Scope

Complaints and appeals are managed fairly, efficiently and effectively. Academy of Wine and Spirits creates an environment where participants’ views are valued.

Any person wishing to make a complaint against the school, concerning its conduct as an academic institution, or an appeal regarding an Academy of Wine and Spirits decision, shall have access to this complaints and appeals procedure.

Policy statement

All formal complaints and appeals will be heard and decided on within 15 working days of receiving the written complaint or appeal. The Directors of Academy of Wine and Spirits will keep a Complaints and Appeals Register which documents all formal complaints and their resolution. Any substantiated complaints will be reviewed as part of the continuous improvement procedure.

Responsibilities

Director

• Ratifies Academy of Wine and Spirits Complaints and Appeals — Academy of Wine and Spirits Policy and Procedures
• Ratifies complaint resolution actions and appeal decisions
• Mediates in complaint resolution processes (unless the complaint relates to the Director in which case either an alternate corporate officer will mediate or a trusted Third Party)
• Refers clients not satisfied with the outcome of complaints or appeals to appropriate alternative third parties.

The Director is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the school complies with its internal Policy and Procedures.

Board members

• Implements and manages the Academy of Wine and Spirits Complaints and Appeals — Academy of Wine and Spirits Policy and Procedures (under delegation from the principal)
• Handles all formal complaints or appeals first
• Ensures the principal is aware of any formal complaints or appeals
• Participates in complaint resolution processes and moderates regarding appeals (as appropriate)
• Takes responsibility for the overall maintenance of the Complaints and Appeals Register including ensuring complaint resolutions, decision or actions are documented.

Educators and assessors

• Operate in accordance with the Academy of Wine and Spirits Complaints and Appeals — Academy of Wine and Spirits Policy and Procedures
• Refer any formal complaints or appeals to the Director.

Administration officer

• In conjunction with the board members, maintains the complaints and appeals register.

Complaints and appeals procedures

Complaints arise when a participant is dissatisfied with an aspect of the school services, and requires action to be taken to resolve the matter.

Appeals arise when a participant is not satisfied with a decision that the school has made. Appeals can relate to assessment decisions, but they can also relate to other decisions. Persons with either a complaint or an appeal have access to the following procedures:

Informal complaint (or feedback)

• The initial stage of any complaint (or feedback) may be for the client to communicate directly with the operational representative of the school, e.g. the educator.
• Client(s) dissatisfied with the response to the informal feedback or complaint may initiate a formal complaint.

Formal complaint or appeal

• The informal complaint procedure must be used first.
• All formal complaints or appeals go to the board members first, any board member cited in the complaint will recuse themselves from the investigation other than in providing their point of view.
• The formal complaint or appeal and its outcome must be presented and recorded in writing.
• On receipt of a formal complaint or appeal, the principal shall delegate an appropriate board member (s) to hear the complaint.
• The delegatee shall not have had previous involvement with the complaint or appeal, and may include representatives of:
  • the Director
  • the teaching staff
  • an independent person.
• The complainant shall be given an opportunity to present their case to the delegatee, and may be accompanied by one other person with first hand knowledge of the issue being raised as support or as representation.
• The relevant staff member shall be given an opportunity to present their case, and may be accompanied by one other person with first hand knowledge of the issue being raised as support or as representation.
• The delegatee will make a decision regarding the complaint or appeal.
• The delegatee will communicate the decision to all parties in writing within five working days of making the decision.
• If the client is still not satisfied, the Director will refer them to the Trustees Board appeals and complaints process.

Any identified systemic root causes of any complaint or appeal will be included in the continuous improvement processes of the academy.

Introduction

Academy of Wine and Spirits is committed to treating its pupils and applicants fairly. We will take reasonable steps to ensure that disabled pupils and applicants are not put at a substantial disadvantage by comparison with pupils and applicants who are not disabled.

The declared aim of Academy of Wine and Spirits is to meet the unique needs of every pupils. This policy does not seek to cater for every situation but is intended as a general statement of our policy which sets out the principles underlying our approach to making adjustments for disabled pupils and the factors the school will take into account when considering requests for adjustments.

When does the duty arise?

We shall consider making reasonable adjustments for pupils and applicants who are disabled if they are put at a substantial disadvantage compared with pupils and applicants who do not have disabilities. A pupil or applicant is disabled if (s)he suffers from a physical or mental impairment that has substantial and long term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. In most cases, disabilities will have lasted or be likely to last for 12 months or more. Special consideration will be given to any pupil suffering from a temporary disability caused, for example, by an accident.

What is the scope of the duty?

Academy of Wine and Spirits seeks to ensure that disabled pupils and applicants are not put at a substantial disadvantage by making reasonable adjustments:

1. To our policies, criteria and practices (ie the way we do things); and
2. By providing auxiliary aids and services (ie additional support or assistance). There is no standard definition of an auxiliary aid or service. Examples include:
   • pieces of equipment;
   • extra staff assistance;
   • note-taking;
   • audio-visual fire alarms;
   • readers; and
   • assistance with guiding.

What is not covered?

We are not required to remove or alter physical features to comply with the duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils. Similarly, we do not need to provide auxiliary aids for personal purposes unconnected with the education and services provided by the school.

How do I request an adjustment?

