QAA has developed procedures for handling Causes for Concern in English and Welsh further and higher education institutions. It is important that Causes for Concern are not confused with individual complaints relating to staff employment disputes or personal grievances against institutions. QAA has no remit or powers to become involved in such disputes or complaints.
What is a Cause for Concern?
A Cause for Concern can be defined for this purpose as 'as any policy, procedure or action implemented
or omitted by an institution that appears likely to jeopardise the academic
standards and quality of its higher education programmes and/or awards'.
Please note that all submissions to the Causes for Concern scheme must be accompanied by substantive documentary evidence.
To identify the nature of your complaint and the action you should take, please see the flow chart below.
Response 1
You are a student or former student who has an individual complaint against the institution concerned.
QAA has no remit to consider personal complaints from students against institutions, either as an arbitrator or on students’ behalf. The best advice we can offer you is to obtain and follow the complaints procedure from the institution concerned.
If you are not happy with the outcomes of that process you may be able to take your case to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education for an institution in England, Wales and Northern Ireland or the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (www.spso.org.uk) for institutions in Scotland. Please note that these bodies will only look at your case if you have exhausted your institution’s internal complaints procedures and are still dissatisfied with the outcome. Alternatively you may wish to seek legal advice about your case.
Contact details:
If the institution concerned is in England, Wales or Northern Ireland:
Office of Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education – www.oiahe.org.uk
Tel 0118 959 9813 or Email enquiries@oiahe.org.uk
If the institution concerned is in Scotland:
Scottish Ombudsman – www.spso.org.uk
Tel 0800 377 7330 or ask@spso.org.uk
Response 2
You are a member of staff or former member of staff who has an individual complaint against the institution concerned.
QAA has no remit to involve itself in individual complaints or grievances from staff against institutions in respect of employment matters, unless they jeopardise the academic standards and quality of its higher education programmes and/or awards.
In these circumstances, we can do no more than advise you to contact the Human Resources department of your institution to discuss your concerns. If you are not happy with the outcomes of that process you may wish to contact the relevant union representative. Alternatively you may wish to seek legal advice.
Response 3
Your complaint could be raised as
a Cause for Concern as it claims that the institution concerned has
implemented or omitted policies that could be jeopardising the academic standards
of its higher education programmes and/or awards.
If you believe that your institution is jeopardising the academic standards
of its awards and you have evidence to back up your claim which you are
willing to share with us, you can raise this as a possible Cause for Concern.
QAA can only formally raise a Cause for Concern with the relevant institution if your complaint is backed up by documentary evidence. If, based on the evidence you send us, we believe there is sufficient basis for enquiring further into your concern, using QAA's Handling causes for concern in [English or Welsh] further and higher education institutions procedure, we will raise this formally as a Cause for Concern with the relevant institution.
Please read carefully the Causes for Concern procedure and detail your Cause for Concern formally by letter, accompanied by the substantiating evidence, to:
Causes for Concern
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
Southgate House
Southgate Street
Gloucester
GL1 1UB
Response 4
You have a complaint about an institution that you believe is jeopardising academic standards and you also have documentary evidence to back up your claim.
Please detail your Cause for Concern formally by letter, accompanied by the substantiating evidence, to:
Causes for Concern
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
Southgate House
Southgate Street
Gloucester
GL1 1UB
If, based on the evidence you send us, we believe there is a sufficent basis for enquiring further into your concern, using QAA’s Handling causes for concern in [English or Welsh] higher and further education institutions procedure, we will raise this formally as a Cause for Concern with the relevant institution.
We will keep you informed of the progress of your Cause for Concern.
Please read carefully the procedure for more information.
Top