PURPOSE
This policy outlines Clear to Work’s (CTW) approach to managing complaints and appeals from learners, ensuring they are resolved fairly, promptly, and in accordance with the principles of natural justice.
SCOPE
This policy and procedure applies to the management of complaints and appeals involving the conduct or actions of:
- CTW trainers and assessors
- Staff members
- Internal and external stakeholders
- Third-party providers and their representatives
- Learners and/or their representatives
- All areas of CTW’s business operations, services, and activities
For the purpose of this document, all individuals and entities listed above are collectively referred to as ‘all parties’.
DEFINITIONS
Complaint
A complaint is a formal way to raise dissatisfaction with a service, process, or experience. This may include:
- Paying for a service that wasn’t provided;
- Experiencing unprofessional behaviour, discrimination, or harassment; or
- Concerns about CTW’s policies, communication, staff, or training quality.
Appeal
An appeal is a request for a formal review of a decision made by CTW. This may include:
- Disagreeing with an assessment outcome;
- Disagreeing with a denied Credit Transfer or Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) outcome;
- Dissatisfaction with how a complaint was resolved; or
- Disagreeing with an Academic Misconduct Result.
Feedback
Feedback is any information, comment, suggestion, or input provided by a learner or stakeholder intended to inform or improve CTW’s services, processes, or operations. Feedback may be positive or negative. This may include:
- Suggestions to improve training delivery or learner support;
- Positive feedback about a staff member or service; or
- Comments on enrolment, communication, or learning resources.
POLICY STATEMENT
CTW takes all complaints seriously and aims to ensure complaints and appeals are recorded, acknowledged and dealt with fairly, efficiently and effectively. Every effort will be made to resolve a complaint or appeal in accordance with this policy, and without prejudice or fear of reprisal or victimisation.
CTW aims at taking a preventative approach to complaints and appeals. Meaning:
- We are committed to ensuring complete transparency regarding our processes and policies,
- We are committed to ensuring every effort will be made to resolve issues before parties make a formal complaint of appeal
- We are committed to ensuring key points of continuous improvement are actioned
CTW encourages all parties to approach the complaint or appeal with an open mind, and to resolve problems through discussion and conciliation.
CTW recognises that effective complaints, appeals, and feedback processes are essential to ensuring quality outcomes, continuous improvement, and compliance with the Revised Standards for RTOs 2025 (RSRTOs).
CTW ensures that all complaints and appeals are managed with procedural fairness, within reasonable timeframes, and with clear avenues for further review. Feedback, whether positive or negative, is welcomed as a vital component of our quality assurance framework.
PROCEDURE
To ensure that the Policy Statement is implemented, CTW will follow the below process:
Steps | Action |
| Our policy is publicly available on our website at all times, so all learners, staff, and third parties are aware of their rights and responsibilities throughout their learning journey. |
| You can submit a complaint, appeal, or feedback verbally, in writing, or by email.
Once received, CTW will reach out to confirm that the concern is a formal complaint or appeal, and not general feedback or a support enquiry. |
| Upon confirmation, CTW will acknowledge receipt of the complaint or appeal within five (5) business days. |
| A team member will aim to resolve the matter promptly through early intervention strategies. This may include clarification, support, or minor adjustments. We encourage you to participate in this process so we can work together on a practical solution. |
| If the issue cannot be resolved informally, it will be formally recorded in our Complaints and Appeals Register. This marks the start of the formal complaints process and helps us track issues and identify areas for improvement. All information will be managed in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). |
| Your case will be reviewed by senior CTW staff. You may be contacted for further information or clarification. This review may take up to 10 business days. All communications will be recorded. |
| If the matter is unresolved, it will be escalated to a panel from the CTW Executive Team. The panel will:
provide all parties the opportunity to present their case, including support persons or guardians (mandatory if the learner is under 18 years of age).
Assessment Specific Appeals If the appeal relates to a training or assessment decision: A panel including a qualified trainer/assessor (not involved in your original assessment) and senior CTW Team member will conduct a fair and impartial review. You will receive a written outcome within 14 business days |
| If you are still dissatisfied after all internal steps: – CTW can arrange for an independent third-party mediator. – Mediation is offered at no or low cost, and all costs will be disclosed beforehand. – The process is impartial, and all parties will have the opportunity to present their case.
Timeframes will be based on the availability and procedures of the independent mediator. |
| In the event of non-resolution you can contact: National Training Complaints Hotline – complaints can be registered with the National Training Complaints Hotline via phone on 13 38 73, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, or, the training ombudsman in their state, for example, QLD https://trainingombudsman.qld.gov.au/ or, via email at [email protected] or, contacting ASQA at www.asqa.gov.au. |