Information on making a complaint
Edinburgh Napier University has always been committed to attempting to resolve any matters of complaint via a fair, efficient and transparent process. The University has always sought to resolve a complaint as quickly as is possible whilst ensuring that any issues are investigated as thoroughly as possible before providing the final response/offer of resolution.
Universities and Colleges across Scotland are required by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) to use an adaptation of their Complaints Handling Procedure.
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The Complaints Handling procedure will be reviewed on a three year cycle by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) with the potential for minor reviews within the first three years of its introduction on 30th August 2013. The procedure cannot be amended without the consent of the SPSO.
Revisions to the procedure will be managed by the Complaints Standards Authority (CSA) on behalf of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. Further information can be found in the Higher Education Guide to Implementation.
Individuals considering completing the form CP1 should, where possible, be advised to consult one of the following sources beforehand:
Richard Bews, University Appeals, Complaints and Conduct Manager (ACCM) -
R.Bews@napier.ac.uk or tel 0131 455 2396.
A member of University Academic or Administrative staff such as a Programme Leader, Year Tutor, Personal Development Tutor (PDT) or a member of Faculty/School Office administration staff.
* 2 and 3 are available to students only
Training for Staff
There is online training for available in relation to Stage 1 (Frontline Resolution) of the procedure which all staff who may have to deal with complaints are encouraged to undertake. This is provided by the SPSO in the form of training modules covering the essentials of the Model Complaints Handling. The University has a number of trained Investigators who will investigate complaints at Stage 2 (Investigation). These individuals have undergone training delivered by the University’s lawyers.
Reporting Requirements
All complaints received must be recorded by the area concerned.
Each Faculty/Service has a member(s) of staff who act as Departmental Complaints Contact. All staff should make themselves aware who their contact is and of the local process for recording complaints. If you remain uncertain, please raise this with your line manager.
All complaints must be logged on this Record of Complaint spread sheet.
Complaints should be assigned a category from one of the categories detailed in this Definition of Complaint Categories document.
The Departmental Complaints Contact will be responsible for providing the ACCM with a copy of the completed spread sheet on a quarterly basis as follows:
December - covering the period 1st September to 30th November
March - covering the period 1st December to 28th (29th) February
June - covering the period 1st March to 31st May
September - covering the period 1st June - 31st August
The ACCM will advise in advance of the precise dates completed quarterly complaints logs are required to be submitted.
The ACCM will issue updates on complaints to relevant University committees and will continue, as is current practice, to use the information received to produce an annual report. Privacy of individuals will be respected in line with Data Protection legislation.
Further information on the recording and reporting of complaints can be found in University Complaints Handling Recording and Reporting Procedure.
In line with the requirements of the Complaints Handling Procedure a quarterly report is produced for the University’s senior management and reported to University Leadership Team by the ACCM as follows:
January – covering reporting quarter 1; period 1 September to 30 November inclusive
April - covering reporting quarter 2; period 1 December to 28/29 February inclusive
July - covering reporting quarter 3; period 1 March to 31 May inclusive
October - covering reporting quarter 4; period 1 June to 31 August inclusive
Internal annual reporting on complaints is done as part of the annual report on Appeals, Complaints and Conduct which is presented to University committees including Academic Board and Court.
We also, in line with a requirement of the CHP, publish brief statistical annual report on our external website. Reports are located here.
Information and Support
For any queries with regard to the Complaints Handling Procedure, please contact Richard Bews, Appeals, Complaints and Conduct Manager:
Contact is preferable via email in the first instance in order to arrange a suitable appointment time but short notice consultations and telephone appointments may be available, though cannot be guaranteed.
In addition to the ACCM, you may also wish to direct students to a member of University Academic or Administrative staff such as their Programme Leader, Year Tutor, Personal Development Tutor (PDT) or a member of Faculty/School Office administration staff.
All students have the right of access to the services provided by Edinburgh Napier Students' Association (ENSA) or member of staff from the Edinburgh Napier Students' Association Advice Service (ENSA Advice).
To guarantee they will get to see someone and to avoid a wasted journey, contact via email or telephone is advisable in the first instance to determine a suitable appointment time.
Drop in appointments may be available though no guarantee can be made that they will be able to see someone straight away, or even on the day, on a "drop in" basis.
Unreasonable Complainant Behaviour Policy
The University believes that complainants have a right to be heard, understood and respected. Occasionally, the behaviour of individuals using our Complaints Procedure may make it very difficult for us to deal with their complaint. In a very small number of cases, the behaviour becomes unacceptable because it involves abuse of our staff or our processes. When this happens we have to take action to protect our staff. We consider the impact of the behaviour on our ability to do our work and provide a service to others. University's Unreasonable Complainant Behaviour Policy explains how we will approach these situations.