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Copies of all our policies and standards are available on request via calat@croydon.gov.uk or by visiting one of our centres.
You can fill in an online refund application here, ask for one at one of our centres or email: calatfinance@croydon.gov.uk
CALAT reserves the right to amalgamate, change the location, tutor, date or duration of a course, or cancel a course if enrolments are too few or in other exceptional circumstances.
We will try to find you a suitable alternative or refund the full cost.
If CALAT cancels your course(s) and we are unable to provide a suitable alternative, you will be entitled to a full refund of the fees regardless of any sessions delivered. This will be arranged by the CALAT centre where the course was due to take place.
CALAT occasionally has to reschedule a class due to unforeseen circumstances. Arrangements for a replacement class will be made to suit the majority of the class members and the availability of suitable accommodation. If the rearranged class is not convenient for you to attend, you will be entitled to a refund in CALAT vouchers to the value of the session/s missed. To request this, you must write to or email CALAT within 3 months of the rescheduled class.
Refunds will be processed back to the payment card that you used to enrol or will be in the form of a cheque issued by Croydon Council. Learners should contact the CALAT Finance department (email: calatfinance@croydon.gov.uk) if payment has not been received within 10 working days of the agreed refund.
Should you have any queries regarding the refunds policy, these should be addressed to the CALAT Strategic Service Manager, CALAT Central Croydon Centre, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon CR9 1ET or email calatfinance@croydon.gov.uk
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (SVG) sets out legal framework for the policy and procedure for the Safeguarding of vulnerable adults using a public service.
The primary focus for safeguarding is to promote well-being and prevent abuse and neglect happening in the first place, ensure the safety and wellbeing of anyone who has been subject to abuse or neglect, take action against those responsible and learn lessons and make changes.
Safeguarding is everybody’s business and with the new Care Act 2014 this can only strengthen the protection of vulnerable adults within Croydon.
Under Safeguarding adult at Risk there is also a duty to prevent people from being drawn into extremism and radicalisation. This is called Anti- Radicalisation and forms a key part of the government’s strategy to counter terrorism known as Prevent.
“an expression of dissatisfaction with the standard of service provided by CALAT or with something CALAT or a member of its workforce may or may not have done”.
This definition is in line with those of the Local Government Ombudsman and the
British Standards Institute.
The definition does not include appeals against, or objections to, decisions of CALAT which should generally be pursued by way of the appropriate statutory or other appeals procedure.
CALAT expects staff and contractors to meet the following minimum standards in dealing with complaints:
The outcome of each complaint will be monitored. Information obtained will be fed back to the relevant service and included in periodic complaints reports to CALAT’s Senior Management Team.
The Business Support officer supporting the Strategic Service Manager has responsibility for ensuring that complaints are logged, progress is tracked at each stage, and outcomes are recorded. The appropriate manager will be responsible for monitoring its contractors’ compliance with CALAT’s complaints standards where these are a contract requirement.
The CALAT Senior Management Team and Governance advisory board will receive an termly report on complaints activity in the previous year which will include a regular statistical report on the number of complaints received, outcomes achieved, and trends which can be identified. The report will:
N.B. managers – please refer to the Managers Guide for dealing with complaints, compliments and comments.
In most cases, service delivery problems reported by users are resolved satisfactorily by the member of staff they contact first, without any need for further action. If the complainant is not satisfied with the response given at the first stage under CALAT’s Complaints Procedure, they are entitled to ask for their complaint to be dealt with at the second stage.
All complaints will be recorded under the Procedure, and that information regularly analysed to identify patterns of complaints and possible service improvements.
Users of the service are advised (Course Directory and website) to make any complaints to the Head of Service. However, complaints can also be received by any member of staff in the service (written or oral).
If the complainant has difficulties in making a written complaint at any stage of the procedure; they can request assistance or submit their complaint in an alternative form.
The complainant will receive an acknowledgement of receipt of the complaint within 5 working days and will get a written response to the complaint from the appropriate manager within 20 working days of receipt of the complaint. The response will acknowledge their complaint and tell them that they can ask for an investigation at Stage 2 of the procedure if they are not satisfied with the response.
A request for a Stage 2 review should be made in writing to the Head of Service and should include an explanation of the complainant’s reasons for dissatisfaction with the Stage 1 response. If relevant reasons are given, a review of the Stage 1 investigation and response will be carried out under the supervision of the Head of Service. The aim of the review is to ensure that all matters raised in the original complaint have been comprehensively and accurately addressed and, if not, to ensure that this now happens.
The Head of Service will consider the recommendation(s) made in the original response at stage one and reply to the complainant with the findings. The Head of CALAT may authorise another Senior Manager to undertake this role if absent from work.
The Stage 2 review will be completed within 20 working days of receipt of the Stage 2 complaint, with the customer receiving an acknowledgement within the first three days of this timeframe. In exceptional circumstances, the review may take longer than 20 working days. If so, the complainant will be kept updated of its progress, given the reason for the delay and given a target date for a final response. The final response will tell the complainant, if they are dissatisfied with the outcome, that they can complain to the Local Government Ombudsman.
