GT Scholars CIC – Complaints Policy & Procedures

Last updated: July 2026

At GT Scholars CIC, we are committed to providing a high quality service to all of our clients. We take complaints seriously and aim to resolve them fairly, consistently, and promptly. This procedure sets out how you can raise a concern or complaint with us and what you can expect from us in response.

Stage 1 – Informal Resolution

If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our service, we encourage you to raise the matter informally in the first instance. Please contact the relevant staff member or their line manager directly. You may do this by phone, email, or by requesting an online meeting.

We will acknowledge your concern within 1 week and aim to resolve the matter informally within 2 weeks. If a meeting is required, we will arrange this as soon as reasonably practicable.

Many concerns can be resolved quickly at this stage, and we encourage you to use this route first.

Stage 2 – Formal Written Complaint

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of Stage 1, or if you prefer to raise the matter formally from the outset, you may submit a written complaint.

How to submit a formal complaint:

Please email us at contactus@gtscholars.org with the word “COMPLAINT” in the subject line. Please include:

  • Your full name and contact details
  • The name of the young person on the programme (if applicable)
  • A clear description of your concern and the outcome you are seeking
  • Any relevant dates or correspondence

What happens next:

  • You will receive a written acknowledgement within 1 week of us receiving your complaint
  • We will aim to provide a full written response within 2 weeks
  • If your complaint is complex and requires more time to investigate, we will send you an interim response within 2 weeks explaining the steps being taken and providing a revised timeline
  • In all cases, we aim to resolve formal complaints within 4 weeks of receipt

All formal complaints are logged and tracked internally.

Stage 3 – Director Review

If you remain dissatisfied following our Stage 2 response, you may request that your complaint be reviewed by a director of GT Scholars CIC.

To request a director review, please email contactus@gtscholars.org with the subject line “DIRECTOR REVIEW REQUEST”, including a summary of your complaint and the reasons you are not satisfied with the Stage 2 response.

A director will review your complaint and provide a written response within 4 weeks. During this period, the director may contact you to assist with resolving the matter. The director’s decision represents our final internal position on the matter.

External Escalation

If you have exhausted our internal complaints procedure and remain dissatisfied, you may wish to seek independent advice or escalate the matter externally. You can contact:

Please note that external bodies will generally expect you to have completed our internal complaints procedure before they will consider your case.

Important Notes

Refunds and cancellations: All complaints relating to refunds or cancellations will be considered in accordance with our Client Service Agreement, which sets out our terms regarding payments, cancellations, and refunds. A copy of our Client Service Agreement is available at gtscholars.org/client-service-agreement.

Timescales: All timescales above refer to calendar weeks.

Records: We retain records of all formal complaints and our responses for a period of three years.

Contact: If you have any questions about this procedure, please contact us at contactus@gtscholars.org.