Blackfriars Priory Donate
Blackfriars Hall > Our Community > Blackfriars Hall Student Information > Complaints Procedures for Students

Complaints Procedures for Students

BLACKFRIARS HALL

Student Complaints Procedures (SCP)

Preface

Blackfriars Hall is committed to maintaining and promoting a warmly supportive environment for all its members characterised by mutual respect, fairness, and a willingness to offer timely and appropriate assistance to its student members, especially if and when any concerns or problems arise. Students may discuss these in confidence with the Hall’s officers, including the Welfare Officer, the Senior Dean, the Harassment Officers, the Hall Bursar, the Academic Registrar, the Senior Tutor, Regent, Vice-Regent, or Secretary of Studies. Students are encouraged to raise any issue at an early stage.

The Hall welcomes feedback, whether positive or negative, and considers this to be a valuable source of information that will contribute to the continuous improvement of its services.

Where an issue concerns academic activities and support, or disability support, the Senior Tutor is usually the Officer best placed to assist and advise in the first instance.

Where an issue concerns accommodation, maintenance or catering, financial support and management, the Hall Bursar is usually the Officer best placed to assist and advise.

Whatever the issue, the Welfare Officer can offer continuing support.

 

Scope

Most issues may be settled without recourse to the informal or formal procedures set out below. However, where a student wishes to bring a serious matter or complaint to the attention of the Hall concerning the Hall’s operation and provision for its students, he or she is encouraged to do so, and the matter will be promptly addressed in line with these procedures.

The procedures may be used by a current or former matriculated student of the Hall or by one of its visiting students or Graduate Visiting Scholars associated with the Hall.

A complaint under this procedure may address any of the following areas of provision:

  • academic activities and support;
  • welfare or pastoral care;
  • accommodation, maintenance or catering, including complaints being raised under the Accommodation Code of Practice
  • financial support and management;
  • disability support.

Criminal allegations should be reported to the police, but a relevant senior officer within the Hall should also be notified.

This procedure should not be used for any of the following:

  • a complaint concerning the academic provision of a department of the University, which would normally be referred to the departmental course coordinator or Director of Graduate Studies (but may be discussed with the Senior Tutor);
  • a complaint concerning examinations or formal assessments, which may be referred to the department or Proctors as appropriate (but may be discussed with the Senior Tutor);
  • a complaint concerning another student of the Hall, which should be referred to the Dean under the Hall’s Disciplinary Procedure;
  • a complaint or appeal concerning the process or outcome of a Hall Disciplinary Procedure, which is governed by a separate procedure.
  • a complaint concerning a student of any other hall or college in the University, which should be referred to the relevant college Dean;
  • bullying victimisation, racial or sexual harassment (which should be addressed under the Hall’s Harassment Policy and Procedure);
  • safeguarding concerns, which should be raised immediately with a Safeguarding Officer and addressed through the procedures set out in the Hall’s Safeguarding Policy;
  • a person who is neither a member of the Hall, nor an employee of the Hall, nor an individual providing teaching or a service on the Hall’s behalf;
  • a service which is not provided by the Hall;
  • a private dispute with a member of the Hall (i.e. a matter not arising from the member’s role at the Hall);
  • a matter affecting a wider circle of students, where there is no special individual impact on the complainant (please raise instead via the relevant MCR Officer or student representative, or Senior Tutor).

Timing

Recourse to these Hall procedures should be made as soon as possible if concerns are not otherwise addressed to the complainant’s satisfaction. Complaints made more than three months after an incident which is the cause of grievance will only be considered where the Hall recognises a compelling reason for the delay.

Anonymity and confidentiality

Complaints will be dealt with confidentially by all parties involved, except where it is necessary to disclose information to carry out a fair investigation (e.g. your identity will usually be disclosed to a person who is the subject of the Complaint) or where the complaint manifests a safeguarding issue (in which case the Safeguarding representative will be informed).

Anonymous Complaints will only be considered in exceptional circumstances where there are compelling reasons to do so.

Malicious or vexatious allegations may result in disciplinary action.

Withdrawal and absence

Complaints may be withdrawn at any stage by the student complainant but in some circumstances, investigations will need to continue regardless so that the Hall can satisfy itself that no further action is required for the good of the Hall community.

In exceptional circumstances (e.g. severe illness), an informal or formal complaint may be made and/or pursued by another person on behalf of an eligible individual.

Support

We aim to provide for the welfare of all Hall members, and the Senior Tutor and/or Welfare Lead (unless the subject of the complaint) will be available to any student complainant for confidential support throughout the process. The student complainant may be accompanied by a current member of the Hall or a member of staff from the Oxford SU Advice Service for meetings at any stage of the complaint process. Any subject of complaint will also be offered pastoral support from within the Hall, and may be accompanied by a current member of the Hall or a union rep to meetings during the process.

