We are committed to providing high quality and efficient services to all our students but we recognise that there may be occasions where expectations are not met and you may wish to make a complaint.
The Student Complaints Policy and Students Complaints Procedure enable registered LTU students to raise a complaint about a course or teaching, or about the services and facilities provided by the University.
If your complaint is about another student, the admission process, or connected to assessment or award you may need to follow a separate procedure.
If your complaint is about:
- another LTU student or a member of LTU staff, please contact the Student Support team, studentsupport@leedstrinity.ac.uk in the first instance. Your concern may be dealt with under the Student Conduct and Discipline Code (LTU students) or under the University’s employment policies (LTU employees).
- admission onto a programme, please see to the Applicant Feedback and Complaints procedure in the useful links section.
- assessment, progression or an award decision made by the university’s Progression and Award Board, you should follow the Academic Appeals process. See the useful links section.
Quick Guide to Student Complaints Procedure
The Student Complaints Policy provides an overview of our approach and principles and the Student Complaints Procedure offers a step-by-step guide on how to make a complaint.
If you are looking for a complaints procedure that was in operation before September 2023 for reference purposes, you can find it on this page under the heading useful docs.
Stage 1 Early/Local Resolution (see section 4.3 of the Student Complaints Procedure)
Most complaints can usually be resolved quickly by speaking informally to a relevant member of staff. This might be your tutor or a member of staff in a service area e.g. the Accommodation team. This is called Early/Local Resolution.
If you are not sure who to speak to or how to go about this, you can speak to the Student Support team studentsupport@leedstrinity.ac.uk or the Leeds Trinity Students’ Union student.union@leedstrinity.ac.uk.
For similar resolution of apprenticeship issues, please contact the Head of Apprenticeships at apprenticeships@leedstrinity.ac.uk.
Students studying at partner sites should contact the Student Support teams at their partner site.
If you have been unable to resolve your complaint locally to your satisfaction, you can submit a formal complaint. You should attempt to resolve your complaint locally before it is progressed through the formal route.
Stage 2 Formal Complaint (see section 4.4 of the Student Complaints Procedure)
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of Stage 1 Early/Local Resolution you may raise a formal complaint via the Stage 2 process.
The Stage 2: Formal Complaint form is an online form that should be completed within 20 working days of the conclusion of all discussions relating to Stage 1.
You need to complete the online form, Stage 2: Formal Complaint.
To help with the investigation and resolution, all parts of the Stage 2 Formal Complaint form should be completed.
Stage 3 Review of Formal Complaint Outcome (see section 4.5 of the Student Complaints Procedure)
If you are dissatisfied with either the outcome of their complaint or the way in which the complaint was handled, they may ask for a review of a formal complaint outcome.
This can be done by completing an online form, Stage 3: Review of a Formal Complaint Outcome – Final.
This must be done within 10 working days of the conclusion of discussions relating to Stage 2.
A review of a formal complaint outcome will be undertaken under the following conditions:
- The correct procedures were not followed in the consideration of the case during the earlier stages of the complaints procedure;
- The outcome of the formal stage was not reasonable;
- There is new material evidence that, for good reason, was not available at an earlier point in the complaints procedure.
Independent External Review (see section 4.6 of the Student Complaints Procedure)
Once Stage 3 has been completed the University’s Student Complaints Procedure is concluded. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) to look at your complaint. Further information about escalating a complaint to the OIA is available on the OIA website (www.oiahe.org.uk).
Apprentices have the right to refer their complaint to the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for independent review if they are dissatisfied with the outcome of their complaint. Apprentices can escalate their complaint to the ESFA Complaints Team by emailing complaints.ESFA@Keducation.gov.uk