The University of Manchester is responsive to the needs of our students and visitors and welcomes comments and complaints as a means of improving services. We won't necessarily be able to change the things in the way that you would like or always meet your needs but we will always be able to give you an explanation of how a decision has been made. The University of Manchester will always be professional and courteous in dealing with complaints and we will try to be as quick as we can in responding to you.

The University of Manchester Accommodation service is responsible for over 9,000 residents at any one time. It is inevitable that from time to time complaints arise. This procedure explains:

• How to make a complaint
• How you can expect us to deal with it
• What you can do if you are unhappy with our response

Informal

If you have a complaint, in the first instance please discuss this with a member of staff concerned or with the Administration Office for your hall (details below) to try and resolve the matter. If you have a complaint you should let us know as soon as possible and within eight weeks of the event or lack of action, about which you are complaining. Your complaint will normally be acknowledged within 48 hours (excluding weekends, public holidays and official University holidays) and responded to fully within five working days of the receipt of the complaint. If circumstances mean a full response is likely to take longer we will inform you and keep you informed of the process.

Administration Offices

Victoria Park Campus: Dalton-Ellis Hall, Conyngham Road, Victoria Park, Manchester, M14 5RL. Tel: +44 161 306 9844

Whitworth Park Campus: Grove House Office, 316 Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9WJ. Tel: +44 161 275 4950

Fallowfield Campus: Owens Park, 293 Wilmslow Road, Fallowfield, Manchester, M14 6HD. Tel: +44 161 306 9900

Grosvenor Group: Grosvenor Residences, Grosvenor Street, Manchester, M1 7HR. Tel: +44 161 306 3232

City Campus (North): Wright Robinson Hall, Altrincham Street, Manchester, M1 7JA. Tel: +44 161 306 3131

Formal

Stage 1

If you are unhappy about a response you receive, or the complaint is actually about the member of staff involved or if you feel that the complaint warrants further investigation then you may initiate a formal complaint. To do this you must complete this complaints form and return it to the Complaints Officer via post, e-mail or in person (contact details below) who will normally acknowledge receipt within 48 hours (excluding weekends, public holidays and official University holidays). The Complaints Officer will determine whether the complaint should be dealt with by a Manager for the area in which your complaint falls or whether the complaint should more appropriately be investigated by a member of the STARS Senior Management Team.

Formal complaints should be made in writing by using our complaints form which is available from hall offices, the Accommodation Office or here:

Accommodation Office Complaint Form

Return the completed form via post, e-mail or in person to the Complaints Officer. You will normally receive a written response from the relevant manager within five working days of the complaint being received.

Contact details for the Complaints Officer

Ms Tracy Altham
The Accommodation Office
University Place
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
Tel: +44 161 275 7288

Stage 2

If you are unhappy with the response received at Stage 1 then you may appeal to the Director of Residences stating the reason why you are unhappy with the initial response. You will receive an acknowledgement within 48 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) from receipt of the appeal and a full written response within 10 working days. If you are still not happy with the response you have the right to ask for your complaint to be taken to Review. You can contact the Director by writing to:

Mrs Helen McGlashan
Director of Residences
The Directorate for the Student Experience
293 Wilmslow Road
Manchester M14 6HD

Review

If, once a final decision on the complaint has been given you believe that the complaint has not been handled fairly or properly in accordance with this procedure, you can request a review by writing to the Registrar within ten working days of you receiving your written response. You will need to state why you are unhappy with the outcome and include copies of any correspondence exchanged during the earlier stages. You will receive an acknowledgement of your request within five working days.

The Registrar, or his or her delegated representative, will then review the case based on the documentation provided and will notify you of their decision within twenty working days of receipt of the request for the review. We will make every effort to follow the time limits set out in our procedure. However, where, for good reason, this is not possible we will keep you informed of progress.

Confidentiality

All complaints will be dealt with confidentially though enquiries may have to be made to investigate the matters that are the subject of the complaint. The effectiveness of any complaints procedure depends on the University being able to collect appropriate information from the parties involved in order to investigate the matter properly. For this reason, anonymous complaints will not be dealt with.

Harassment

The University seeks to create a study and residential environment which is free of harassment and which protects the dignity of students and staff irrespective of their gender, sexual orientation, racial or ethnic background, religion or disabled status. It regards sexual, racial or personal harassment very seriously and requires all students and staff to observe its policy in this area.

Students who believe they are experiencing harassment within their accommodation are advised to raise this with their Warden in the first instance. You can also contact the Equality and Diversity Office on +44 161 306 5857, or the Students Union Advice Centre on +44 161 275 2946. Further information is available online at: Equality & Diversity

External Referral

If you believe that your case has not been dealt with properly by the University or that the outcome is unreasonable then you can, provided you have completed all of our internal procedures, complain to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) if the complaint is eligible under its rules. Please visit OIA for further information.

The University of Manchester owned and managed residences comply with the regulations set by the Universities UK (UUK) code of practice. For more information regarding the UUK code of standards for university halls of residence, and complaints handling (covering England and Wales only) visit: UUK, NUS or UUK Code Info

Further Information

For more information regarding our procedure please refer to the University Students Complaints Procedure, Regulation XVII at:

University Students Complaints Procedure, Regulation XVII

In addition you may seek advice in preparing any complaint from your hall pastoral team (if appropriate) or the University of Manchester Student Union Advice Centre.