Conduct

All complaints will be given full and fair consideration, and no student will be disadvantaged by raising a genuine complaint in good faith. The Hall expects students, however, not to engage in malicious or vexatious complaints. All parties involved in a process of this nature are expected to act reasonably and respectfully towards one another. Disciplinary action may be taken against anyone who victimises or retaliates against a student bringing a complaint in good faith.

Records

Records of both informal and formal complaints under the SCP, any resulting report and supporting documentation, and the outcome must be retained by the Hall in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 for five years. Student complainants are therefore asked not to include unnecessary personal information, particularly about third parties, in their complaints.

Hall review

Governing Body will annually review the number of complaints and a summary of outcomes in the Unreserved section of business, to allow consultation with MCR representatives.

Informal Procedure

The informal procedure is intended to encourage discussion and understanding of the problem. The process starts when a complaint is made in writing to one of the Hall Officers as set out below. Where an attempt has already been made to resolve an issue informally outside this process, then the Hall and the student may agree that it would be appropriate to move straight to the formal procedure.

  1. The complainant should raise the issue as soon as possible in writing with the Hall Officer who seems the most appropriate to deal with it:
  • academic matters: Senior Tutor
  • pastoral / welfare matters: Senior Tutor or Welfare Officer
  • domestic (including accommodation, Accommodation Code of Practice matters, catering and security) matters: Hall Bursar
  • financial matters: Hall Bursar
  • disability matters: Senior Tutor
  1. Where the subject of the complaint is one of the above Officers, then an issue can be raised with the Regent or Vice-Regent.
  2. The Hall Officer to whom the complaint is directed should normally arrange a meeting with the complainant within ten working days.
  3. Where the Officer in receipt of the complaint feels that they are not the most appropriate Officer to deal with the issue, they may, in consultation with the student, refer the complaint to another Officer or senior Hall member.
  4. The Officer should:
  • seek to understand the issue and, if it falls for them to address it under this process, conduct any relevant inquiries. The Officer may involve the subject of the complaint where they consider that this is required, and after having notified the complainant;
  • offer advice, whether to the complainant or to the subject of a complaint, or to both; if the complaint is found to have merit, try to find a remedy satisfactory to both parties and/or effect mediation/conciliation where the relevant parties agree; and;
  • record the complaint, the actions taken and the outcome in a written response to the complainant. If the subject of the complaint has been involved, they should also be informed of the outcome in writing.

 

Formal Procedure

The formal procedure will normally be used only when the informal procedure has not achieved a resolution or the student complainant is not satisfied with the suggested resolution. This must be done within fifteen working days of the complainant being informed of the outcome of an informal complaint by the relevant Hall Officer.

  1. Where the student complainant has adopted the formal approach immediately, the Officer may refer the complaint back for informal resolution. This does not stop the student complainant from making a further formal complaint in the event that they are dissatisfied with the outcome of informal procedures.
  2. A formal complaint must be made in writing stating explicitly that a formal complaint is being made. It should be directed to the most appropriate Hall Officer:
  • academic matters: Senior Tutor
  • pastoral / welfare matters: Senior Tutor or Senior Dean
  • domestic (including accommodation, Accommodation Code of Practice matters, catering and security) matters: Hall Bursar
  • financial matters: Hall Bursar
  • disability matters: Senior Tutor
  1. Where the subject of the complaint is one of the above Officers, or the Regent, then an issue can be raised with the Vice-Regent or Secretary of Studies.
  2. If the relevant officer is away from the office at any time during this process, then the complaint should be addressed to the Regent or Vice-Regent, who will direct it towards an appropriate deputy, who may be a Hall officer or other senior member of the Hall.
  3. The written complaint must include:
  • a description of what gave rise to the complaint including dates and times;
  • if applicable, the name of the person or body within the Hall about whom or which the complaint is being made;
  • details of steps already taken to try to resolve the complaint;
  • if applicable, an explanation of why the student complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome of the informal procedure.
  1. The Hall Officer to whom the complaint is directed must within ten working days of its delivery acknowledge receipt of the formal complaint and either confirm that a more detailed investigation will follow; or notify the student complainant (with an explanation) that the complaint falls outside the process.
  2. Where the Officer in receipt of the complaint feels that they are not the most appropriate Officer to deal with the issue, they may, in consultation with the student, transfer the handling of the complaint to another Officer or senior member of the Hall.
  3. The subject(s) of a formal complaint shall be entitled to be notified of, see, and respond in writing to the written complaint at the earliest opportunity.
  4. The Hall Officer must notify both the subject(s) of the complaint and the Regent, who will convene a panel of three, one of whom will be drawn from the Fellowship to serve as Chair of the Panel, and two others, one of whom at least will be drawn from the Fellowship, and one of whom may be a member of the Fellowship or a Fellow of another hall or college. The panel will not include the complainant’s tutor(s) or College Adviser. The panel may choose to invite a representative of the MCR to any hearing, in order to provide a student perspective to inform the committee’s decision.
  5. The student complainant and any subject(s) of the complaint will be informed of the identities of the panel before appointments are confirmed and given an opportunity to object to any member within five working days; alternative member(s) may be appointed if the Regent feels the grounds for objection are reasonable.
  6. The panel may make enquiries as they see fit, which may include requesting further information of, or interviewing, the complainant and other persons who may have relevant information.
  7. The person who is the subject of the complaint or responsible for the relevant service will be entitled to meet with the panel if they so choose, and may be accompanied by an appropriate third party, such as a union representative or colleague. The complainant may also be accompanied by a current member of the Hall, an MCR officer, or Oxford SU representative.
  8. Notes will be taken of all interviews. The investigation will be conducted as swiftly as the subject matter and the academic calendar allows (ideally within six weeks of the panel’s appointment).
  9. The panel will produce a written report setting out the details of their enquiries, their recommendations and any supporting documentation or evidence. Copies of this will be provided to the complainant and to any person or body who or which is the subject of the complaint within ten working days of the panel completing their enquiries. Both parties will be invited to submit written comments or objections within a further five working days, upon the expiry of which the Regent (or Vice-Regent or Secretary of Studies, if the Regent is the subject of the complaint) will be provided with copies of the report and any supporting documentation or evidence, along with any written comments or objections made.
  10. The Regent (or Vice-Regent or Secretary of Studies, if the Regent is the subject of the complaint) will consider the complaint and make a decision as to remedies or action to be taken, basing their decision on the report and documentation provided. The student complainant and the subject(s) of any complaint will be notified of the outcome of the formal SCP, along with the reasons for it, as soon as possible after the Regent has received the panel’s report.

