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Terms and Conditions

THE ARTHUR FINDLAY COLLEGE WILL ACCEPT BOOKINGS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE

TERMS & CONDITIONS SPECIFIED BELOW.

Please pay extra attention to Clause 4, our new cancellation policy, as this will affect your financial agreement between yourself and the College. Please note that each booking constitutes a legally binding contract whereby you make a commitment to the College which must be honoured by you.

These are the terms and conditions that apply when you reserve a course at the Arthur Findlay College.

You will be asked to confirm your acceptance of these terms and conditions when you make a reservation.

We reserve the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time, and you should therefore check them each time you make a reservation. The terms and conditions applying to your reservation will be those in place at the date that you make your reservation.

COVID-19 (also referred to as Coronavirus)

If you feel unwell and you are found positive to covid, the college will invite you to stay in your room and we will provide food and refreshment.

  1. DEPOSITS (*)

For bookings made before 17th July 2026:

  • A non-refundable deposit of £150.00 per person is needed to secure each booking. (This amount may change periodically.)
  • Deposits may be transferred to other courses available at the College or to another individual for a£25.00 administration fee.
  • Deposit transfers can be made only once; any further transfers will not be allowed, and the deposit will become non-refundable.
  • All deposit transfers must be completed at least 40 days before the balance is due for the original course. Otherwise, they become non-refundable.
  • Deposit transfers can only be made within a 12-month timeframe from the date of the transfer request.

For bookings made on or after 17th July 2026:

  • A non-refundable and non-transferable deposit of £100.00 per person is required to secure each booking.
  • Deposits are strictly non-refundable and non-transferable. They cannot be transferred to another course, transferred to another individual, credited toward a future booking, or refunded after payment has been made.

(*) Please ensure you have adequate travel insurance to cover any losses, should you need to cancel or amend your booking.

2. COURSE CHARGES

  • Course charges MUST be paid IN FULL at least 40 DAYS before the date each Course begins (or upon booking if within 40 days of commencement of a Course). If full payment has not been received at the expiration of 14 days from the commencement of this 40-day period (i.e., within 40 days of the Course start date), the booking will be deemed cancelled by you. We will therefore cancel your booking without further reference to you. It is your responsibility to ensure that your balance is paid on time, it’s not the College responsibility to chase you. If you have not paid in accordance with these terms, please check with Reception before commencing your journey to verify whether or not accommodation and Course place(s) may still be available for you. It is your obligation to ensure that you comply with this requirement, not the duty of the College to issue reminders.
  • Payments may be made by credit, debit, or charge card (VISA, MASTERCARD OR DEBIT CARD) through the secure payment link provided on the invoice. If paying by credit, debit, or charge card, please quote the card type, card number, expiry date and security code (last 3 digits on back of card). The college does not charge any transaction fees for credit or debit card payments.
    Please note, the college does not accept American Express as a payment method. We also do not accept foreign currencies.
  • If a deposit has been made using a credit, debit, or charge card, a reminder will be issued ten days prior to the balance’s due date. A secure payment link for the remaining balance (if applicable) will be sent on the due date indicated in the initial invoice provided at the time of booking.
  • Course charges at the time of printing are incorporated in the printed College Prospectus. These charges (and any promotional offers) are subject to change and at the discretion of the College; bookings are accepted on the understanding that the Tariff will be that ruling at the time of booking.
  • VAT will be charged where appropriate at the current rate.
  • Rooms are allocated at the discretion of the College.
  • If you depart the College a day early, or arrive a day late, you will not be entitled to any discount or refund.

3. CANCELLATION (*)

For bookings made before 17th July 2026:

In the event of cancellation (other than by the College) of any booking, the following cancellation charges apply:

In the event of a full course payment made initially, a £150.00 charge will be retained in all cancellation circumstances.

  • 31 days or more before the course begins – refund/transfer of the full balance (less deposit)
  • 30 – 21 days before the course begins – refund/transfer of 75% of your balance paid (less deposit)
  • 20 – 11 days before the course begins – refund/transfer of 50% of your balance paid (less deposit)

10 – 0 days before the course begins – no refund/transfer

For bookings made on or after 17th July 2026:

  • Cancellations received 40 days or more before the course start date will result in the loss of the deposit only.
  • Cancellations received fewer than 40 days before the course start date will result in the loss of all fees paid.

