Stage 1 Complaint (formal stage)
Hopefully your complaint can be resolved informally at stage 0 and you will not need to move on to stage 1. However, if you remain dissatisfied with the complaint response you receive at stage 0 you can escalate the complaint to stage 1 which is a formal complaint. You may submit a stage 1 complaint form if:
- You are not satisfied with the outcome of stage 0;
- You have received no response from staff at stage 0 despite repeated efforts;
- The University has told you that it is not appropriate to consider your issue informally and has directed you to submit a stage 1 complaint form.
Submitting your Stage 1 complaint form
To submit a stage 1 complaint you will need to complete a stage 1 complaint form and submit it to studentcomplaints@reading.ac.uk using your University email address.
Please ask a RUSU Adviser if you would like advice and guidance on filling in your stage 1 complaint form.
A stage 1 complaint form will only be considered if it is received within 5 working days from receiving the stage 0 outcome, or within 5 working days from being informed that the issue isn’t suitable for informal consideration.
Stage 1 process
Your complaint should normally be acknowledged by the Student Complaints & Discipline Officer within 3 working days. The stage 1 complaint will then be referred to the staff member responsible for the area where the complaint arose, who will allocate your complaint to a staff member who has had no previous involvement in the matter to investigate.
Normally, the staff member investigating the complaint will offer to meet with you to discuss your complaint in more depth. You have the right to be accompanied by a ‘friend’ to this meeting who can be: a RUSU Adviser, a RUSU Student Officer, a current University of Reading student or member of staff. Another member of staff will minute the meeting and you should receive a copy of the minutes afterwards.
A full response to your stage 1 complaint should be sent to you within 20 working days of submission unless further investigation is required, in which case you should be told the likely timescales.
Stage 1 outcomes
You should receive a stage 1 outcome letter and a copy of the investigation report from the Student Complaints Officer. The stage 1 outcome letter should include: the procedure(s) followed; the conclusions; a recommendation to resolve the complaint where appropriate; and information on how to escalate the complaint where appropriate.
We recommend you discuss the complaint outcome with a RUSU Adviser in the first instance; the Adviser will help you explore the next steps available to you and the different potential outcomes.
If you are dissatisfied with the stage 1 outcome and want to request a review, you should submit a stage 2 complaint form within five working days of receiving the stage 1 outcome.