policies (last updated: 15 november 2010)

8/8/2019 Policies (last updated: 15 November 2010)

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Policies

Appeals Policy

Total Communication 4 U (TC4U) aim to treat every candidate fairly, usingreliable assessment methods and high- quality, trained assessors. However, if you disagree with a decision we have made, you can request an appeal againstthat decision.

If you want TC4U to have another look at your result, you must contact us assoon as possible after you receive your result.

If your assessment was in BSL, TC4U will have a copy of the assessment clip(s).

Your tutor will be able to look at your assessment again, and advise you whether an appeal might be worthwhile.

If your assessment was carried out by staff at TC4U (internal assessment), youmust go through our appeals processes first.

What happens to appeals?

We may ask for one of these procedures:

A clerical check to make sure you have been given the correct result: we

double-check that the correct mark has been entered into our database,and that no other handling error has been made;

A re-mark: we arrange for a senior assessor to mark your work. This willnot be the assessor who initially marked it.

A re-mark can either confirm the original mark as a fail, or change it to a pass.

If your result changes from fail to pass, we will issue a new result slip and sendyou a certificate. If your result is still fail we simply inform you that the originalresult stands.

Cost of appeals

We charge a fee for appeals, because they involve quite a lot of work for us.However, if your result changes from fail to pass after an appeal, we refund thefee.


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Further appeals

If you are still unhappy with your result after the re-mark, you can ask TC4U totake the matter further. This doesnt happen very often, but we do haveprocedures for dealing with these cases.

Complaints Policy

Total Communication 4 U (TC4U) endeavours to develop and sustain goodpractice in all areas of its work, including administration, assessment andverification, and registration. Where a problem occurs, TC4U has standardprocedures for dealing with complaints, investigation requests and appeals from

candidates and other customers.

All such contacts with TC4U will be recorded, monitored, evaluated, and detailsof the outcomes will be published.

Complaints about the conduct of examinations must be made BEFORE theresults are issued.

Dealing with Complaints

TC4U will: publish details of the names and address(es) of who to contact in the event

of a complaint being necessary;

where possible deal with minor problems immediately, where these can berectified on the spot. Where this is not possible, we will request that thecomplaint is put in writing or video letter, and we will tell the customer towhom the complaint will be referred;

acknowledge all written/video letter complaints immediately, and within 28

working days either provide a resolution or an outline of proposed actionto seek a resolution, and the name of the person dealing with thecomplaint;

r esolve every complaint within deadlines set in this response, unlessparticular circumstances require a lengthier response time;

keep the customer informed of the progress of the complaint, and reasons


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for any delay in resolving it;

refer the complaint to a Co-director for review, in the event of the customer not being satisfied with the response;

refer the complaint to an independent reviewer, in the event of the customer not being satisfied with one of the Co-directors response;

keep a record of complaints and develop procedures for corrective action toprevent repetition;

monitor performance in improving procedures, against complaints received,and make available the results of such monitoring.

All enquiries on any of the above matters should be addressed to:

Co-directors,TC4U,PO Box 825,Bognor Regis,West Sussex,PO21 9GB.

Alternatively, enquiries can be made to [email protected]

Customer Service Statement

Total Communication 4 U is committed to providing customers with a quality of service that is:

open and informative;

prompt and efficient;

consultative and responsive;

cost-effective.Information about Total Communication 4 U policies and each Signature(formally known as CACDP) qualification is available on our website.


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Data Protection Policy

This document explains your rights, as a customer of Total Communication 4 U(TC4U), under the Data Protection Act 1998.

It explains why we require your personal data, and what you can expect from usin terms of our Data Protection responsibilities.

TC4U Data Protection Statement

TC4U is fully committed to compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998. Thefollowing principles will apply when we handle your personal information:

Your personal information is only processed with your knowledge; Only information that we actually need is collected and processed;

Your personal information is only seen by those who need it to do their jobs;

Personal information is retained only for as long as it is required;

Decisions affecting you are made on the basis of reliable and up to dateinformation;

Your information is protected from unauthorised or accidental disclosure; We will provide you with a copy of your personal information on request;

Inaccurate or misleading data will be corrected as soon as possible;

Procedures are in place for dealing promptly with any disputes;

These principles apply whether we hold your information on paper or inelectronic form.

Information about TC4U policies and each Signature (formally known as CACDP)qualification is available on our website.