For any refunds, the college will transfer back the amount in British Pounds (GBP). We are not responsible for changes in the currency exchange rate or receiver’s bank fees.

The College reserves the right to cancel a course with less than 10 students.

The College reserves the right to refuse or cancel a booking without explanation and to refund any deposit or other payment made. If you have already arrived at the College and have to leave the College for any reason, it will be the Manager’s discretion as to whether you will be reimbursed unused funds. This will depend greatly on the circumstances.

  1. DIETARY ARRANGEMENTS
  • The accommodation charges include the provision of a standard meal in accordance with the scheduled daily menu (for more information on the standard allergies, please see the following link: https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/food-allergy-and-intolerance) . The College does not provide à la carte meals but does promote a good balanced diet. Please check with the College management if advice is required.
  • Normal diets, pescatarians, vegetarians, Vegans, lactose free, gluten free, will all be able to select freely from the buffet choices available. There will always be a meal suitable for your dietary needs for you to choose from the main buffet. We require you to declare your dietary needs to us at booking stage to ensure we have the correct volumes of foodstuff in stock. There is no extra charge for any of the dietary requirements mentioned above.
  • The college will provide meals that promote a balanced diet suitable for all dietary tolerances but will not provide any special variation.
    • Normal – a person that eats anything
    • Pescatarian – a person that eats fish and vegetarian foods – they do also eat eggs and dairy foods. Does not eat meat.
    • Vegetarian – a person that eats vegetarian foods only, including eggs and dairy foods. Does not eat meat or fish
    • Vegan – a person who does not eat any food derived from an animal and who typically does not use other animal products
    • Gluten and/or Dairy Free – a person that cannot eat food containing gluten, dairy or both (for more information, please see the following link: https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/food-allergy-and-intolerance)

Food allergies and intolerances

Anyone that has an allergy to any food type or ingredient must also declare this before you confirm your booking so that we have the opportunity to discuss this if we feel it is appropriate. The college reserves the right to charge a supplement, if necessary, to cover the costs of purchasing special ingredients or extra kitchen staffing costs if appropriate, please check with our reception before to confirm your reservation.

  1. SMOKING

Please note that all parts of the College, including the garden, are strictly ‘no smoking or vaping’ areas. Smoking and vaping are only allowed in our designated smoking area.

If a student is founded to smoke or vape in the college, or anywhere outside the designated smoking area, they will be fined £100.00 and can be banned from the college indefinitely.

