Have your say, be heard, make a difference.
Your feedback is important because it tells us what we do well and what requires improvement. Your feedback has a direct impact on shaping the services that we offer as an adult and community learning service.
Throughout the year we will ask our learners for feedback on how we are doing. We consider feedback an essential part of our quality journey and our progress towards being an outstanding College.
Each Learner Survey will give you an opportunity to tell us what you think and we can use your feedback to make changes to our services.
Feedback is welcome at New Directions College. If something is going well, we want to celebrate it. If something is going wrong, we would like the chance to put it right. Furthermore, if anyone has some suggestions or ideas for how we could do things differently, we will always welcome suggestions.
We formally ask for feedback at particular milestones during your course and throughout the academic year. This feedback will be captured in formal surveys.
If you would like to give us feedback at any other time, you can do it in a number of ways:
- Complete our ‘have your say’ online feedback form (link below)
- Talk to your tutor or any member of New Directions College staff
- Complete one of our “Have Your Say” forms available from Reception or around the Centre
- Email us at newdirections@reading.gov.uk
- Call us on 0345 842 0012
Making a complaint
It is the aim of New Directions to provide all its learners and clients with a high quality service. However, from time to time problems may occur. You have the right to pursue the resolution of any difficulties and New Directions will undertake to respond to your complaint with care and concern. We do ask that complaints are logged in a timely fashion.
Problems should first be discussed with the relevant service or curriculum area and initially you should raise it with the Tutor/Curriculum Manager or Service Manager. If you wish the complaint to be logged, it will be recorded at this point.
If discussion does not resolve the matter or it is not appropriate, then the complaint should be made either by letter, email or telephone to the Principal Lisa Welch, email: lisa.welch@reading.gov.uk or Tel: 0345 842 0012 or Mob: 07966189883.
Corporate Complaints Procedure:
Stage 1:
We will confirm that we have received your complaint and let you know who will be investigating within five working days.
The Investigating Officer will review the case, talk to everyone involved and confirm the outcome of your complaint within 20 working days.
If you are dissatisfied with the investigation of your complaint you can ask us to review your complaint again – this is “Stage 2” of our complaints process.
Stage 2:
You must contact us within 14 days of receiving your letter saying why you are dissatisfied and the outcomes you want from a further investigation.
We will ask a more senior manager to carry out an independent review of your complaint – we will write to you within five working days to let you know who this person is.
They will ask you about your experience and record the details of your complaint in writing. They will also talk to other people involved in the case.
They will give their report and recommendations to the Head of Service for a decision.
The Head of Service will write to you to tell you their decision and send you a copy of the report. This should be within 30 days of receiving your letter.
This is the end of the Council’s complaints procedure.
If you remain dissatisfied with the Council’s investigation of your complaint you can escalate your complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman.
For more details see our Comments and complaints about Council services leaflet.
Complaints about assessment decisions or exam results
A complaint about an assessment decision or your course grades and other internal assessments are dealt with via the assessments appeals procedure.
A copy of the procedure is available in the Learner Handbook and on the Learning Platform.
You can also read a copy here: NDC Assessment Appeals Procedure
If your complaint is about external assessment, you should contact the Examinations Officer Sepideh Saberi at sepideh.saberi@reading.gov.uk who will explain the procedure for the particular awarding body concerned.