Members of the Council, the GLA Member for Croydon and Members of Parliament sometimes make enquiries of CALAT about a range of matters raised with them by constituents. The general purpose of these enquiries is to obtain information in order to respond to the constituent.
If the constituent wishes to make a complaint about the delivery of a service, the Member (i.e. Councillor or the GLA Member) or MP can refer the matter to be dealt with under the CALAT Complaints procedure. This will avoid the Member or MP acting as an intermediary and enables them to represent their constituent if they feel this is appropriate. If the matter is not within the remit of the complaints procedure and there is a statutory or other appeal process available, the Member or MP will be advised promptly to ensure that the constituent does not miss the opportunity of exercising a statutory right by using an inappropriate complaint channel.
Both the Members Support Officer and the Department Complaints Office will ensure the Member and/or their constituent receives a full response from the relevant officer.
MPs’ enquiries received by the Chief Executive or Director of Corporate Services will be referred to the Council’s Head of Democratic and Legal Services for a response.
Enquiries to Directors will be referred to the relevant Department Complaints Officer or will be dealt with under the departmental Members’ Enquiries procedure.
The Council’s aims to respond to Members’ and MPs’ Enquiries within 10 working days of receipt, whichever route is used. Where the matter is urgent, the response time will be reduced as appropriate. If the enquiry concerns a complaint about a Council service that has not been referred to the corporate complaints procedure, it may take longer to provide a full response.
The ICT Acceptable Use Policy ensures that learners, staff and volunteers at CALAT use the ICT facilities in a manner which is safe for everybody. Everyone is expected to follow this policy and inappropriate use will result in learners being excluded from all CALAT Centres in accordance with the Learner Code of Conduct.
You will be made aware of online security during your course and will agree to abide by any rules or requests made by CALAT in order to keep you and fellow learners safe online, as well as the regulations of the sites you access.
Most tutors will request permission to use your personal email address to communicate with you and you will need to supply it to gain access to Moodle. Please note that this is at your discretion and every effort will be made to keep this secure.
On some courses learners and tutors may form Whatsapp groups to facilitate communication and to share resources and information relevant to the course. Learners are not under any obligation to join this group. Learners who do join these groups should make sure that these groups are positive, welcoming environments for all learners. Tutors may be part of these groups. Learners and tutors should ensure that the group content relates to course matters, and that items shared are appropriate.
We encourage you to bring your own devices (e.g. smart phones or tablets) to use during class. Please note that you bring your device at your own risk and during classes where mobile devices are used please note the following:
Please do not send friend requests to tutors for your Facebook or other social media accounts (such as twitter). Tutors will not accept these requests. Your accounts are personal and for your own safety you should limit them to your own family and friends. You should be
cautious about adding learners you have just met to all your social media accounts.
Learners are reminded that they must abide by Government legislation relating to ICT, for example The Computer Misuse Act, Copyright laws, Data Protection Act.
In the event of hardware failure, software failure, or virus outbreaks, CALAT cannot be responsible for any damage occurring to a learner’s property.
CALAT’s Fee and Pound Plus strategy supports the aims of the Adult Learning Strategic Priorities 2019-2022 by setting out the principles under which CALAT generates income beyond the Adult Education Budget funding allocation from the Greater London Agency
(GLA) and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
‘Pound Plus’ refers to additional income that enables CALAT to improve participation in learning, in line with principles for Community Learning (CL).
Fees from learners including income generation for courses that are not funded from the grant allocation, room lettings, other funding sources, resources in kind including the shared use of Croydon Council premises and partners’ contributions are all included in ‘Pound Plus’.
CALAT encourages learners to make a contribution towards the cost of their course, dependent on government funding regulations and locally agreed priorities. The Fee Policy is reviewed annually and approved by the CALAT’s Governance advisory board and Croydon Council’s Economic Growth Directorate Leadership Team (DLT).
A basic hourly fee forms the basis for all fee calculations. There are different fee thresholds, according to the type of provision and learners’ individual circumstances. The course fee is rounded up to the nearest pound.
Adult Skills courses, including those leading to qualifications, attract a lower hourly fee than non-accredited CL courses. Targeted CL courses also run at either a lower or 0 fee which are delivered within priority areas and groups in line with Croydon Council’s corporate plan and the GLA’s Skills for Londoners Strategy.
The rates for academic year 2019-2020 are set out in Appendix 1: CALAT Fees Policy 2019/20.
There may be additional charges for provision of materials or other resources. These may be included in the course fee or entail learners providing their own resources on a weekly basis e.g. cookery, floristry, arts and crafts. Additional charges will be made clear on the course information sheets available online or at either centre, learners will know in advance what they will be expected to pay.
