Complaints, Grievances & Feedback Procedure

Purpose and Scope

IBSS welcomes feedback and takes complaints and grievances seriously. This procedure provides students, staff, applicants and other stakeholders with a clear and fair way to raise concerns about IBSS programmes, services, decisions or conduct.

Anyone raising a concern in good faith will be treated respectfully and will not be disadvantaged for doing so.

Definitions

Feedback: Suggestions or comments intended to help IBSS improve.

Complaint: An expression of dissatisfaction for which a response or resolution is expected.

Grievance: A serious concern requiring formal investigation, such as alleged harassment, discrimination, bullying or misconduct, or a complaint that remains unresolved.

Submitting a Complaint or Grievance

Where appropriate, concerns may first be discussed with the relevant staff member. Informal resolution is optional. Serious concerns may be submitted directly through the formal process.

To submit a formal complaint or grievance, download and complete the IBSS Complaints & Grievances Form. The PDF can be filled out electronically or printed, completed by hand and scanned.

Email the completed form, together with relevant supporting documents and any required representative authorisation, to registrar@ibss.edu.eu.

Unless an exception described below applies, the formal complaint-handling process and response timelines begin when IBSS receives the completed PDF form.

If a disability, accessibility barrier or other significant difficulty prevents you from completing the form, contact the Registrar. IBSS will provide assistance or arrange an accessible alternative.

Urgent safety concerns will be assessed promptly, even if the form has not yet been completed. Requests governed by separate legal requirements will be handled under the applicable rules and do not depend on completing this form.

Information to Include

Please provide:

• Your full name and contact details, unless submitting anonymously.
• Your relationship to IBSS, such as prospective student, applicant, current student, graduate, partner, teacher or external person.
• A clear description of the concern.
• Relevant dates and the people or services involved.
• How the issue has affected you or the person concerned.
• Any steps already taken to resolve it.
• The outcome you are seeking.
• Relevant supporting information, where available.

Provide only information relevant to the concern. If sensitive supporting evidence is necessary, contact the Registrar to arrange an appropriate way to submit it.

Anonymous submissions will be considered, although limited information may prevent a full investigation or an individual response.

Complaints Submitted on Behalf of Another Person

A person submitting a complaint on someone else’s behalf must normally include written authorisation from the person concerned.

The authorisation must identify both parties, specify the complaint covered, and be signed and dated. It should state whether the representative may submit the complaint, communicate with IBSS and receive correspondence and the outcome. The complainant may withdraw the authorisation by notifying IBSS.

Where authorisation is missing, IBSS will request it before dealing with the representative or disclosing personal case information. Exceptions may apply where the representative has established legal authority to act.

This requirement does not prevent anyone from reporting concerns they have personally witnessed, including misconduct or risks to safety.

Handling and Response

IBSS will:

1. Acknowledge receipt within five working days, where contact details have been provided.
2. Assign a person to review the concern, choosing someone who is impartial and not directly involved in the matter wherever possible. Any potential conflict of interest will be considered and managed to support a fair review.
3. Review the available information, request clarification where necessary and give relevant parties a fair opportunity to respond.
4. Aim to provide a written outcome within 20 working days of receiving the completed PDF form or an accepted accessible alternative, explaining the findings, reasons and any action to be taken.

If further time is needed because of the complexity of the matter, missing information or the availability of relevant parties, IBSS will explain the delay and provide a revised response date.

Information about disciplinary action concerning another person may be withheld to protect their privacy.

Requesting a Review

If dissatisfied with the outcome, the complainant may request a review by emailing registrar@ibss.edu.eu within ten working days of receiving it. Please identify the original complaint and explain why the decision or process should be reconsidered, including any relevant new information. A new complaint form is not required for this review request.

Where possible, the review will be conducted by a senior person who was not involved in the original decision. Any potential conflict of interest will be considered and managed to support a fair review.

IBSS will aim to provide a written review outcome within 20 working days of receiving the request. The working-day definition and provisions for extensions under Handling and Response also apply to reviews.

Separate statutory or programme-specific appeal procedures and deadlines remain applicable.

Confidentiality and Privacy

Complaints will be handled discreetly. Information will be shared only where necessary to investigate, respond to or lawfully act on the concern.

Absolute confidentiality cannot be guaranteed, as relevant details may need to be disclosed to allow a fair response or meet legal obligations.

For information about how IBSS handles personal information, please see our Privacy Policy.

Records and Improvement

IBSS will maintain a restricted complaints register recording the concern, action taken and outcome.

Anonymised trends will be reviewed periodically to identify improvements to programmes, services and procedures.

General feedback may be sent to registrar@ibss.edu.eu without completing the formal complaint form. Feedback will be considered for improvement and assessed for any issues requiring further action.