoid victimisation of all parties involved in a complaint.

The School will not investigate complaints that it considers to be frivolous (unfounded, trivial and persistent) or malicious (with vindictive motivation). Nor will it investigate anonymous complaints.

(d) Process and time limits

The School will try to pursue all complaints sensitively and expeditiously. Time limits are provided at each stage of the procedure to ensure that they are investigated while they still have relevance and while the information required to investigate them is still available. Students are therefore required to adhere to these time limits in pursuing their complaints.

In exceptional circumstances the School may agree to extend a time limit for pursuing a complaint generally, or, in respect of the completion of a particular stage of the procedure.

(e) Equal opportunities

All complaints will be considered fairly on their individual merits and in accordance with the School's policy on equalities and diversity.

(f) Outcome of complaints

The School is committed to acting upon any recommendations for improvement in service delivery that might arise from a complaint. However, it should be noted that if the School upholds a complaint or takes action in response to one, this does not imply liability on the part of the School. Moreover, it accepts no responsibility to pay any costs incurred by a student in pursuing the complaint.

2.2 Informal advice on the complaints regulations and appeals procedures may be obtained from the following sources:

The planning and corporate policy division
Student services centre
Departmental tutor /departmental convener
Dean of graduate/undergraduate studies
Associate dean of the general course
Students' union education and welfare officer
Adviser to women students
Adviser to male students
Adviser to students with disabilities
Wardens of halls of residence

2.3 Informal advice on service complaints can also be obtained from the divisions to which a complaint relates.

3. Procedure for service complaints

3.1 Informal stage

Where it is appropriate to do so, a complainant should, in the first instance, attempt to resolve his/her complaint though informal discussion with those directly involved in its subject matter. If it becomes clear that the informal stage is not going to be effective, then the formal stages below should be instigated at the earliest opportunity.

3.2 Formal stages

If a complaint is not resolved to the complainant's satisfaction through informal discussions, or if it is not appropriate for an informal resolution to be sought, then s/he may decide to use the formal complaints procedure outlined below.

All complaints must start at Stage 1 and progress sequentially unless the School, for exceptional reasons, agrees to vary the procedure. Deviations from this procedure will not invalidate any action or decision taken by the School unless the fairness of it was compromised.

Stage 1

The complainant must submit his/her complaint in writing and any supporting evidence to the Head of the Division that is responsible for the service to which the complaint relates, giving details of the incident in question and identifying the specific resolution (if any) that the complainant is seeking.
The complaint must be submitted within 10 working days of the incident/s in question. If the complainant is unsure of the identity of the relevant Head of Division, they should seek advice from any of the contacts referred to at paragraph 2.2 above. The Pro-Director for Teaching and Learning will investigate complaints about a service provided by an academic office holder.
The Head of Division, or his/her nominee, will assess whether the complaint relates to a policy or service of the School. If it relates to a policy, then it must be dealt with in the manner set out in Paragraph 1.3. If it relates to a service, s/he will investigate the complaint however s/he deems appropriate and will provide the complainant with a written response, normally within 10 working days of the date on which s/he received the complaint.
If the complainant remains dissatisfied with the outcome of Stage 1, s/he may refer the complaint to the relevant person under Stage 2 of this procedure.

Stage 2

The complainant must write to the Secretary and Director of Administration (hereafter 'the Secretary'), or his/her nominee, within 5 working days of receiving the Head of Division's response under Stage 1. S/he must explain why the complaint has not been resolved to his/her satisfaction and forward all relevant documents from Stage 1.
The Secretary will normally refer complaints about a service provided by the School's Estates, Nursery, Residential Services or Financial Divisions to the Director of Finance and Facilities. Similarly, complaints about a service provided by the Library, Centre for Learning Technology and IT Services will normally be referred to the Librarian and Director of IT Services. The Secretary will normally deal with a complaint against an academic office holder.
The Secretary, or his/her nominee, will undertake an investigation into the complaint however s/he deems appropriate, taking account of any representations made by the complainant.
The Secretary, or his/her nominee, shall write to the complainant giving reasons for his/her decision normally within 10 working days of the date on which s/he received complaint.
The Secretary's decision will be final and will complete this procedure. As such, the decision letter will also act as a Completion of Procedures Letter, which will inform the complainant of his/her right to appeal to the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education.

3.3 Office of the Independent adjudicator

If, after receiving a Completion of Procedures Letter, the complainant remains dissatisfied with the outcome of his/her complaint, s/he may complain to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) in accordance with the OIA's rules (www.oiahe.org.uk). The School shall consider any formal decision or recommendations made by the OIA.

Approved by council on 3 March 2009