The purpose of SIT (the RTO) complaints and appeals process is to provide a student with the opportunity to access procedures to facilitate the resolution of a dispute, complaint or an appeal including; an assessment decision trainer and assessor, staff, refunds, and other issues as they may arise. The internal complaints and appeals processes are conciliatory and non-legal. In the interests of natural justice and procedural fairness, the RTO will not require the complainant to complete overly complex forms nor require the complainant to provide extensive written information as part of the complaints process. It is the intent of this policy to allow learners to easily engage with the RTO staff and contractors about any concerns they have, and to help prevent minor issues becoming larger.
The corrective and preventative action form is to be used by staff and students to record the nature of a complaint or appeal. Actions that are rectified as a result of a complaint or appeal may inform the organisation of any improvements to be made. Results are recorded in the complaints and continuous improvement register.
Complaints brought by a student against another student, the RTO such as an application for financial hardship for payment of the student co-contribution fee has been refused, trainer and assessor, and third party providing services on the RTO’s behalf will be dealt with under the RTO’s complaints and appeals handling procedure.
In the first instance, the RTO requests that there is an attempt to informally resolve the issue through mediation/informal resolution of the complaint.
Students should contact the trainer and assessor in the first instance to attempt mediation/informal resolution of the complaint. The trainer or assessor who is the subject of the complaint will ensure the decision is made by a person independent of the decision being reviewed (for example, an assessor may receive the complaint from the student but would not consider or decide an appeal against an assessment decision they made).
If the matter cannot be resolved through mediation, the matter will be referred to the CEO where the RTO’s internal complaints and appeals handling procedure will be followed.
It is the process where people meet with an independent person (the mediator) to negotiate an agreement to end a dispute. The mediator does not impose any outcome: just assists the process of reaching a resolution.
Mediation does not involve legal procedures or the courts, however, mediation clients share the costs of mediation 50/50. The outcome of mediation is determined by the parties so that the participants remain in control.
Unit 2/127 Sugar Road,
Alexandra Headlands, QLD 4572