POLICIES AND PROCEDURES PROFESSIONAL LANGUAGE CENTRE - PLC

How long will it take to review?

PLC will acknowledge receipt of the appeal within 3 working days, letting the learner know who will be investigating the appeal. The appeal will be investigated by someone who has no personal interest or involvement in the matter of the appeal.
PLC will aim to provide the learner with the outcome of the appeal within 30 working days. Please note that in some cases the review processes may take longer, for example, if a Training Provider visit is required. If this is the case, we will contact the learner to let them know and provide the likely revised timescales.

Decision

The outcomes of any appeal against a decision may be either to uphold the appeal or to reject it. If we do not believe there is a valid case for the appeal the learner will be given the reasons for the decision. PLC will inform the learner of the decision in writing.

COMPLAINTS POLICY

Introduction

This document sets out our complaints policy and procedure and is aimed at our trainers, learners and all interested parties who receive a direct or indirect service from PLC. We take complaints about our services very seriously. Any complaint will be thoroughly investigated and the person who has reported it will be kept informed of progress. Any person or organization has the right to complain to PLC if they have concerns about a service they have been provided by PLC.
How should I complain ?
All PLC staff are trained to help our customers and they all like to help, so you should first try to sort out any problem at the earliest opportunity by either contacting the Course counselor by telephone or emailing. Your complaint will be directed to the relevant team and further investigations will be undertaken. However, learners can make the complaint directly to PLC official email : info@plcqatar.com in exceptional circumstances where they feel there was a significant breach.
What details do I have to give ?
When you contact us, please do so in writing and provide us your full name, contact details including an email address (where applicable) and a daytime telephone number along with:
• a full description of your complaint (including the subject matter and dates and times if known)
• the date and location of the course / examination if applicable
• any names of the people you have dealt with so far
• copies of any supporting documentation to do with the complaint
• any previous correspondence if applicable

What will happen to my complaint?
We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 3 working days, letting you know who will be investigating the complaint. Your complaint will be investigated by someone who has no personal interest or involvement in the matter of the complaint. If your complaint is complex it is possible that timescales may exceed 30 working days, but we will contact you to advise you if this is the case. We commit to providing an update to customers every 10 working days throughout the investigation process. At the end of the investigation we will contact you to inform you of our decision.

MALPRACTICE & MALADMINISTRATION POLICY

Introduction
This policy is aimed at our Staffs, including learners, who are delivering/registered on Courses Conducted at PLC. It is also for use by our staff to ensure they deal with all malpractice and maladministration investigations in a consistent manner. It sets out the steps our centre, and learners or other personnel must follow when reporting suspected or actual cases of malpractice/maladministration and our responsibilities in dealing with such cases. It also sets out the procedural steps we will follow when reviewing the cases.
Centre’s responsibility
It is important that all staff involved in the management, assessment and quality assurance of our qualifications, and learners, are fully aware of the contents of the policy and we have arrangements in place to prevent and investigate instances of malpractice and maladministration. Definition of Malpractice Malpractice is essentially any activity or practice which deliberately contravenes regulations and compromises the integrity of the internal or external assessment process and/or the validity of certificates. It covers any deliberate actions, neglect, default or other practice that compromises, or could compromise:

• the assessment process;
• the integrity of a regulated qualification;
• the validity of a result or certificate;
• the reputation and credibility of PLC ; or,
• the qualification or the wider qualifications community.

