This policy sets out how a learner, or an organisation that enrols learners, can ask National LifeSkills Academy to look again at a decision, and how that request is handled.

What can be appealed

• An assessment result.
• A decision to refuse, or to withdraw, a certificate.
• A decision made under the Malpractice Policy.
• A decision about a request for a reasonable adjustment.

Concerns about the service in general, such as access problems or the time taken to reply, are handled under the Complaints Policy.

Grounds for appeal

An appeal must explain why the decision is believed to be wrong. For example:

• the assessment was marked or recorded incorrectly;
• a question had more than one defensible answer, or tested something the course did not teach;
• an agreed reasonable adjustment was not provided;
• NLSA did not follow its own policy; or
• there is new evidence that was not available when the decision was made.

The person appealing must be directly affected by the decision, or be acting for the organisation that enrolled them.

How to appeal

Appeals are made in writing to Director@nlsa.uk within 30 calendar days of the decision. The appeal should include:

• the name and contact details of the person appealing;
• the course and the decision being appealed; and
• the grounds for the appeal, with any supporting evidence.

An appeal made after 30 days is considered where there is a good reason for the delay.

How an appeal is handled

Step 1: Acknowledgement

NLSA acknowledges the appeal within two working days.

Step 2: Review

The appeal is reviewed impartially by someone who was not involved in the original decision. The reviewer considers all the information provided and the records held by NLSA. Artificial intelligence is not used to make or influence the decision.

Step 3: Decision

NLSA sends a written decision within 30 calendar days of receiving the appeal. The decision explains the reasons and any action that will be taken. If more time is needed, the person appealing is told why and when to expect a decision.

Outcomes

• Upheld: the decision is corrected. For example, a result is amended, a certificate is issued or reinstated, or the assessment is re-sat with the adjustment in place.
• Not upheld: the original decision stands, and the reasons are explained.

Where an appeal shows a problem with an assessment question, the question is reviewed under the Assessment Policy.

After the decision

The appeal decision is final within NLSA. Where a course is accredited, the person appealing may then contact the accrediting body. Making an appeal does not affect a learner's access to their course.

Confidentiality and records

Information about an appeal is shared only with those who need it to deal with the appeal, and is handled under the Data Protection Policy. A record of every appeal and its outcome is kept for six years, and appeals are reviewed for patterns as part of quality assurance.

Review

This policy is reviewed annually, and sooner if law, guidance or the requirements of an accrediting body change.