Where do I go if I need help before I submit a complaint? 

Antenatal Training International is committed to providing an excellent educational experience for students, we know that sometimes you will need to raise a concern or get further support.  There are many ways for you to seek help in resolving problems: 

Module Tutor

Antenatal Training International encourages students to identify, raise and resolve any concerns or problems themselves, as above, in the first instance and at the earliest opportunity. If this is unsuccessful, or concerns are substantial, students can then engage with the Company’s Student Complaints Procedure. 

The aims of the Student Complaints Procedure are:

• To resolve complaints in a timely, effective, and fair manner.  
• To resolve complaints in the area in which they arise. 
• To improve service delivery and the student experience.

What can be dealt with under the Student Complaints Procedure 

A complaint can be submitted about: 

• The quality and standard of service provided by the tutor, including teaching and learning provision.  
• Failure to provide a service as advertised or reasonably expected.  
• Unsuitable learning resources.  
• Failure of the company to follow an appropriate administrative or academic process.
• Complaints relating to staff behaviour.

Process

The Complaint Procedure is intended to provide a streamlined process with a focus on Early Resolution. Students are expected to complete each stage in the process before escalating to the next if you have grounds.  

Focus on Early Resolution 

In the first instance you should submit an Early Resolution complaint email to your module tutor and your case will be managed locally by them. 

Your module tutor will then decide how best to try and reach an outcome for your complaint.  This may involve asking you for more information, having a conversation with you to understand the specific issues, investigating the issues raised with other staff or recommending mediation between all parties. 

Once your complaint has been investigated you will receive an outcome in writing. There will be times when a mutually agreeable resolution cannot be reached.  If this is the case, you will be given an explanation as to why a complaint outcome is as it is. 

Possible outcomes of a complaint: 

• Upheld: An outcome or remedy will be offered to you. 
• Dismissed: There is no evidence of wrongdoing, and your complaint cannot be taken any further. 
• Partially upheld: If your complaint concerns multiple elements, some of these may be upheld and other dismissed. 

In all cases your module tutor will explain the reason for the outcome to you. 

Formal Complaint 

You may escalate your complaint to the Formal Complaint stage if you have grounds to do so, as below:

• The complaint procedure was not followed correctly.  
• New information that was not available earlier in the process, can now be provided by the student, with good reason as to why it could not be produced earlier. 
• Or the decision was wholly unreasonable based on the evidence provided.

You may only submit a Formal Complaint form if the Early Resolution stage has been completed.

You must complete the Formal Complaint form and your case will be investigated by an independent member in this case CEO Lizzie Zahoranska. This for should be submitted electronically to liz@antenatal-training.co.uk.

Review  

Once you have received an outcome at the Formal Complaint stage, you may request a Review of your complaint if you have grounds to do so as below:

• The complaint procedure was not followed correctly.  
• New information that was not available earlier in the process, can now be provided by the student, with good reason as to why it could not be produced earlier. 

You must complete the Review Request form and your complaint will be reviewed by Antenatal Training UK HR department who may recommend that the case be heard at a full panel hearing. This form should be submitted electronically to stasha@antenatal-training.co.uk 

Submitting a complaint form 

Antenatal Training UK encourages students to engage with our services directly themselves. This helps us to hear your voice and to try and find an appropriate solution as speedily as possible. However, we do recognise that some students may need support accessing and completing the complaint forms. 

Students are able to ask for independent advice and support on how to complete the form by contacting Emma Gasking via emma@theparenteducationcompany.co.uk. Antenatal Training UK does not accept complaints made by third parties on behalf of students unless in exceptional circumstances and evidence is provided.

All complaints submitted electronically are required to CC in Jeanette@antenatal-training.co.uk.

Deadlines

We expect students to escalate their complaint within 10 working days of the outcome of the previous stage. However, we are aware that some students may not be able to meet this deadline. If you are unable to meet the deadline, you must provide evidence that demonstrates why you have not been able to.

In return all students should expect to receive the outcome of their complaint within 15 days unless it is not achievable in which case a new deadline will be communicated to the student. This is to allow some more complicated investigation to take place.