  1. DISCLAIMERS
    1. The College accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever for visitors’ money, clothing, documents, valuables or other items or belongings. Cars parked in the car park are at the owner’s own risk.
    2. Subject to errors and omissions, the Tutors and Course Organisers listed are correct at the time of printing. However, these may be subject to change, if necessary, without notice, for which the College cannot be held responsible or liable.
    3. The opinions expressed by individual Tutors, at the College are not necessarily representative of the College policy nor of views held by the College itself.
  2. PRIVATE SITTINGS
  1. Please note that if you are dissatisfied with your sitting, you must tell the Medium within 10 minutes into the sitting. The Medium will then escort you to Reception for a refund. Later complaints cannot be accepted.
  2. Recording the sitting is your responsibility. The college does have recording equipment that you can use, but we cannot be held responsible for failed recordings.
  1. OTHER TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES
  1. Unless otherwise specified, rooms become available from 3:00 pm on the day of arrival. Courses will commence at the time stated in the prospectus. Rooms must be vacated by 9:30 am on the day of departure irrespective of the Course finishing time and the College by 11:00 am or shortly after termination of the Course if later.
  2. The Arthur Findlay College operates a zero-tolerance policy in respect of physical or verbal abuse towards students, staff, tutors and the building.
  3. No private sittings, circles, seances, demonstrations, groups, workshops, talks, lectures, healing, complementary therapies or similar activities are allowed to take place within the College or its precincts unless under the direct control and supervision of one or more of the Tutors working on the Course.
  4. No cameras or other filming or video/audio recording equipment are to be used in the College or its precincts, without prior permission in writing from the General Manager. The content of all audio and visual recordings remains the copyright of the College and may not be used for public or commercial purposes. Any public use, whether or not for gain, will constitute a breach of the Copyright Laws.
  5. No person is allowed to promote, advertise, offer or sell goods or services in the College or its precincts.
  6. We regret that visitors’ pets cannot be permitted.
  7. We regret that caravans and tents used for sleeping purposes cannot be permitted in the College grounds
  8. The Duty Manager and or Course Organiser has the right to refuse admission to the College or any part of it, at any time, or to require any person to leave any part of the College or the College grounds, at any time, without having to give a reason why. Students exhibiting unacceptable behaviour will be asked to vacate the college premises by the Duty Manager, General Manager and/or the Course Organiser.
  9. Allocation of the student to the group is the responsibility of the Course Organiser.
  10. Damages to college property including soiled linen and towels will have to be paid for by you and will be debited from your account. The minimum charge will be £30.00. In the event that you do not report any damages or accidents, this will lead to you being banned from attending the college in the future.
  11. Theft of College Property is a criminal offence, students suspected of theft will be immediately banned and we may involve the police. We reserve the right to recover the cost of missing items by debiting your credit/debit card.
  12. Requesting room moves will incur a fee of £30.00 per person to cover the linen change.
  13. No students are allowed in the workrooms after 21:00 unless accompanied by a Tutor or Course Organiser.
  14. Whilst at the college, students must keep an appropriate dress code. This means that students are not allowed to walk barefoot. Transparent clothing is not appropriate.
  15. Access to the college for friends and family is not allowed unless authorised by the General or Duty Manager. If approved, access will be limited to only the area specified.

If a student violates any of the rules above, they will be requested to leave the college and will not be entitled to any refund.

  1. CUSTOMER SERVICE GUARANTEE

Providing a high level of customer service satisfaction is the main ethos at The Arthur Findlay College and we endeavour to provide a quality service to all our clients. However, we do recognise that from time-to-time issues can arise which may leave you feeling dissatisfied with the level of service you have received. Under these circumstances, we ask that you put your complaint in writing and send it to the Arthur Findlay College, The General Manager & Deputy Manager, Stansted Hall, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex. CM24 8UD. Your complaint will then be dealt with either by the AFC committee or the SNU Arbitration Committee, whichever is appropriate. You can read all about our complaints policy below.

Rest assured that all complaints will be acknowledged and dealt with at our earliest opportunity. Please be assured that any concerns will be treated with due consideration and confidentiality as swiftly as possible.

  1. INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP

For information on how to apply for Individual Membership of the Spiritualists’ National Union, please write to the following address (enclosing a stamped, addressed envelope):

The General Secretary
The Spiritualists’ National Union
Redwoods
Stansted Hall
Stansted, Essex
CM24 8UD

Tel No: 0845 4580768

Visits to the Spiritualists’ National Union Offices (at Redwoods as above) may only be made between the hours of 9.30am & 12.30pm and 2.00pm & 4.30pm, Monday to Friday. Access during these times is for general enquiries or to purchase items from the office.

More information is available on the SNU website: https://www.snu.org.uk/

  1. DISABLED ACCESS

Due to the historic nature of the building wheelchair/disabled access and other facilities are regrettably limited. If you require disabled access or other disabled facilities, please check with us before making the booking. We accept your reservation enquiry on the basis that you have informed us in writing about any disability you have, as well as other conditions such as allergies, epilepsy, asthma and diabetes, or any reason that could make it unwise for you to stay at the College. Whilst mediumship is a positive experience, working with mediumship takes you into a heightened emotional state which is not conducive to people with certain medical health conditions.

It is essential that you provide full information on these aspects at the time of making your reservation. The College does not provide a carer service. You will be required to complete a PEEP form (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan) at check in, to facilitate your evacuation in case of an emergency.

  1. YOUNG PERSONS

Young Persons under 18 years of age are not permitted on any residential Course.

