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Purestretch Policies and Procedures

Jan 2024

Purestretch Learner Induction Process Policy

Purestretch are committed to all learners receiving an enhancing learning experience where you achieve your goals and aspirations. Therefore, we value your induction process, and this document sets out what you can expect Purestretch while you are studying with us

Information provided prior to enrolment

You can expect Purestretch to provide information on:

  • all Purestretch programmes and services 
  • equivalent, exemptions and RPL arrangements that may apply 
  • entry requirements 
  • fees and any other charges associated with your programme 
  • the facilities and support available for learners with a disability 
Induction on enrolment/first day of learning 

You can expect Purestretch to: 

  • outline the learner and centre’s expectations (code of conduct/learning agreement or service level agreement) 
  • provide a copy of and a level of understanding for vital centre policies and procedures such as the appeals, equality and diversity and complaints. 
  • provide accurate information about the teaching and learning timetable 
  • confirm the assessment arrangements for your entire course 
  • provide information on opportunities to discuss your programme and for one to one support 
  • provide details of how the assignments/assessments are marked and the type of feedback learners will receive 
  • advise of any additional fees and when they might apply 
  • identify learners preferred learning styles 
  • discuss the administration and support services available 
Purestretch undertakes to provide high-quality academic support and learning resources to learners. However, success in learning depends critically on the efforts made by learners as outlined in the learner contract. 

What Purestretch expects from learners at induction: 

  • provide correct truthful and honest information to the best of their knowledge 
  • participate fully in the process 
  • inform Purestretch there are any changes to their personal details 

Thank you for your contribution and commitment to making our process work. 


Complaints Policy

This policy tells you how to make a complaint to PureStretch

This is the policy that we will follow if your complaint is about someone’s conduct or behaviour. This could be because you think that someone has behaved in a way that is unsafe, unprofessional, discriminatory, offensive or intimidating.

Values and principles

You have the right to complain: we take complaints seriously. You should not be harassed, bullied or put at a disadvantage because of making a complaint.

Equality: you should receive a proper response to your complaint, regardless of your age, gender, disability, race, religion, nationality, social status, sexual orientation or political persuasion.

Fairness: we believe that complaints should be dealt with fairly and openly. Unless it would put other people at risk, those affected by a complaint should have a chance to contribute and respond to any investigation.

Safety and welfare take priority: we will always give priority to concerns that affect safety and welfare. 

Confidentiality: we treat complaints as confidentially as possible.

Sometimes we have to discuss complaints with other organisations. If we are worried about a risk to a person or to the public, we might need to pass on our concerns to the right authorities. If necessary, we will get advice from other organisations such as the Police.

How to make a complaint?

If you have a complaint, it is often best to start by having a conversation with management at PureStretch.

There are some suggestions below about who to speak to. They may be able to help to resolve your problem. You could also make a written complaint. The address for written complaints is at the bottom of this policy. 

If your complaint needs to be looked into further, you will normally be asked to put your complaint in writing. We accept anonymous complaints, but it is often very difficult to investigate these properly. It is easier for us to handle your complaint if you provide as much detail as possible.

Who to contact to make a complaint?

Complaints will usually be handled by senior staff.  Useful contact details have been included at the bottom of this policy.

  • Management : you can speak to any of our managers.
  • Instructors: any of the instructors can also tell you how to make a complaint

The address for written complaints has been included at the bottom of this policy.

What will we do to investigate?

We will give an initial response to your complaint within five working days. If the matter is urgent, we will respond more quickly. We will investigate your complaint fairly. This means that we will discuss the complaint with all of the relevant people. We will try to gather any information that may be relevant to handling your complaint. 

Sometimes we will ask to show copies of information from the investigation to other people to allow them to respond.  This is because we believe in fairness and openness. We will not share information if we think that this will endanger someone’s safety or welfare.  

How will I know what is happening?

