Complaints Policy and Procedure

This procedure explains how to raise a complaint or appeal with London Vesta College Limited. It is based on the college complaints procedure and includes 2026 updates covering apprenticeship and training provider escalation routes, data protection complaints, qualification and assessment appeals, and website contact details.

We aim to resolve concerns fairly, promptly, and as close as possible to the point where the issue arose. You will not be treated unfairly or disadvantaged for making a complaint in good faith.

Who can use this procedure

This procedure can be used by:

• learners, apprentices, applicants, and prospective learners;
• employers and employer representatives;
• parents, guardians, advocates, or authorised representatives, where the learner has given permission or where it is otherwise appropriate;
• staff, contractors, and other stakeholders where the issue relates to the service we provide.

If a complaint is about an employment matter, safeguarding concern, disciplinary matter, whistleblowing concern, or another process with its own required procedure, we may route it to the correct internal process and explain the next step.

What counts as a complaint

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about a service, action, decision, delay, omission, conduct, communication, facility, learning experience, or assessment administration. You do not need to use the word "complaint" for us to treat it as one.

Examples include:

• the quality, management, or delivery of education and training;
• apprentice or learner support, communication, reviews, or administration;
• employer service or account management issues;
• equality, accessibility, reasonable-adjustment, or inclusion concerns;
• assessment administration or internal assessment handling;
• data protection concerns about how we use personal data;
• delays or failure to follow a published process.

This procedure is not normally used to change examination marks, grades, assessment outcomes, professional judgements, funding decisions made by public bodies, or employer employment decisions. We will explain the correct route where another organisation or procedure applies.

How to complain

You can complain by email, post, phone, or speaking to a member of staff.

• Email for general complaints: [email protected]
• Email for data protection complaints: [email protected]
• Phone: 0207 377 0731 / 07767 115 842
• Post: London Vesta College, 'Montefiore Centre', Hanbury Street, London E1 5HZ, United Kingdom

Please include as much of the following as you can:

• your name and contact details;
• whether you are a learner, apprentice, applicant, employer, representative, staff member, or other stakeholder;
• the programme, apprenticeship, employer, or service involved;
• what happened, when it happened, and who was involved;
• what you have already done to resolve the issue;
• copies of relevant evidence or messages;
• the outcome you are seeking;
• any accessibility, communication, safeguarding, or support needs we should consider.

For a data protection complaint, please use the subject line "Data protection complaint" and explain what personal data issue you want us to investigate.

Time limits

Please raise complaints as soon as possible and normally within 3 months of the incident, decision, or the point you became aware of the issue.

We may still consider a later complaint where there is a good reason for the delay and it remains possible to investigate fairly. Complaints involving safeguarding, equality, data protection, legal duties, or serious risk may be considered outside this timeframe.

What you can expect from us

We will:

• acknowledge and investigate complaints fairly;
• keep the complaint confidential as far as possible while allowing a proper investigation;
• tell you if another procedure or organisation is the correct route;
• give you a reasonable opportunity to explain your concern;
• let you bring a colleague, friend, trade union representative, staff representative, or other reasonable companion to meetings;
• keep you updated if more time is needed;
• explain the outcome and any action we will take.

If a complaint is made by more than six people, we may ask the group to nominate up to three representatives so that the complaint can be managed effectively.

Complaints stages

Serious complaints may be moved straight to Stage 2 or Stage 3 where that is the fairest or safest route. If a complaint raises safeguarding, prevent, health and safety, fraud, misconduct, data breach, or legal issues, we may take immediate protective action and involve the appropriate internal lead or external authority.

Qualification and assessment appeals

Assessment appeals are handled separately from general service complaints where the issue is about an assessment decision, internal verification, evidence judgement, or end-point assessment process.

We will not publish fixed external appeal fees on this page because awarding organisation and end-point assessment organisation fees can change. The quality lead should provide the current route and costs before an external appeal is submitted.