Equal Opportunities Policy

Total Communication 4 U (TC4U) will at all times encourage and promotepolicies and practices which ensure equality of opportunity for its staff, its


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members and the consumers of its services irrespective of ethnic origin, gender,sexual orientation, religion and disability.

The main aim of this policy is to ensure that no job applicant, or employee, or

customer should receive less favourable treatment on any grounds not relevantto good employment practice or providing services. Further, TC4U will monitor the composition of the workforce and is committed to a programme of action tomake this policy fully effective.

Responsibility

TC4Us Co-directors has a responsibility for the formulation of equalopportunities policies and procedures to support TC4Us overall policy and for overseeing their implementation.

The Co-directors has ultimate responsibility for ensuring that TC4Us policy isfully implemented. The Co-directors has a specific delegated responsibility for theeffective development and implementation of equal opportunities in employment.

TC4U encourages all staff to understand and co-operate with the policy andprovides training and information to ensure this happens.

Implementation

Appropriate procedures are being developed and introduced to ensure that allmembers of staff are aware of TC4Us policies concerning equal opportunities in

employment, and services, and their responsibilities to implement them.

All employees and job applicants will be asked to complete a form denoting their sex, race, ethnic origin and any disabilities. TC4U guarantees that this form willonly be used for the purpose of monitoring the effectiveness of its equalopportunities policy only.

Complaints

Complaints of discrimination from job applicants must be referred to the Co-directors in the first instance who will ensure they are investigated and that the

complainant receives a written response.All complaints regarding TC4Us assessment procedures are logged and followset procedures. At the higher levels of assessment any candidate who disputesthe assessors decision has the right of appeal. Details of complaints and appealprocedures for examinations are outlined in TC4Us Complaints Procedure.

Positive Action


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The composition of the workforce and of job applicants will be monitored on aregular basis. Should inequalities become apparent, positive action will be takento reduce the imbalance including such measures as:

advertising jobs in ethnic publications as appropriate;

encouraging under-represented groups to apply for suitable posts;

making contact with disabled people via the local Job Centre;

informing member organisations of under-represented groups onAdvisory/Management Committees;

encouraging the employment of under-represented groups by SignLanguage Interpreting

Agencies or Communication Support Units (CSUs);

encouraging training organisations to recruit students of under-representedgroups to train as interpreters and other Language Service Professionals.

Review

TC4Us policy statement on Equal Opportunities is reviewed on a regular basis toensure that it continues to reflect current practice.

Fees Policy

Total Communication 4 U (TC4U) will review its fee structure annually.

The review will consider the likely number of candidates expected to take eachassessment, along with associated costs, direct and indirect, produced from theorganisations accounting records.

Wherever possible, the fee will be set at such a level that it at least covers itscosts, is affordable by its target candidates, and contributes towards the

development of future qualifications, and associated activities.

The TC4U website contains course fees that are known for 2010.

Malpractice Policy

Total Communication 4 U, as do Signature, treats any example of malpractice


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with the greatest seriousness, and will take action in any case where malpracticeis confirmed.

Examples constituting malpractice might include:

Fraudulent claims for certification;

Non-approved assessor claiming approved status;

Deliberate breach of examination or other regulations.

TC4U , an Approved Centre , must report any cases of suspected malpractice toSignature immediately. Failure to do so may have implications for the issue of certificates and the future acceptance of entries from us.

Signature will report all significant cases of malpractice to the ExaminationsRegulator (Ofqual) immediately, and all other cases upon request.

Signature will investigate cases of suspected malpractice in the followingmanner:

Evidence will be collected from persons alleging malpractice;

Counter-evidence will be collected from persons denying malpractice;

All evidence will be examined by Signature using processes that may have

one or more stages. The process may require the involvement of any of thefollowing:

- centre Co-director(s);

- Signature staff;

- other interested parties.

If the above procedures do not resolve the issue, an independent AppealsPanel, supplemented if necessary with a subject expert for advice only, will

be asked to adjudicate. All parties involved may make representations tothe panel. The decision of this panel is final;

Outcome of procedure may result in:

- candidate(s) work declared invalid;

- centre approval withdrawn;


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- assessor/verifier accreditation withdrawn;

- malpractice not found;

- where appropriate, information passed to other awardingbodies/other agencies;

- other appropriate outcome.

Outcome of procedure recorded and where necessary reported to Ofqual.Where malpractice involves misuse of certificates , Signature will informOfqual and agree appropriate action.

policies (last updated: 15 november 2010)

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