You will be given the details of a person who will be your point of contact at PureStretch. That person will make sure that you understand the process, and will help to answer any questions or concerns that you have. You will be given an update on the progress of your complaint every two weeks. If there are delays in handling your complaint for any reason, we will keep you informed. If your complaint leads to formal disciplinary action against someone, we will usually inform you about the outcome. 

What are the possible outcomes or results of my complaint?

In many cases, we are able to resolve problems informally. This might include:

  • A change in arrangements for particular activities
  • An explanation or apology
  • An agreement to communicate or act differently in future
  • If an informal resolution is not suitable, then a small committee of management will look at the information about the case. We will try to make sure that this does not contain anyone directly involved with your complaint. They might decide to take the following action:
    • Formal disciplinary action under the rules of PureStretch
    • Formal disciplinary action against a member of staff /instructor
    • Changes in formal contracts or arrangements put in place by PureStretch
    • A decision to refer the case to another organisation such as the Police.
    • Closure of your complaint without action

Questions or queries about this policy

If you have a general query about this complaints policy, you should speak to the following person:

Name  Ciaran Cashmore
Address  The Small House, Heanton, Barnstable EX31 4DG
Contact Number/Email 07809 448972 / info@purestretch.co.uk


Equal Opportunities Policy 

The aim of this policy is to communicate the commitment of Purestretch and its instructors to the promotion of equality of opportunity.

It is our policy to provide equality of membership to all, irrespective of:

  • gender, including gender reassignment
  • marital or civil partnership status
  • having or not having dependents
  • religious belief or political opinion
  • race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, being an Irish traveller)
  • disability
  • sexual orientation
  • age

We are opposed to all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination. All instructors of PureStretch will be treated fairly and will not be discriminated against on any of the above grounds. Decisions on membership, training or any other benefit will be made objectively, without unlawful discrimination, and based on aptitude and ability.

We recognise that the provision of equal opportunities in all our activities will benefit the organisation. Our equal opportunities policy will help members to develop their full potential and the talents and resources of the members will be utilised fully to maximise the effectiveness of the organisation.

PureStretch is committed to the principles and practice of Equality. PureStretch values the diversity of the local population. We want our services, facilities and resources to be accessible and useful to every citizen regardless of gender, age, ethnic origin, religious belief, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other individual characteristic which may unfairly affect a person’s opportunities in life.

Equality commitments

We are committed to:

  • promoting equality of opportunity for all persons
  • promoting a good and harmonious learning environment in which all men and women are treated with respect and dignity and in which no form of intimidation or harassment is tolerated
  • preventing occurrences of unlawful direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation
  • fulfilling all our legal obligations under the equality legislation and associated codes of practice
  • complying with our own equal opportunities policy and associated policies
  • taking lawful affirmative or positive action, where appropriate
  • breaches of our equal opportunities policy will be regarded as misconduct and could lead to termination of membership

Implementation

PureStretch expect all members to abide by the policy and help to create the equality environment which is its objective.

In order to implement this policy we shall:

  • Communicate the policy to members by issuing an induction pamphlet to all existing, and new members
  • PureStretch will endeavour through appropriate training to ensure that it will not consciously, or unconsciously discriminate in the selection or recruitment of applicants for membership of the group
  • Incorporate specific and appropriate duties in respect of implementing the equal opportunities policy into roles and responsibilities of members
  • Incorporate equal opportunities notices into general communications practices (e.g. announcements, annual report at annual general meeting, notices and newsletters). 
  • Ensure that adequate resources are made available to fulfil the objectives of the policy
Monitoring and review

We will establish appropriate information and monitoring systems to assist the effective implementation of our equal opportunities policy. The effectiveness of the equal opportunities policy will be reviewed regularly (at least annually) and action taken as necessary. 

Complaints

Members who believe that they have suffered any form of discrimination, harassment or victimisation are entitled to raise the matter through the agreed procedures. A copy of these procedures is available from Ciaran organ founder of Purestretch. All complaints of discrimination will be dealt with seriously, promptly and confidentially.

Every effort will be made to ensure that members who make complaints will not be victimised. Any complaint of victimisation will be dealt with seriously, promptly and confidentially. 