Employer complaints

Employers should first raise service issues with their employer engagement contact or account manager. If the issue needs formal escalation, email [email protected] with "Employer complaint" in the subject line.

We normally acknowledge employer complaints within 2 working days and aim to resolve straightforward matters within 3 to 7 working days. More complex matters may need the Stage 2 or Stage 3 process above.

Data protection complaints

If your complaint is about how we collect, use, share, retain, secure, or respond to requests about personal data, email [email protected] with the subject line "Data protection complaint".

We will handle data protection complaints in line with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 requirements that commence on 19 June 2026. This means we will:

• provide a clear way to make a data protection complaint;
• acknowledge receipt of your complaint promptly;
• investigate without undue delay;
• keep you informed where appropriate;
• tell you the outcome without undue delay.

You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office:

• Make a complaint to the ICO
• ICO helpline: 0303 123 1113
• Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF

External escalation

You should normally complete our internal complaints procedure before escalating externally.

For apprenticeships and post-16 education or training funded by the Department for Education, the current external complaints route is the DfE post-16 complaints process, not the old ESFA apprenticeship helpdesk route. DfE can usually only consider complaints after the provider's complaints procedure, including appeals, has been exhausted, or where you are being prevented from exhausting it.

• DfE complaints about post-16 education and training provision funded by DfE
• DfE customer help portal

DfE may consider complaints about the quality, management, or experience of education and training, delay or failure to follow a complaints procedure, poor administration, equality and diversity issues, and some apprenticeship provider complaints from employers. DfE does not normally reinvestigate the whole complaint or overturn assessment outcomes.

Where an employer agreement or public-funder document identifies a DfE, DWP, local authority, or other funder complaints route, we will signpost the relevant route in the complaint outcome where it applies.

Some issues must be raised elsewhere:

• awarding organisation or end-point assessment organisation issues should follow the relevant organisation's appeal or complaint process;
• qualification, examination, and test complaints may fall under Ofqual routes;
• higher education complaints, including degree apprenticeships, may fall under the Office of the Independent Adjudicator;
• safeguarding concerns, fraud, whistleblowing, employment disputes, legal claims, and police matters may need separate urgent routes.

Records and confidentiality

We keep complaint records only for as long as needed for investigation, learning, audit, safeguarding, regulatory, legal, and quality assurance purposes. Complaint records may include personal data, special category data, or evidence provided by you or others. Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle personal data.

Information is shared only with people who need it to investigate, respond, protect individuals, meet legal duties, or evidence the outcome. Where a complaint involves another organisation, regulator, funder, awarding body, employer, or public authority, we may share relevant information where lawful and necessary.

Internal DPO, quality, and senior-owner checks

Before each approval or material update of this procedure, the data protection lead or DPO, quality lead, and senior owner should confirm:

• the named internal owners and job titles for Stage 2 and Stage 3 are current;
• the DfE post-16 external escalation route remains current for apprenticeships and funded training;
• any employer agreement route involving DfE, DWP, local authorities, or other public funders is accurately reflected where applicable;
• old ESFA helpdesk wording and outdated apprenticeship mailbox references have not been reintroduced;
• the data protection complaints process meets the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 requirements from 19 June 2026, including prompt acknowledgement and response without undue delay;
• whether a dedicated online data protection complaints form is needed in addition to email, phone, post, and in-person routes;
• current awarding organisation and end-point assessment organisation appeal routes, forms, evidence rules, contacts, and fees are available to learners before an external appeal;
• safeguarding, prevent, health and safety, whistleblowing, fraud, equality, and staff grievance escalation routes are aligned with current internal policies;
• complaint retention periods match the privacy policy, funding rules, awarding body requirements, limitation periods, and safeguarding needs;
• reasonable adjustment and alternative-format routes are suitable for learners, apprentices, employers, and representatives.

Review

• Last updated: 13 May 2026
• Source procedure: Complaints Policy and Procedure, Version 12, issued August 2023
• Next review: To be confirmed by the DPO, quality lead, and senior owner