Complaints Policy

Statement of Intent

Customers (apprentices, employers or learners) have the right to complain if they have any issues with the quality of the provision, if they believe something is unsatisfactory or unacceptable, and to appeal against assessment and internal quality assurance decisions.

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction concerning Crosby Aviation Training's product or service. Crosby Aviation Training take all complaints extremely seriously, and all staff are trained and committed to rectifying any problem as soon as it is brought to their attention.

Roles and Responsibilities

To ensure a fair, transparent, and efficient complaints process, roles and responsibilities across Crosby Aviation Training (CAT) are allocated as follows:

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Holds ultimate accountability for the corporate governance of this policy. The CEO ensures that systemic issues identified through complaints are embedded into CAT’s Continuous Improvement Plan and signs off on high-level escalated resolutions.
The Chief Operating Officer (COO): Acts as the primary investigator for all formal (Stage 2) complaints. The COO is responsible for managing the operational execution of investigations, interviewing relevant parties, and issuing formal written outcomes within the designated timelines. The COO is responsible for maintaining the central, secure Complaints and Feedback Log. They ensure that all correspondence, investigation timelines, and evidence of resolution are systematically archived to meet regulatory audit requirements.

All Trainers, and Assessors: Responsible for resolving minor, transactional dissatisfaction informally at Stage 1. Staff must actively listen to learner or employer feedback, attempt immediate remediation where appropriate, and log the informal feedback to prevent future escalation.

In managing customer, apprentice, and employer feedback, CAT commits to the following governance standards:

Accessibility: We will ensure that this Complaints Policy is visible, clear, and introduced to all learners and employers during their initial program induction.
Impartiality: Any staff member who is named in a complaint or has a direct conflict of interest will be entirely recused from the investigation process.
Confidentiality: Complaints will be handled with strict discretion, protecting the identity of the complainant in line with current UK Data Protection legislation and GDPR.
Continuous Improvement: The senior leadership team will review the central Complaints Log at least quarterly to identify trends, evaluate operational weaknesses, and drive service quality enhancements.

Arrangements

It is recognised that a customer who has a complaint dealt with to their complete satisfaction is likely to become a repeat customer. Therefore, we ask that if you are dissatisfied with the service you have received, you bring this to our attention as soon as possible by speaking to your course Trainer in the first instance.

Should this fail to provide you with a satisfactory resolution, or you feel it is inappropriate to address your complaint to the Trainer, then please get in touch with the COO via one of the following options:

Call: 07561 854987
E-mail: richard@crosbytraining.co.uk
Write to: The Cheviot Centre, 12 Padgepool Place, Wooler, Northumberland, England, NE71 6BL.

When you contact us, please give us your full name, contact details, and include a daytime telephone number along with:

A full description of your complaint (including the subject matter and dates and times if known);
Any names of the people you have dealt with so far; and
Copies of any papers or letters to do with the complaint.

Crosby Aviation Training ask that you raise your complaint as soon as possible after the event so that we have the opportunity to investigate fully. We will acknowledge your complaint within 48 hours.

The COO will then investigate your complaint and respond to you within 10 working days.

Escalating your initial complaint if you remain dissatisfied

In the unlikely event that you remain unhappy after your complaint has been investigated and a decision has been reached, you may escalate it to our CEO. Please include any additional items for consideration and clearly state why you remain unhappy with the decision made so far. The CEO will investigate in full and respond to you within 10 working days.

The CEO can be contacted on:

Call: 07793971916
E-mail: gemma@crosbytraining.co.uk
Write to: The Cheviot Centre, 12 Padgepool Place, Wooler, Northumberland, England, NE71 6BL.

This will be the final route of escalation within our company. Therefore, if you remain unhappy after following our internal complaints procedure and your complaint concerns services you have received related to your course and achieving your qualification, please get in touch with the Awarding Organisation directly.

The Awarding Organisation is;

1. Highfield Qualifications, their complaints policy can be located on their website: https://www.highfieldqualifications.com, or alternatively, please speak to the Highfield Qualifications team on 01302 363277.

2. Future Quals, their complaints policy can be located on their website: https://www.futurequals.com/about-futurequals/policies-and-procedures/ or alternatively, please speak to the Future Quals team on 01539 836662.

3. Escalation to the Department for Education (DfE) If you are an apprentice or an employer utilising DfE funding and remain dissatisfied after exhausting CAT's internal complaints and appeals procedures, you may escalate your complaint to the DfE via the Apprenticeship Service Support Desk on nationalhelpdesk@apprenticeships.gov.uk or 08000 150 600.

Should you address your complaint to the Awarding Organisation and remain unhappy with the outcome, you may then raise your complaint to the relevant qualification regulator. Either a representative of Crosby Aviation Training or the Awarding Organisation will be able to advise you on the appropriate qualification regulator in each case and provide contact details.

The following list of Qualification Regulators are provided as additional guidance:

• OFQUAL for RQF Qualifications in England

Complaints evidence, tracking data, and dispute logs must be retained securely for 6 years.

Monitoring and Review

This Policy will be reviewed and consulted upon annually. The CEO will approve the Policy.

All procedures under this Policy are subject to monitoring and review. The main purpose of this review is for the continual improvement of the system.