  1. ACCREDITATION

The College does not provide any form of Accreditation in respect of students attending any of its Courses.

  1. INSURANCE

    1. If you wish to cancel your course, you will incur cancellation fees. (see clause 4) These will not be waivered under any circumstances. Please ensure you take out separate insurance to cover any event that you may cancel so you can recover any losses that you will incur.
    2. If WE cancel your course, you will be entitled to a full refund, including your deposit. We cannot pay for any travel costs that you may have incurred such as flight tickets or hotel charges. We therefore highly recommend that you take out travel insurance to cover yourself.

 

Terms of Use of this Website:

By having Google Translate on our website, we are signalling the fact that we want to reach out and communicate as widely as possible. The Google Translate service is a means by which Arthur Findlay College offers translations of content and is meant solely for the convenience of non-English speaking users of the website. The translated content is provided directly and dynamically by Google; Arthur Findlay College has no direct control over the translated content as it appears using this tool. Therefore, in all contexts, the English content, as directly provided by Arthur Findlay College is to be held authoritative.

Disclaimer:

Arthur Findlay College offers translations of its content through Google Translate. Because Google Translate is an external website, Arthur Findlay College does not control the quality or accuracy of translated content. Therefore, by using Google Translate you may experience unexpected and unpredictable degradation of portions of text, images, and the general appearance on translated pages. If users are unsure of the meaning of translated content, they should consult the original English content.

The Google Translate feature is provided for informational purposes only. The translation Service is made available on the Arthur Findlay College website solely for your convenience, and its use is solely at your option. Translations cannot be guaranteed as exact or without the inclusion of incorrect language. Google Translate is a third-party service and site users will be leaving Arthur Findlay College to utilise translated content. As such, Arthur Findlay College cannot guarantee or claim responsibility for the accuracy, reliability, or performance of this service nor the limitations provided by this service, such as the inability to translate specific files like pdfs and graphics (e.g. .jpgs, gifs, etc.).

Arthur Findlay College provides Google Translate as an online tool for its users, but Arthur Findlay College does not directly endorse the website or imply that it is the only solution to users. All site visitors may choose to use similar tools for their translation needs. Any individuals or parties that use Arthur Findlay College content in translated form, whether by Google Translate or by any other translation services, do so at their own risk. The Arthur Findlay College, its officers, employees, and/or agents shall not be liable for damages or losses of any kind arising out of, or in connection with, the use or performance of such information, including but not limited to, damages or losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy of any such information, or damages incurred from the viewing, distributing, or copying of such materials. Arthur Findlay College is not responsible for any damages or issues of translated content not officially sanctioned and approved by Arthur Findlay College.

Content last updated July 2026

1. Purpose

Arthur Findlay College (AFC) is committed to providing a safe, welcoming and high-quality educational experience for all students, visitors and guests.
The College recognises that, despite the best intentions of staff and volunteers, concerns may occasionally arise regarding the services, facilities or conduct experienced during a visit.
This policy explains how concerns and complaints can be raised, how they

will be managed and the standards individuals can expect throughout the process.
The purpose of this policy is to:

  •  encourage concerns to be raised promptly so that they can be resolved wherever possible;
  • provide a fair, transparent and proportionate complaints process;
  • ensure complaints are investigated using the best available evidence;
  • promote organisational learning and continuous improvement; and
  • provide confidence that concerns will be treated respectfully and impartially.

Principles of the Complaints Process

Arthur Findlay College is committed to managing all concerns and complaints in a manner that is fair, transparent, timely and proportionate. The purpose of the complaints process is not simply to determine whether a complaint is upheld, but to ensure concerns are considered objectively, decisions are based on evidence, and opportunities for organisational learning are identified.

In managing complaints, the College will be guided by the following principles:

Fairness:
All concerns will be considered impartially, without prejudice, and with due regard to the information provided by all parties.

Timeliness:
Concerns should be raised as soon as reasonably practicable to enable issues to be resolved promptly and to ensure that evidence remains available. The College is committed to managing complaints within published timescales wherever reasonably possible.

