We will normally recommend a provider offers an apology if we uphold a complaint and this is what the student has asked for. We may also recommend an apology where we consider it would be helpful to restore an ongoing relationship even if this is not what was requested.
Apologies are most effective when given voluntarily and at an early stage in the provider’s internal complaints process.
A meaningful apology should:
- Be made promptly.
- Acknowledge what has gone wrong.
- Accept responsibility for it.
- Explain clearly why the failure happened.
- Express sincere regret for any negative effects on the student.
- Set out what action has been taken to put this right.
If we recommend an apology this does not mean the provider has to make an admission of liability in the legal sense. We recommend an apology so a provider can acknowledge, and take responsibility for, what it has done wrong.