Complaints from members of the public will be dealt with under agreed procedures, a copy of these procedures is available from Ciaran Cashmore founder of purestretch.


Purestretch Malpractice & Maladministration Policy 

This policy is aimed at our master trainers who are delivering Purestretch courses and who are involved in suspected or actual malpractice/maladministration. It is also for use our Master Trainers to ensure they deal with all malpractice and maladministration investigations in a consistent manner. 

It sets out the steps purestretch, Master trainers and learners must follow when reporting suspected or actual cases of malpractice/maladministration and our responsibilities in dealing with such cases. It also sets out the procedural steps we will follow when reviewing the cases. 

Purestretch’s responsibility 

It is important that our master trainers involved in the assessment and quality assurance of our courses and our learners, are fully aware of the contents of the policy and that purestretch has arrangements in place to prevent and investigate instances of malpractice and maladministration. 

A failure to report suspected or actual malpractice/maladministration cases, or have in place effective arrangements to prevent such cases, may lead to sanctions being imposed on purestretch 

Review arrangements 

We will review the policy annually as part of our annual self-assessment arrangements and quality plan. The policy will be revised as and when necessary in response to customer and learner feedback, changes in our practices, actions from the regulatory authorities or external agencies or changes in legislation or trends identified from previous allegations. In addition, this policy may be updated in light of operational feedback to ensure our arrangements for dealing with suspected cases of malpractice/maladministration remain effective. 

 

Reasonable Adjustment/Special Consideration 

This policy is aimed at purestretch and learners who are undertaking or have completed out purestretch course/workshop. We are committed to complying with all current and relevant regulation and legislation to the development and delivery of our accreditation Our aim is to facilitate open access for all learners who are eligible for reasonable adjustments or special considerations in assessments, whilst ensuring the assessment of understanding, knowledge, skills and competence is not compromised in any way. 

This policy will also be used by our master trainers to ensure they are dealing with all reasonable adjustments and special considerations requests in a fair and consistent manner.

This policy outlines the following: 

  • Arrangements for making reasonable adjustments and special considerations in relation to the delivery and assessment of our accreditation
  • How learners qualify for reasonable adjustments and special considerations
  • Reasonable adjustments we will accept and requests that are required prior to them being applied
  • What special considerations can be granted for learners.


Definition of a Reasonable Adjustment

A reasonable adjustment relates to any actions that help to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty, which may place the learner at a disadvantage during the delivery of a qualification or an assessment situation. They are applied to an assessment process for a qualification to enable a learner with a disability or difficulty to demonstrate his or her knowledge, skills and understanding of the levels of attainment required in the qualification specification.

When a reasonable adjustment has been applied, the work produced by the learner will be marked to the same standards and assessment requirements as the work assessed of the other learners.

 

Definition of a Special Consideration

Special consideration is a post-assessment adjustment to the marks of a learner’s assessment paper or rearrangement of an assessment time and/or date.

A special consideration can be granted after an assessment has taken place if a learner may have been disadvantaged.

Purestretch will adhere to relevant requirements and legislation to promote fair access to assessment for all learners and will have policies and procedures in place which reflect the principles included within this document.

Assessment should be a fair test of learners’ knowledge, skills and ability. The standard format of assessment may not be suitable for all learners, our aim is that our assessments and qualifications do not prevent any learners from attaining them.

We recognise that reasonable adjustments or special considerations may be required at the time of assessment where the following applies:

  • Learners have a permanent disability or specific learning needs
  • Learners have a temporary disability, learning needs or medical condition
  • Learners are not available at the time of assessment

Reasonable adjustments and special consideration arrangements are available to ensure all learners receive recognition of their achievement providing there is evidence that the equity, validity and reliability of the assessments can be assured. These arrangements should not be used to make assessments easier for learners or give learners a head start and should not disadvantage other learners.

All requests for reasonable adjustments and special considerations will be reviewed on an individual basis and all the information received will be considered.