Early Resolution:
Where appropriate, the College will seek to resolve concerns at the earliest opportunity, recognising that many issues can be addressed quickly during a student’s stay without the need for a formal investigation.

Evidence-Based Decision Making:
Decisions will be based upon the available evidence and assessed on the balance of probabilities. The College will consider all relevant information fairly and objectively before reaching its conclusions.

Proportionality:
The College will ensure that the response to a concern is proportionate to the nature, seriousness and complexity of the issues raised. Not every concern will require a formal investigation, and wherever appropriate, matters will be resolved through discussion, explanation or local resolution.

Respect and Dignity:
All individuals involved in the complaints process will be treated with courtesy, dignity and respect. The College expects complainants, witnesses and staff to engage with the process respectfully and in good faith.

Confidentiality:
Complaints will be managed with appropriate sensitivity and confidentiality. Information will only be shared where it is necessary to investigate the complaint, comply with legal obligations or safeguard individuals.

Organisational Learning:
The College is committed to learning from complaints and concerns. Where appropriate, investigations may identify opportunities to improve policies, procedures, accessibility, communication, training or service delivery, regardless of whether a complaint is upheld.

Natural Justice:
The College is committed to the principles of natural justice. Individuals who are the subject of a complaint will be informed of the substance of the allegations where appropriate and will be given a fair opportunity to respond before findings are reached. Investigations will be conducted impartially, with decisions based solely on the available evidence.

2. Scope

This policy applies to concerns and complaints relating to services provided by Arthur Findlay College, including:

  • accommodation;
  • catering;
  • accessibility;
  • customer service;
  • administration;
  • facilities;
  • tutors and course delivery;
  • student welfare;
  • safeguarding matters (where appropriate);
  • conduct of staff
  • health and safety matters.

Where a concern falls under another College or Spiritualists’ National Union policy, including safeguarding, disciplinary or whistleblowing procedures, the College reserves the right to manage the matter under the most appropriate procedure.

3. Our Commitment

Arthur Findlay College aims to resolve concerns at the earliest possible opportunity.
Many issues can be resolved quickly during a student’s stay when staff are made aware of them. Early resolution often provides the best outcome for everyone involved and allows the College to take immediate action where appropriate.
Students will never be disadvantaged for raising genuine concerns in good faith.
The College will:

  • treat all concerns fairly and respectfully;
  • investigate complaints objectively;
  • keep complainants informed of progress;
  • maintain appropriate confidentiality;
  • identify learning opportunities where appropriate; and
  • continually improve services through feedback received.

4. Raising A Concern

A concern is an issue that the College has the opportunity to resolve during your stay.

Examples include:

  • Accommodation – including concerns regarding room allocation, cleanliness or facilities. Students requiring specific accommodation due to a disability, medical condition or accessibility need should notify the College before arrival. Whilst the College will make every reasonable effort to meet individual requirements, room allocations are made in advance based on the information provided at the time of booking and availability.
  • catering requirements;
  • accessibility support; including reasonable adjustments, mobility support, communication needs or support for disabilities. Students are encouraged to inform the College of any accessibility requirements before attending so that appropriate arrangements can be planned wherever reasonably practicable. Where accessibility needs are identified after arrival, the College will make reasonable efforts to provide support; however, some adjustments may be limited by the College’s historic Grade II listed environment, accommodation availability or operational constraints.
  • maintenance issues; including faults, damage, equipment failures or health and safety concerns identified within College buildings or grounds.
  • housekeeping; including room cleanliness, linen, servicing of accommodation or standards of hygiene
  • Tutors and Course Delivery: including concerns regarding professional conduct, behaviour, learning environment or adherence to College policies. (This policy does not provide a route to challenge a tutor’s teaching philosophy, style or spiritual beliefs unless there is evidence of misconduct, discrimination or a breach of College policy.)

Students are encouraged to raise concerns as soon as reasonably practicable with Reception, the Duty Manager, Safeguarding Manager or another appropriate member of staff.
Where possible, the College will seek to resolve concerns immediately.
Where concerns cannot be resolved locally, they may progress to a formal complaint.

