Trainee Complaints Procedure

IFT is committed to maintaining an effective procedure to allow all members of its community to make legitimate complaints. Students are encouraged to raise complaints with their tutors, supervisors and /or the course chair in the first instance in order that complaints can be dealt with as near to the source of the difficulty as possible in a timely way. Student complaints are regularly tracked and monitored by the Senior Management Team and reported on to the Academic Board to ensure that the procedures are robust in addressing concerns raised. The board of Trustees will also be made aware of any complaints by students.

Procedure

In the first instance, we encourage students to raise complaints with their tutors, supervisors and/or the course chair. If this does not provide the necessary response, the student should put their compliant in writing, either by email or letter, to their tutor, supervisor and or Course Chair with a copy to one of the Directors of the Institute of Family Therapy.

Acknowledgement of receipt of the complaint will be made in writing within 10 working days. 

The Course Chair will contact the complainant to arrange a meeting with the aim of investigating the matter further.

The Course Chair will also arrange a meeting with the respondent. If the complaint relates to the Course Chair, the process will be undertaken by one of the Directors of IFT.

The Course Chair and the Director of the Institute will then arrive at a decision as to whether the complaint is to be upheld. (If the complaint is about the Course Chair another senior member of academic staff will be consulted in their place.)

After this initial investigation the complainant will be invited to a further meeting where the outcome of the complaint will be communicated. Possible outcomes:

• Complaint upheld
• Complaint not upheld

If the complaint is not upheld but the complainant is not satisfied, they have the option of moving to stage 2 of the Institute’s Complaints Procedure whereby the Complaints Panel will be convened to investigate further, in line with the Complaints Policy and Procedure:

Complaints Policy ratified 2014 – Institute of Family Therapy (ift.org.uk)