Overview
The complainant Ms C was concerned that Edinburgh's Telford College (the College) did not provide her with appropriate support while she was a student in 2006/2007. In particular, Ms C said that tutorial provision was inadequate; she was unhappy with circumstances surrounding her audition for a higher-level course; and the way she had been told she was not successful in this application. Ms C was also unhappy with the way the College dealt with her subsequent complaint.
Specific complaints and conclusions
The complaints which have been investigated are that:
- (a) the College did not provide Ms C with appropriate support (partially upheld, to the extent that information provided to students was inaccurate);
- (b) the College did not deal appropriately with Ms C's audition process and communication about this (partially upheld, to the extent that there was inconsistency in the way students were informed about the outcome of their auditions); and
- (c) the College mishandled their response to Ms C's complaint (upheld).
Redress and recommendations
The Ombudsman recommends that the College:
- (i) ensure the information provided to students about tutorials and the role of the Course Tutor is in line with current practice;
- (ii) apologise to Ms C for the failure to ensure that the course handbook explained clearly the role of the Course Tutor for her course;
- (iii) review their policy surrounding the methods used to inform applicants of the results of auditions;
- (iv) apologise to Ms C for the inconsistency which occurred in the way applicants were informed; and
- (v) review the support and guidance given to staff investigating complaints;
- (vi) apologise to Ms C for the failings identified in their handling of her complaint.
The College have accepted the recommendations and will act on them accordingly.