Student Responsibilities

To enable the College to provide appropriate support and investigate concerns fairly, students are expected to:

  • Provide accurate booking information, including any disability, medical condition or accessibility requirements that may require reasonable adjustments.
  • Notify the College of any specific accommodation requirements before arrival.
  • Raise concerns as soon as reasonably practicable so that the College has an opportunity to resolve them during the course where possible.
  • Treat staff, volunteers and other students with courtesy and respect throughout the complaints process.
  • Provide accurate and truthful information when raising a concern or complaint.

5. Formal Complaints

A formal complaint should only be made where:

  • the concern could not be resolved during the student’s stay;
  • the matter is sufficiently serious to require formal investigation; or
  • the complainant was unable to raise the concern at the time for a justifiable reason.

Complaints should be submitted in writing to:
The General Manager & Deputy Manager
Arthur Findlay College
Stansted Hall
Stansted Mountfitchet
Essex
CM24 8UD

or Email: generalmanager@arthurfindlaycollege.org & deputygeneralmanager@arthurfindlaycollege.org

6. Time Limits

To ensure complaints can be investigated fairly whilst evidence remains available, formal complaints should normally be submitted within 28 calendar days of the end of the course or residential stay.
Complaints received outside this timeframe will not normally be accepted unless the complainant can demonstrate exceptional circumstances that prevented the complaint from being submitted earlier.

When deciding whether to accept a complaint outside the normal timeframe, the College may consider:

  • the reason for the delay;
  • whether relevant evidence remains available;
  • whether witnesses are still available;
  • whether a fair investigation remains possible; and
  • whether there are safeguarding or legal considerations requiring investigation.

The College reserves the right not to investigate complaints where excessive delay would make a fair and reliable investigation impossible.

7. What Should Be Included in a Complaint

To assist a fair investigation, complaints should include wherever possible:

  • the complainant’s name and contact details;
  • dates and times of events;
  • location of the incident;
  • names of those involved (where known);
  • names of any witnesses;
  • a clear description of the concern;
  • any supporting documents or photographs;
  • details of any steps already taken to resolve the matter; and
  • the outcome being sought.

Anonymous complaints will only be considered where there is evidence of significant risk, safeguarding concerns or serious misconduct.

8. How Complaints Are Managed

Upon receipt of a formal complaint, the College will undertake an initial assessment to determine the most appropriate way to manage the matter.
This assessment may consider:

  • whether the complaint falls within the scope of this policy;
  • whether it has been submitted within the required timescale;
  • whether sufficient information has been provided to enable an investigation;
  • whether the matter has already been considered or determined;
  • whether the complaint would be more appropriately managed under another College or Spiritualists’ National Union policy or procedure (including safeguarding, disciplinary, whistleblowing or grievance procedures); and
  • whether immediate action is required to safeguard the wellbeing of students, staff or visitors.

Following the initial assessment, the College may:

  • seek further information from the complainant;
  • attempt informal resolution;
  • commence a formal investigation;
  • refer the matter to another appropriate process; or
  • decline to investigate where the complaint falls outside the scope of this policy.

9. Investigation Process

Where a formal investigation is considered appropriate, the College will appoint a suitable Investigating Officer or Investigation Panel.
Investigations will be conducted fairly, impartially and proportionately.
The investigation may include:

  • review of written evidence;
  • interviews with relevant individuals;
  • review of booking records, correspondence or College records;
  • consideration of photographs, CCTV (where available), or other documentary evidence;
  • consideration of relevant College policies and procedures.

The College will normally:

  • acknowledge receipt of the complaint within 5 working days;
  • provide updates where investigations are likely to exceed 20 working days;
  • aim to conclude investigations within 60 working days, although more complex matters may require additional time.

The standard of proof applied will be the balance of probabilities. This means the Investigating Officer or Panel will determine whether it is more likely than not that the events occurred as alleged.

10. Outcomes

Following the investigation, the complainant will receive a written outcome.
Possible findings include:

  • Not Upheld – the available evidence does not support the complaint.
  • Partially Upheld – some aspects of the complaint are supported by the evidence.
  • Upheld – the complaint is supported by the evidence.

