ABSTRACT
Section 5 of the Code reflects the broader concern noted by The Nolan Committee on Standards in Public Life and the Dearing and Garrick reports, that public bodies must be more transparent, consistent and fair in the way complaints from service users are handled. In addition, greater awareness of the possibilities of legal redress, fuelled by ‘no win no fee’ deals, has concentrated the minds of universities to ensure that students have a local solution available as an alternative to pursuing matters through the courts. Additionally, the perceived ineffectiveness of the ‘visitor’ system used at pre-1992 universities has brought renewed calls for greater externality and independence in the final stages of review and appeal. Proposals for a UK ombudsman, of the kind used to resolve grievances about local authorities, have not met with uniform support from the higher education sector, with universities fearing the ‘thin end’ of a regulatory ‘wedge’. The 2003 White Paper, however, proposed the establishment of an ‘independent adjudicator’ to take effect from September 2003, acknowledging that legislation would be required to implement the system. Consideration of these issues by the sector, in conjunction with the increased focus on the student voice in institutional audit, has led to the development of a new culture of complaint management, centring on greater systematicity, broader transparency, early resolution and linkage with service and QE.
