Complaints and Appeals Policy and Procedure  OPR134 V5.0 2026.04

    1. 1. Purpose

      STC is committed to providing high-quality training and assessment services. Despite our best efforts, complaints and appeals may occasionally arise. This policy and procedure sets out STC’s commitment to a fair, transparent, timely, and accessible system for receiving and resolving feedback, complaints, and appeals at no cost to the complainant or appellant.

      This document describes how STC complies with Standards 2.7 and 2.8 of the Outcome Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations 2025, ensuring all parties are afforded procedural fairness and natural justice, and that outcomes are used to inform continuous improvement.

      2. Scope

      This policy applies to all feedback, complaints, and appeals received by STC from any person, including but not limited to:

      • current, prospective, and former VET students and clients;
      • employers and host workplaces;
      • staff, contractors, trainers, and assessors;
      • third parties delivering services on behalf of STC; and
      • members of the public and other stakeholders.

       

       

      It covers feedback, complaints, and appeals about:

      • any service, decision or conduct of STC;
      • any third party providing services on behalf of STC; and
      • any person employed or contracted by STC, including trainers, assessors and administrative staff.

      3. Definitions

      Term Meaning
      Feedback Any information — positive, negative, or suggestive — provided to STC about its services, staff, third parties, or decisions.
      Complaint A person’s expression of dissatisfaction with any service, decision, or conduct of STC, a third party, or a person employed or contracted by STC, where a response or resolution is sought.
      Appeal A request to formally review a decision made by STC, a third party, or a person employed or contracted by STC that adversely affects a person, for example, an assessment outcome, an enrolment decision, or the outcome of a complaint.
      Procedural fairness The right of a person to have their matter heard and decided impartially, by a decision-maker who has no conflict of interest, based on relevant evidence.
      Working day A day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or a state’s public holiday.

      4. Guiding Principles

      STC manages all feedback, complaints, and appeals in accordance with the following principles:

      1. Accessibility – the system is publicly available, easy to find, easy to use, and offered at no cost to the complainant or appellant.
      2. Multiple channels – feedback, complaints, and appeals may be lodged in person, by telephone, by email, or in writing.
      3. Procedural fairness and natural justice – all parties have the right to be heard, to respond to allegations, and to have decisions made impartially by a person with no conflict of interest.
      4. Timeliness – STC acknowledges and resolves matters within reasonable, published timeframes.
      5. Confidentiality and privacy – information is handled in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles, and disclosed only to those who need to know.
      6. No detriment – a person who lodges a complaint or appeal in good faith will not be victimised, discriminated against, or disadvantaged in any way.
      7. Support – the complainant or appellant may be accompanied or supported by a nominated support person at any stage.
      8. Continuous improvement – outcomes of feedback, complaints, and appeals are analysed to identify systemic issues and inform improvement of STC’s services.
      9. Continued enrolment – a student’s enrolment is maintained while a complaint or appeal is being processed.

      5. Publicly Available Information

      Information about how to provide feedback, make a complaint, or appeal — including timeframes, lodgement channels, and external review options — is published on the STC website and provided to students at enrolment and induction. This policy is available:

      • on the STC website at www.solarrto.com.au;
      • in hard copy at any STC office on request;
      • by emailing info@greentro.com.au; or
      • by telephoning STC during business hours.

      6. Feedback and Informal Resolution

      STC welcomes feedback at any time. Feedback may be provided informally to a trainer, assessor, or any STC staff member, or formally through course evaluation surveys, the website contact form, or by emailing info@greenrto.com.au.

      Wherever possible, STC encourages students, clients and other persons to first attempt to resolve concerns directly with the person(s) involved or their immediate supervisor. STC staff are available to assist in this informal resolution. Where the person feels uncomfortable raising the matter directly, or where informal resolution is unsuccessful or inappropriate, the person may proceed to lodge a formal complaint under section 7.

      7. Formal Complaints Procedure

      7.1 Lodgement

      A formal complaint may be lodged by completing the Complaints and Appeals Form and submitting it by email to info@greenrto.com.au, by post to STC, by hand at any STC office, or by requesting STC staff to record a verbal complaint in writing on the complainant’s behalf.

      STC will not require complaints to be lodged in any particular form. Where a person needs assistance to lodge a complaint — including for reasons of language, literacy, disability, or distress — STC will provide reasonable support.

      7.2 Acknowledgement

      STC will acknowledge receipt of a complaint, in writing, within 5 working days of receipt. The acknowledgement will:

      • confirm what has been received and how the complaint will be handled;
      • identify the staff member managing the complaint;
      • outline expected timeframes; and
      • confirm the complainant’s right to a support person and to confidentiality.

      7.3 Investigation and decision

      The CEO, or a delegate who has no conflict of interest in the matter, will investigate the complaint. The investigation will:

      • be conducted promptly, impartially and confidentially;
      • afford procedural fairness to all parties, including the right to respond to any allegations made about them;
      • consider all relevant information and evidence; and
      • be documented in the Complaints and Appeals Register.

      STC will provide the complainant with a written response setting out the outcome and reasons for the decision within 20 working days of receipt of the complaint. Where a matter is complex and cannot be resolved within this period, STC will write to the complainant before the 20 working days expire to:

      • explain the reasons for the delay;
      • provide regular progress updates (at least every 20 working days); and
      • confirm a revised expected resolution date.

      7.4 Outcome

      The written response to the complainant will include the actions taken, the outcome of the investigation, the reasons for the decision, and information about the complainant’s right to appeal under section 8 if they are dissatisfied with the outcome.