Where appropriate, the outcome may include:

  • an explanation of the findings;
  • recommendations for service improvements;
  • staff guidance or training;
  • changes to College procedures;
  • mediation or restorative discussions where appropriate;
  • goodwill gestures, including refunds where considered appropriate.

The College may identify organisational learning even where a complaint is not upheld.

Appeals

Arthur Findlay College recognises that, on occasion, a complainant may believe there has been a significant procedural error or that relevant evidence was not considered during the investigation.
A complainant may request a review of the outcome within 14 calendar days of receiving the written decision.

An appeal will only be considered where one or more of the following grounds apply:

  • New evidence has become available that could not reasonably have been provided during the original investigation and which may materially affect the outcome.
  • There was a significant procedural irregularity which may have affected the fairness of the investigation.
  • The outcome was manifestly unreasonable in light of the evidence considered.

An appeal will not be accepted simply because the complainant:

  • disagrees with the findings;
  • wishes the evidence to be reinterpreted;
  • wishes to submit information that could reasonably have been provided during the original investigation; or
  • is dissatisfied with the outcome.

The Chair of the Arthur Findlay College Committee (or another independent person nominated by the Committee where appropriate) will undertake an initial assessment of the appeal to determine whether it meets the grounds for review.

The Appeal Reviewer may:

  • decline the appeal where the grounds are not met;
  • uphold the original decision;
  • direct that specific aspects of the complaint be reconsidered; or
  • where appropriate, direct that a further investigation be undertaken.

The decision of the Appeal Reviewer shall be final, and there is no further internal right of appeal.

11. Matters Outside the Scope of this Policy

The following matters will not normally be investigated under this policy:

  • complaints submitted outside the published time limits without exceptional justification;
  • anonymous complaints, unless there is evidence of significant safeguarding concerns or serious misconduct;
  • complaints that have already been fully investigated;
  • complaints that are frivolous, vexatious or malicious;
  • complaints relating solely to disagreement with spiritual philosophy, teaching methods or subjective learning experiences where there is no evidence of misconduct, discrimination or breach of College policy;
  • matters that are the subject of legal proceedings or external regulatory investigation, where investigation would prejudice those proceedings.

The College reserves the right to discontinue or suspend an investigation where it becomes apparent that another process should take precedence.

12. Confidentiality

Complaints will be handled with appropriate sensitivity and confidentiality.
Information will only be shared with those who require it to investigate or manage the complaint appropriately.

Whilst the College will always seek to respect confidentiality, it cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality where:

  • safeguarding concerns are identified;
  • there is a legal obligation to disclose information;
  • procedural fairness requires relevant information to be shared with those responding to allegations; or
  • disclosure is necessary to protect individuals or the College.

All personal information will be processed in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.

13. Record Keeping

The College will maintain appropriate records relating to complaints, including:

  • the complaint received;
  • correspondence;
  • evidence considered;
  • investigation notes;
  • findings;
  • actions taken;
  • recommendations; and
  • organisational learning identified.

Records will be retained in accordance with the College’s data retention schedule and applicable legal requirements.
The College may review complaint themes to identify trends, improve services and reduce future complaints.

14. Organisational Learning

Arthur Findlay College is committed to learning from concerns and complaints.
Following the conclusion of investigations, the College may:

  • review policies and procedures;
  • introduce additional staff training;
  • improve accessibility arrangements;
  • update student information;
  • improve communication between departments;
  • amend operational practices;
  • review risk assessments; and
  • monitor recurring themes through governance reporting.

The purpose of the complaints process is not solely to determine whether a complaint is upheld, but also to identify opportunities to improve the student experience.

15. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed every two years, or sooner where required due to:

  • legislative or regulatory changes;
  • organisational learning;
  • significant complaint themes;
  • governance changes; or
  • operational requirements.

The Arthur Findlay College Committee reserves the right to amend this policy at any time to ensure it remains effective, fair and proportionate.

16. Finality of Outcome

Once the complaints process, including any appeal, has concluded, Arthur Findlay College will consider the matter closed. The College will not normally enter into further correspondence regarding the same issues unless new and material evidence becomes available or there is a legal obligation to do so.