Review and Appeal

  1. If the student complainant or the subject of the complaint is dissatisfied with the outcome of the formal SCP, they can request a review by writing to the Regent. This should be done within ten working days of the date of the letter from the Hall Officer informing the complainant and the subject of the complaint of the outcome of the formal SCP.
  2. If the Regent is the subject of the complaint, a review should be requested via the Vice- Regent, or Senior Dean, or another Hall officer if there is a conflict of interest.
  3. A review will be undertaken by the Regent (or another senior officer, if the complaint involves the Regent) and will only consider:
  • whether the appropriate procedures were followed at the formal stage;
  • whether the outcome of the formal stage was reasonable in view of the circumstances;
  • any new and material evidence which the complainant was unable, for valid reasons, to provide earlier in the process.
  1. The subject(s) of any complaint, or the complainant, as the case may be, must be notified that a review has been requested and the grounds for that request. The subject of the complaint is entitled to submit a response to those grounds. Should any new and material evidence be presented, the subject of the complaint will be entitled to view it and provide a written response.
  2. A review may overturn the outcome of the formal SCP, without the need for the complaint to go through the formal SCP again.
  3. The outcome of the review stage will be communicated in writing, along with the reasons for the decision, to the student complainant and any subject(s) of the complaint, within twenty working days of delivery of the request for a review, at which point the reviewer will also issue a Completion of Procedures notice to the complainant.

 

Review by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA)

Once the Hall’s internal review stage has been completed, a student complainant is entitled to complain to the OIA (see www.oiahe.org.uk for further information). This is an independent review body set up by Parliament, and ask the OIA to review the outcome of the Hall’s complaints process. A request for OIA review should normally be submitted to the OIA within three months of the date of the written communication of the outcome of the review stage (Section D). 50. The OIA looks at issues such as whether the Hall followed its procedures, whether these procedures were reasonable and whether the Hall’s decision was reasonable in the circumstances. Complaints relating to matters of academic judgement (i.e. about academic performance or admissions) cannot be dealt with by the OIAHE.

Role of the UUK Accommodation Code of Practice

The UUK/GuildHE Accommodation Code of Practice (https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/topics/students/student-support/accommodation-code-practice) sets out the standards universities and higher education colleges must meet for their student accommodation.  It does not investigate individual complaints, but ensures that universities have proper complaints systems in place.  It also monitors how complaints are handled and works with the ombudsman to spot problems and improve standards across the sector.  Blackfriars Hall has an obligation to report serious complaints about to its accommodation to the Code.

Students are asked to note that if you raise a complaint directly with The Code, The Code will refer you to the Hall’s complaints policy and procedures.

Monitoring Arrangements

The Academic Registrar will keep a yearly register of the number of complaints made using the formal procedure, and a summary of numbers and outcomes will be submitted to the Executive Body, along with recommendations for any action required in response to the issues identified in complaints. The register will indicate the number of formal complaints made and whether they have been resolved by the panel, with details of any recommendations or referrals.

Approved by the Local Executive Board on 12/11/ 2025