• Purpose

    OTMA Apprenticeships is committed to providing a high-quality service. If something goes wrong, we encourage learners, employers and other stakeholders to tell us so we can put things right quickly, fairly and professionally.

    We aim to:

    • Resolve concerns as early as possible.
    • Treat everyone fairly and with respect.
    • Investigate complaints impartially.
    • Keep information confidential where appropriate.
    • Learn from complaints to improve our service.

    Who Can Make a Complaint?

    This policy applies to:

    • Apprentices and learners
    • Employers
    • Parents or carers (where appropriate)
    • Members of the public
    • Staff raising concerns about services (where another policy does not apply)

    This policy does not cover safeguarding concerns, whistleblowing, staff grievances or disciplinary matters, which are managed under separate policies.

    How to Make a Complaint

    You can make a complaint:

    • In person
    • By telephone
    • By email
    • In writing

    Please raise your complaint within three months of the issue wherever possible.

    Our Complaints Process

    Stage 1 – Informal Resolution

    Most concerns can be resolved quickly by speaking with the relevant member of staff or manager. We aim to resolve these within 10 working days.

    Stage 2 – Formal Complaint

    If you remain dissatisfied, submit your complaint in writing. We will:

    • Acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days
    • Investigate the matter fairly within 5 working days 
    • Provide a written outcome and any actions to be taken.
    • Formal complaints should be submitted to the Head of Performance – julie.carrigan@otma.ac.uk 

    Stage 3 – Review

    If you are unhappy with the outcome, you may request a review by the Managing Director – joe.turner@otma.ac.uk . A final written decision will normally be provided within 15 working days.

    Possible Outcomes

    Following our investigation, we may:

    • Explain what happened.
    • Apologise where appropriate.
    • Identify actions to resolve the issue.
    • Improve policies, procedures or staff training.
    • Confirm that no further action is required where the complaint is not upheld.
    • Confidentiality

    All complaints will be handled sensitively and confidentially. Records will be stored securely in line with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

    Unreasonable Complaints

    OTMA is committed to dealing fairly with all complaints. However, abusive, threatening, repetitive or vexatious behaviour may result in restrictions on communication while ensuring any genuine concerns continue to be considered.

    Monitoring

    The Head of Performance is responsible for monitoring complaints, identifying trends and ensuring improvements are made. This policy is reviewed annually.