      8. Appeals Procedure

      8.1 Right of appeal

      A person may appeal a decision made by STC, a third party, or a person employed or contracted by STC where that decision adversely affects them. This includes, but is not limited to, assessment decisions, decisions about enrolment, decisions about misconduct, and outcomes of complaints handled under section 7.

      8.2 Lodgement and timeframe

      An appeal must be lodged in writing using the Complaints and Appeals Form within 28 calendar days of the date the original decision was communicated to the person. STC may, at its discretion, accept an appeal lodged outside this period where there are exceptional circumstances. Appeals may be lodged by email to info@greenrto.com.au, by post, or by hand at any STC office.

      8.3 Acknowledgement

      STC will acknowledge receipt of the appeal in writing within 5 working days of receipt and will provide the appellant with information about how the appeal will be handled, expected timeframes, the appellant’s right to a support person, and confidentiality arrangements.

       

      8.4 Review

      The CEO will allocate the appeal to a person who:

      • has appropriate authority and experience to consider the matter;
      • was not involved in the original decision; and
      • has no conflict of interest in the outcome.

      In the case of an assessment appeal, and following an internal review, STC may at its own cost appoint an independent and suitably qualified assessor to re-mark or re-assess the work and make a decision on the assessment outcome.

      All parties to the appeal will be afforded procedural fairness, including the right to present their case, respond to any adverse information, and be accompanied by a support person.

      8.5 Decision and written outcome

      STC will provide the appellant with a written outcome within 20 working days of receipt of the appeal. The written outcome will include:

      • the decision and the reasons for it;
      • the actions and improvements (if any) identified as a result of the appeal; and
      • information about the appellant’s right to seek external review under section 9.

      Where the matter is complex and cannot be resolved within 20 working days, STC will notify the appellant in writing before the period expires, explain the reason for the delay, provide a revised expected resolution date, and provide progress updates at least every 20 working days until the matter is resolved.

      8.6 Implementation of decisions

      Decisions or outcomes of the appeals process — whether in favour of the appellant or otherwise — will be implemented immediately. Where an appeal is upheld, STC will take prompt corrective action, including amending records, reissuing certification documentation, or other rectification as appropriate.

      9. External Review (Independent Party)

      If the appellant is not satisfied with the outcome of STC’s internal appeals process, they may request an external review by an independent party. STC will arrange for the review to be conducted by a suitably qualified, independent person or body at low cost to the appellant. The appellant remains responsible for their own incidental costs (such as travel or preparing submissions).

      In addition, the complainant or appellant may at any time contact the following external bodies:

      Body Contact
      Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) www.asqa.gov.au/complaints  |  1300 701 801
      National Training Complaints Hotline 13 38 73 (13 DEWR)
      Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (privacy matters) www.oaic.gov.au  |  1300 363 992

       

      Contacting an external body does not affect STC’s obligation to manage and resolve a complaint or appeal under this policy.

      10. Enrolment Status During a Complaint or Appeal

      Where a student accesses this policy, STC will maintain the student’s enrolment for the duration of the complaint or appeals process. The student’s access to training, assessment and support services will not be reduced or withdrawn because they have made a complaint or lodged an appeal.

      11. Confidentiality, Privacy and No Victimisation

      All information relating to a complaint or appeal is treated as confidential and disclosed only to those who need to know in order to investigate or resolve the matter. Personal information is collected, used, stored and disclosed in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 and STC’s Privacy Policy.

      STC will not tolerate victimisation, discrimination or any form of detrimental treatment of a person who lodges a complaint or appeal in good faith, or who participates in an investigation. Any such conduct will itself be treated as a complaint and may result in disciplinary action.

      12. Records, Reporting and Continuous Improvement

      STC maintains a Complaints and Appeals Register that records, for each matter:

      • the date of receipt and acknowledgement;
      • the nature of the complaint or appeal;
      • the parties involved (including any third party);
      • the actions taken and decisions made, with reasons;
      • the date and content of the written outcome provided to the complainant or appellant; and
      • any continuous improvement actions arising from the matter.

      Records are stored securely and retained in accordance with STC’s Records Management Policy and the Compliance Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations 2025.

      The CEO reviews complaints and appeals data at least annually to identify trends, root causes and systemic issues. Outcomes are used to inform continuous improvement of STC’s training and assessment services, third-party arrangements, and policies and procedures, consistent with Standards 2.7(d), 2.8(d) and 4.4 of the Outcome Standards 2025.

       

       

      13. Roles and Responsibilities

      Role Responsibility
      Chief Executive Officer Overall accountability for the complaints and appeals system; final decision-maker for complaints and appeals (or, where the CEO has a conflict of interest, appoints an independent delegate); reviews trends and authorises continuous improvement actions.
      STC staff, trainers and assessors Receive feedback, complaints and appeals; assist persons to lodge them; refer formal matters to the CEO; treat all parties with respect, fairness and confidentiality.
      Third parties Inform students of STC’s complaints and appeals process; promptly refer all complaints and appeals received to STC for handling under this policy.
      Complainants and appellants Lodge matters in good faith; provide accurate information; co-operate with the investigation and review process.

      14. Related Documents

      • Complaints and Appeals Form
      • Complaints and Appeals Register
      • Privacy Policy
      • Records Management Policy
      • Continuous Improvement Policy
      • Assessment Policy and Procedure
      • Third-Party Arrangements Policy (if applicable)