With the exception of ‘self-funded’ courses, all learners benefit from subsidised course fees through the Adult Education Budget Grant from the GLA/ESFA. Learners will need to meet the residency requirements in order to have the right to access to this funding and will be asked to provide proof of residency. Information on residency requirements and proof of residency forms part of pre-course Information, Advice and Guidance, and is also available from CALAT on request.
English and maths courses (including GCSE) and some outreach provision for targeted groups are free to all learners.
Learners in receipt of eligible benefits are entitled to a discount on certain courses. The discount will varies from a 25% reduction to full fee remission (free) depending on the course. Learners will be asked to self-declare benefit status and may be asked to produce evidence.
There is full fee remission available on certain courses for those on a low income (defined by GLA and ESFA); again evidence of this low income must be produced before enrolment. Examples of evidence include pay slips, bank statements etc. received within the last three months.
More information on proof of income is available on request from CALAT staff.
Learners who are not eligible for discounts can apply for assistance with fees and resources from the Discretionary Learning Support Fund (DLSF). A separate DLSF policy sets out the conditions for eligibility.
Learners who fail to provide proof of their eligibility when required will be charged course fees at the rate of £13.00 per hour plus any other costs. Learners who are not eligible for GLA/ESFA funding will also be required to pay tuition fees at the rate of £13.00 per hour plus any other costs.
Learners are able to pay in instalments if a course is 6 weeks or longer and the fees you pay are more than £120.00. Learners need to agree a standing order instalment plan at the time of enrolling and will pay a 35% course deposit and agree to make full payment of the rest of the fees by standing order payments from their bank account. A £10 admin fee will be added to the learner’s fees for the setup of the standing order.
Late enrolments will be charged pro-rata to the nearest half-term, dependent on the programme and approval by Curriculum management staff. Registration costs, materials and examination fees (if applicable) will be due in full.
Examination, accreditation and administration costs are generally included in the overall course fee. All examination/accreditation and administration fees are non-refundable as they are passed on to external examining bodies.
If learners fail their examination and need to re-sit, they will normally need to pay the examination fee again. This is valid whether they re-sit during the same academic year or the following academic year. Different rules may apply for specific examinations, full details are available from the examination team at CALAT.
Learners who fail to attend their examinations at the original date will be required to pay the re-sit examination fee in full.
CALAT cannot enrol individuals on another course while there is a balance of fees outstanding for any previous enrolment.
Learners who withdraw from their course for personal reasons are not entitled to a refund of their fee. If learners have agreed an instalment plan, all instalments will be due in full.
Learners enrolled on a course are entitled to fourteen working days during which they may cancel their course enrolment and receive a refund of the money paid for the course(s). If, however, the course starts within the fourteen day cooling off period, the payment for the course will indicate to CALAT that the learner wish to undertake the course and their right to cancel will be lost unless this is due to a course being proved to have been mis-sold by CALAT or to a service failure.
After the fourteen day cooling off period, learners will not be entitled to a refund unless this is due to service failure. This does not affect statutory rights.
Should learners request a refund based on a complaint about the quality of service provided by CALAT, the complaint will be dealt with from the time that it is received by CALAT’s senior leadership and curriculum management teams. If the claim is substantiated, learners will receive a proportional refund of the fees paid. If the claim is not substantiated, learners will not be entitled to a refund. Learners are entitled to appeal and the appeal process is detailed in the Customer Care Policy.
There is no automatic right to a refund, for example as a result of ill health, a change in employment circumstances or moving home. In cases such as bereavement of a close relative or the demise of the student enrolled, applications for refunds will be considered on an individual basis.
A minimum £20 administration charge per course for changes to course enrolments will be charged.
CALAT may occasionally have to re-schedule a class due to unforeseen circumstances. Arrangements will be made to suit the majority of the class and availability of the tutor and suitable accommodation. No refund for the missed session will be due if the new arrangement is not convenient to an individual student. In circumstances where classes are cancelled for reasons outside the control of CALAT (e.g. very bad weather conditions) then every attempt will be made to make up lost sessions. However, where this is not possible refunds will not be payable but students will be credited to the value of the lost sessions.
If CALAT cancels a course and is unable to provide a suitable alternative, learners will be entitled to a full refund of their fees.
Letting fees cover the costs of room hire only.
The rates for academic year 2019-2020 are set out in Room Hire Terms and Conditions Appendix 3.
CALAT’s CL Outreach provision consists of targeted programmes designed to meet the particular needs of targeted groups of learners, as specified in CALAT’s Adult Learning Strategic Priorities 2019-2022.
Such programmes are usually proposed in partnership with local community organisations. There is an expectation that CL funding is a contribution to overall costs of delivery and that partners will add value by contributing in kind (such as offering free venue or expertise) or through costs savings (such as recruiting and supporting
learners)
Our curriculum strategy has been developed to recognise the future context and considers both local and national economic and skills requirements. These are not exhaustive, and the curriculum offer will adapt and reflect emerging priorities over the five-year period.
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