Complaints & Appeals Procedure

We take concerns seriously and aim to resolve them fairly, promptly, and without any disadvantage to the person raising them. This procedure explains how to raise a concern or complaint, and how to appeal a decision made under our Academic Integrity & Misconduct Policy or Code of Conduct.

1. Who can use this procedure

This procedure is open to students, parents and guardians, and mentors, and to anyone else directly affected by a ScholarBridge programme. You will not be treated any less favourably for raising a genuine concern in good faith.

2. Part A: Complaints

Stage 1: Informal resolution. Most concerns are resolved quickly and informally. Raise the matter with us at [email protected], describing what happened and what you would like to see put right. We aim to acknowledge within 3 working days and to respond within 10 working days. Many issues are resolved at this stage.

Stage 2: Formal complaint. If the matter is serious, or you are not satisfied with the informal response, you may make a formal complaint in writing to the same address, marking it "Formal complaint." Please set out what happened, why you remain dissatisfied, and the outcome you are seeking. We will acknowledge within 3 working days, look into it fairly, and normally respond in writing within 20 working days. If we need longer, we will tell you why and when to expect a response.

Stage 3: Escalation and review. If you remain dissatisfied after Stage 2, you may ask, within 10 working days of our Stage 2 response, for the matter to be reviewed by a senior member of ScholarBridge not previously involved. A review considers whether the complaint was handled fairly and whether the outcome was reasonable. The reviewer's decision is ScholarBridge's final response.

3. Part B: Appeals against a misconduct decision

Where a decision has been made under the Academic Integrity & Misconduct Policy or the Code of Conduct, the student, or their parent or guardian, may appeal.

Grounds. An appeal must be based on one or both of the following:

• new evidence that, for good reason, could not have been provided at the time the decision was made, and that could have affected the outcome; or
• a procedural error in how the decision was reached that was significant enough to have affected the outcome.

An appeal is not an opportunity simply to have the same facts reconsidered because the outcome is unwelcome.

How to appeal. Submit the appeal in writing to [email protected] within 10 working days of the date of the written decision, setting out the ground(s) relied on and the evidence for them. Appeals received after this deadline are considered only where there is good reason for the delay.

How appeals are decided. The appeal is reviewed by a senior member of ScholarBridge who was not involved in the original decision. We normally respond within 15 working days. The reviewer may uphold the original decision, change the outcome, or, where appropriate, ask for the matter to be reconsidered. The appeal decision is final. Any sanction already applied remains in place unless and until the appeal changes it.

4. Anonymous and third-party concerns

We will always consider information about the safety of a young person, however it reaches us. For other matters, we may be limited in how far we can investigate an anonymous complaint, because fairness requires that the person concerned can understand and respond to what is alleged.

5. Records and data protection

We keep a confidential record of complaints and appeals and their outcomes, handled in line with our Privacy Policy. Information is shared only with those who need it to resolve the matter.

6. Relationship to the Terms of Service

This procedure sets out how ScholarBridge handles complaints and appeals internally. It does not replace the dispute-resolution and governing-law provisions of our Terms of Service, which continue to apply.

7. Review

This procedure is reviewed at least annually.

Contact

To raise a concern, make a complaint, or submit an appeal, contact us at [email protected].