Complaints Summary - Academic Year 2024-2025

1.1    The University’s Complaint Handling Procedure is adopted from the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman’s (“SPSO”) Model Complaints Handling Procedure for Higher Education. An update of the procedure was approved by the University Senate in March 2021.
 
1.2    As part of this update, the SPSO has updated its requirements for the reporting of complaints and the publishing of complaints performance statistics, complaints trends and outcomes, and actions taken to improve services. Parts 2 and 3 of this report will be published on the University’s website in accordance with this requirement. 

1.3    The Complaints Handling Procedure sets out a complaints process with two steps: frontline resolution and investigation. Frontline resolution is appropriate where complaints require little or no investigation and can be resolved within five working days (or ten if an extension is appropriate). Any member of staff may deal with complaints at this stage (including a staff member complained about) with the aim to respond to complaints at the earliest opportunity and as close to the point of service delivery as possible. The investigation stage is invoked for more complex cases, and the procedure states that a full response to the complaint should be provided as soon as possible but not later than 20 working days from the time the complaint was received for investigation. Not all investigations will be able to meet this deadline, and where that is the case, the complainant will be advised of this, and of the revised timeframe, and the reason for the extended timeframe.  

1.4    The Model Complaints procedure defines as complaints those matters that have proceeded formally through the University’s Complaints Handling Procedure through either the frontline or investigation stages. This means that straightforward matters, such as queries or comments from students or other parties, are interpreted as routine service requests, and are dealt with at a local level rather than proceeding through the formal complaints process.
   
1.5    This report provides a summary of the number and nature of complaints that were dealt with under the formal Complaints Handling Procedure during the 2024-25 academic session. Information on performance against published timescales is also provided.  Court members receive an update on complaints activity as part of the Quarterly Compliance Report presented to the Court.
During the reporting period, the Legal Adviser and Policy Adviser provided support and advice to any member of staff dealing with a complaint at any level.

1.6    Members are asked to NOTE the information in this report.

2.4    INDICATOR FOUR – COMPLAINT OUTCOMES

2.4.1    Stage 1 – Frontline Resolution

Frontline cases are dealt with by the most appropriate member of the ‘frontline’ team, with the aim of resolving the issue/s raised.  As a formal ‘investigation’ of the issue/s is not carried out, frontline cases are not described as being ‘upheld’ or ‘not upheld’. Instead, the aim is to find a resolution to the matter being complained about.

Twenty-six of the complaints submitted at Stage 1 were resolved.

2.4.2    Stage 1 Complaints – Escalated

Two complaints were escalated from Stage 1 to Stage 2 of the Complaints Handling Procedure in academic year 2024-25. One complaint was partially upheld; the other was not upheld.

2.4.3    Stage 2 Complaints

Fourteen complaints recorded moved to the investigation stage directly due to the nature of the issues raised. 

•    Four complaints were upheld following investigation.
•    Six complaints were partially upheld following investigation.
•    Four complaints were not upheld following investigation.
 

The University values complaints as a source of learning, and examples of such learning and areas of enhancement arising from complaints are as follows:

•    Feedback on communication styles have been provided to members of staff.
•    An updated photography policy, privacy statement and internal process to ensure transparency in marketing materials. 
•    Review of processes around communication of consultations and decisions relating to academic planning. 
•    Feedback to members of staff about the provision of student feedback and the importance of providing completed marking rubrics.

The subject matter of the stage one complaints are summarised briefly as follows:

The subject matter and outcome of the stage two complaints, including those escalated, are summarised briefly as follows: