North Tyneside Employment and Skills Service encourage and welcome all feedback regarding our services. Feedback in whatever form will be used to continuously improve the quality of our service delivery. We make it as easy and accessible as possible for customers to provide feedback and we aim to give clear guidance on the process for providing feedback and the timescales that customers can expect to receive a response. All information provided is dealt with in confidence, but information will inevitably be shared for the purpose of investigating in the case of a complaint. This sharing of information will be within the limits of client consents provided.

The purpose of this policy is to set out our commitment to ensure there are clear guidelines for all learners, apprentices’ partners and employers to make a compliment, comment or complaint, the timescales for dealing with this feedback and responding and the processes involved.

This policy covers all customers, employers, apprentices, schools, partners and learners who wish to provide feedback about the Employment and Skills Service.

The procedures for complaints, comments or concerns about the assessment and accreditation of qualifications can found in the assessment and accreditation policy.

Process

What you should do

If you would like to make a comment, offer a compliment or make a complaint about the service you have received, we would encourage you as a first point of contact to speak with any member of our team in one of our venues. If you are unable to speak in person with a team member, please use the following process:

E-Mail: adultlearning@northtyneside.gov.uk

Telephone : (0191) 643 2288

In writing:

Employment & Skills Service

Norham High School East Wing

Alnwick Avenue

North Shields, NE29 7BU

Compliments and Comments

Compliments and Comments will be logged and shared with the relevant members of staff they will not be used in any publicity or promotional material without the customer’s consent.

You can also use the North Tyneside Council’s Compliment Council Service form avaialble here: Compliment council services | North Tyneside Council

Complaints

If you are unhappy about a service received, complaining to the team or manager of the service is the quickest way to talk about your issue and get a solution.

In the case of a complaint that cannot be resolved at the first point of contact, customers should give the following details

  • Your contact details: name, email address, postal address and telephone number.
  • Which activity does the complaint relate to?
  • What is the problem? Please provide reference numbers and any relevant names/ dates/ evidence to support the complaint.
  • What should we do to put things right? Please indicate how we might resolve this for you.

What we will do

  • Record your complaint and send you a receipt (through your preferred format) within two working days setting out the process it will follow and who will deal with your complaint
  • Allocate your complaint to the appropriate person to investigate and respond
  • Provide you with the relevant contact details of the investigating officer should you need to get in touch with us in the interim
  • Tell you the likely timescales of the official response; normally within 10 working days
  • Within the agreed timeframe respond to you in writing – clearly setting out the findings of any investigation
  • Tell you about any action we’ll take as a result of the findings
  • Advise you what to do if you are not satisfied with the response

The information you provide will:

  • Be recorded on computer
  • Be treated by us as confidential under the requirements of the Data Protection Act and GDPR requirements.
  • Where appropriate, used by us for the effective administration of official business and other official purposes
  • In addition to the above Apprentices and Employers can contact the apprenticeship helpline regarding apprenticeship concerns, complaints and enquiries:
  • National Apprenticeship Helpline
    • Email:  nationalhelpdesk@apprenticeships.gov.uk
    • Tel: 0800 015 0400
  • If at any point you are unhappy with how

Support

We can:

  • Give you information in other languages and in different formats, such as large print
  • Help you if you have problems with reading or writing
  • Offer you an interpreter or translator
  • Help you find independent advice

If you are unhappy about a service received, complaining to the team or manager of the service is the quickest way to talk about your issue and get a solution. If you are unhappy with the response from the Employment and Skills team or you feel that you can not speak with the team directly, you can contact North Tyneside Council’s Customer First Office. This team is impartial and their role is to listen to you and help to find a solution.

You can contact the Customer First Office on 0191 643 2280 Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30pm or via the North Tyneside Council website Contact the Customer First Office | North Tyneside Council

You should get a quick within two working days at most.

This policy is reviewed annually