Malpractice may include a range of issues from the failure to maintain appropriate records or systems, to the deliberate falsification of records in order to claim certificates. For the purpose of this policy this term also covers misconduct and forms of unnecessary discrimination or bias towards certain or groups of learners.
Definition of Maladministration
Maladministration is essentially any activity or practice which results in noncompliance with administrative regulations and requirements and includes the application of persistent mistakes or poor administration.
Examples of maladministration
• Persistent failure to adhere to our learner registration and certification procedures.
• Persistent failure to adhere to our centre recognition and/or qualification requirements and/or
• associated actions assigned to the centre
• Late learner registrations (both infrequent and persistent)
• Unreasonable delays in responding to requests and/or communications
• Inaccurate claim for certificates
• Failure to maintain appropriate auditable records, e.g. certification claims and/or forgery of evidence
• Withholding of information, by deliberate act or omission, from us which is required to assure Active
Examples of malpractice
Failure to carry out internal assessment, internal moderation or internal verification in accordance with our requirements
• Deliberate failure to adhere to our learner registration and certification procedures.
• Deliberate failure to continually adhere to our centre recognition and/or qualification approval requirements or actions assigned to your centre
• Deliberate failure to maintain appropriate auditable records, e.g. certification claims and/or forgery of evidence
• Fraudulent claim(s) for certificates
• Intentional withholding of information from us which is critical to maintaining the rigour of quality assurance and standards of qualifications
• Collusion or permitting collusion in exams/assessments
• Learners still working towards qualification after certification claims have been made
• Plagiarism by learners/staff
• Copying from another learner
Process for making an allegation of malpractice or maladministration
Anybody who identifies or is made aware of suspected or actual cases of malpractice or maladministration at any time must immediately notify the Directors of PLC. In doing so they should put them in writing/email and enclose appropriate supporting evidence.
• All allegations must include (where possible):
• Learner’s name and PLC registration number
• PLC’s staff members name and job role – if they are involved in the case
• Details of the course/qualification affected or nature of the service affected
• Nature of the suspected or actual malpractice and associated dates details and outcome of any initial investigation carried out by the centre or anybody else involved in the case, including any mitigating circumstances The Directors will then conduct an initial investigation prior to ensure that staff involved in the initial investigation are competent and have no personal interest in the outcome of the investigation. In all cases of suspected malpractice and maladministration reported we’ll protect the identity of the ‘informant’ in accordance with our duty of confidentiality and/or any other legal duty.
Confidentiality and whistle blowing
Sometimes a person making an allegation of malpractice or maladministration may wish to remain anonymous. Although it is always preferable to reveal your identity and contact details to us; however if you are concerned about possible adverse consequences you may request that the Directors do not divulge your identity. While we are prepared to investigate issues which are reported to us anonymously we shall always try to confirm an allegation by means of a separate investigation before taking up the matter with those the allegation relates.
Responsibility for the investigation
In accordance with regulatory requirements all suspected cases of maladministration and malpractice will be examined promptly by PLC to establish if malpractice or maladministration has occurred and will take all reasonable steps to prevent any adverse effect from the occurrence as defined by Awarding Organizations. We will acknowledge receipt, as appropriate, to external parties within 48 hours. Our Director will be responsible for ensuring the investigation is carried out in a prompt and effective manner and in accordance with the procedures in this policy and will allocate a relevant member of staff to lead the investigation and establish whether or not the malpractice or maladministration has occurred, and review any supporting evidence received or gathered by PLC.
Notifying relevant parties
Where applicable, our Director will inform the appropriate regulatory authorities if we believe there has been an incident of malpractice or maladministration which could either invalidate the award of a qualification or if it could affect another awarding organisation.
Investigation timelines and summary process
We aim to action and resolve all stages of the investigation within 10 working days of receipt of the allegation. The fundamental principle of all investigations is to conduct them in a fair, reasonable and legal manner, ensuring that all relevant evidence is considered without bias. In doing so investigations will be based around the following broad
objectives:
• To establish the facts relating to allegations/complaints in order to determine whether any irregularities have occurred.
• To identify the cause of the irregularities and those involved.
• To establish the scale of the irregularities.
• To evaluate any action already taken
• To determine whether remedial action is required to reduce the risk to current registered learners and to preserve the integrity of PLC and the qualification.
• To identify any adverse patterns or trends. The investigation may involve a request for further information from relevant parties and/or interviews with personnel involved in the investigation. Therefore, we will:
• Ensure all material collected as part of an investigation must be kept secure.
• If an investigation leads to invalidation of certificates, or criminal or civil prosecution, all records and original documentation relating to the case will be retained until the case and any appeals have been heard and for five years thereafter.
• Expect all parties, who are either directly or indirectly involved in the investigation, to fully co-operate with us.

Either at notification of a suspected or actual case of malpractice or maladministration and/or at any time during the investigation, we reserve the right to withhold a learner’s, and/or cohort’s, results. Where a member of PLC’s staff or an PLC Associate is under investigation we may suspend them or move them to other duties until the investigation is complete. Throughout the investigation our Director will be responsible for overseeing the work of the investigation team to ensure that due process is being followed, appropriate evidence has been gathered and reviewed and for liaising with and keeping informed relevant external parties.

Investigation report
After an investigation, we’ll produce a draft report for the parties concerned to check the factual accuracy. Any subsequent amendments will be agreed between the parties concerned and ourselves. The report will:

• Identify where the breach, if any, occurred.
• Confirm the facts of the case.
• Identify who is responsible for the breach (if any)
• Confirm an appropriate level of remedial action to be applied.

We’ll make the final report available to the parties concerned and to the regulatory authorities and other external agencies as required. If it was an independent/third party that notified us of the suspected or actual case of malpractice, we’ll also inform them of the outcome – normally within 10 working days of making our decision – in doing so we may withhold some details if to disclose such information would breach a duty of confidentiality or any other legal duty. If it’s an internal investigation against a member of our staff the report will be agreed by the Managing Director, along with the relevant internal managers and appropriate internal disciplinary procedures will be implemented.

Investigation outcomes

If the investigation confirms that malpractice or maladministration has taken place we will consider what action to take in order to:

• Minimise the risk to the integrity of certification now and in the future.
• Maintain public confidence in the delivery and awarding of qualifications.
• Discourage others from carrying out similar instances of malpractice orVmaladministration.
• Ensure there has been no gain from compromising our standards.

The action we take may include:

• Imposing actions in order to address the instance of malpractice/maladministration and to prevent it from reoccurring In cases where certificates are deemed to be invalid, inform the Awarding Organisation concerned and the regulatory authorities why they’re invalid and any
• action to be taken for reassessment and/or for the withdrawal of the certificates. We’ll also let the affected learners know the action we’re taking and that their original certificates are invalid and ask – where possible – to return the invalid certificates to PLC.
• Informing relevant third parties (e.g. funding bodies) of our findings in case they need to take relevant action in relation to the centre. In addition, to the above the Director will record any lessons learnt from the investigation and pass these onto relevant internal colleagues to help prevent the same instance of maladministration or malpractice from reoccurring.
 
For further information regarding NEBOSH policies please visit the NEBOSH website through this link

NEBOSH is committed to fair assessment, supporting access and equality of opportunity for all candidates, while safeguarding the integrity of its qualifications. NEBOSH therefore takes very seriously any allegations of malpractice on the part of candidates and/or Learning Partners. For more information on malpractice policy and procedure please follow the link

Please download the health and safety policies of Professional Language Centre from this Link