Academy of Wine and Spirits prides itself on considering whether there is any adjustment it could make to overcome any substantial disadvantage suffered by a disabled applicant or pupil. However, we do not always think of all possible adjustments and we want to work with pupils to think as creatively as possible about this matter.

If a pupils is disabled and you believe that (s)he is being put at a substantial disadvantage compared with pupils without disabilities and there is an adjustment that we could make which would overcome this, you may write to the Director at the School setting out in full the adjustment and (if necessary) how the school could put this into practice.

The school's response

In some cases, the academy will be able to agree to and implement the requested adjustment as soon as possible. In other cases, for example where the adjustment would be logistically difficult or more financially costly, we may need to consider in more detail how best to overcome the substantial disadvantage that the pupil or applicant is suffering and what measures it is reasonable for the school to take. In these cases, the school may seek input from teachers, other experts (such as doctors and/or educational psychologists), you and the child in question.

How will the school decide whether an adjustment is reasonable?

When considering whether it would be reasonable to make the adjustment, the school will consider the following factors:

• whether it would overcome the substantial disadvantage the disabled pupils is suffering;
• the practicability of the adjustment;
• the effect of the disability on the pupil;
• the cost of the proposed adjustment;
• the school's resources;
• health and safety requirements;
• the need to maintain academic standards; and
• the interests of other pupils (and potential pupils).

Confidentiality

You may request that the existence or nature of your disability be treated as confidential by the academy. We will take any such request into account when considering whether an adjustment is reasonable.

Outcome

Once the academy has determined whether the relevant adjustment is reasonable, we will write to you, setting out the decision and the reasons.

What can you do if you are not happy with the school's decision?

If you are not happy with the acadmeys decision about the reasonableness of the adjustment, you may lodge a complaint using the academys Complaints Procedure.

Cancellations are accepted up to 10 working days prior to the start of the course; however, no refunds will be provided.

Once training materials have been received, no refunds will be issued regardless of the cancellation date.

Transfers of a confirmed booking, either to another course or student, can only be made up to 10 working days prior to the course start date, on payment of a $150.00 administration fee, plus the cost of any additional study material(s) if applicable.

Deferment or Transfer is not possible at any other time.

Deferments or Transfers cannot be carried forward to the next Academic year. The Academic year runs from January 1 to December 31.

Please note that your email address(es) will be sent to our distribution centre to enable your materials to be tracked by you to ensure delivery. If you do not wish your email to be sent, to this secure third party, please contact Academy of Wine and Spirits, before booking, to arrange another method of receiving notifications.

We encrypt certain sensitive information (such as credit card information) using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to ensure that your Personally Identifiable Information is safe as it is transmitted.

Examination dates are fixed for each course and any deferment to an alternative examination date will incur an administration fee of 50.00.

All examination deferment requests must be made by email (christian@academyofwineandspirits.org) at least 10 working days before the original examination date.

All deferment requests made within 10 working days of the examination date will incur the above administration fee plus the cost of the examination paper which will have been ordered via our accredtion agencies. 

Course fees will be refunded in full if Academy of Wine and Spirits changes a course date or cancels a course if enrollments do not reach the required minimum numbers – notification will be made in the 3 working days prior to the planned start date of the course.

You have 3 working days to return an item from the date you received it.

To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. Your item must be in the original packaging*.

Your item needs to have the receipt or proof of purchase.

Refund & Cancellation Policy

Academy of Wine & Spirits (AWS)

At the Academy of Wine & Spirits, we are committed to delivering exceptional educational experiences. As our courses involve limited seating, instructor scheduling, and pre-arranged materials, the following policy applies to all bookings.

Course Bookings (In-Person & Live Online)

14+ days before the course start date:
Full refund or complimentary transfer to a future course date.

7–13 days before the course start date:
50% refund or full credit toward a future course.

Less than 7 days before the course start date:
No refunds. However, you may transfer your booking to another participant at no additional cost.

No-shows:
Non-refundable and non-transferable.

Course Transfers

One complimentary transfer is permitted per booking if requested at least 7 days prior to the course date.

Additional transfers may be subject to a $25 administrative fee.

Online Self-Study Courses

Due to immediate access to course materials, all self-study courses are non-refundable once access has been granted.

If you experience technical issues, our team will gladly assist to ensure full access.

Cancellations by AWS

In the unlikely event that AWS cancels or reschedules a course, participants will be offered:

A full refund, or Transfer to a future course date of their choice

Special Events, Tastings & Experiences

Tickets for tastings, masterclasses, and special events (including LPB experiences) are non-refundable within 72 hours of the event.

Prior to 72 hours, transfers or credits may be offered at AWS discretion.

Physical Materials (if applicable)

Any shipped course materials or kits are non-refundable once dispatched.

In the case of damage or loss in transit, AWS will assist with replacement where possible.

Refund Processing

Approved refunds will be processed to the original method of payment within 5–10 business days, depending on your provider.

Contact

For any changes, cancellations, or support, please contact:
christian@academyofwineandspirits.org

Final Note

Our goal is to be fair, flexible, and professional while maintaining the integrity and quality of our programs. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you to an AWS experience.

If you have any questions on how to return your item to us, contact us.

* Returned Personalized engraved/labeled items are subject to a restock fee to be determined on the cost of engraving and labelling.

The Academy of Wine and Spirits will notify candidates of their results and provide digital certificates within 5 working days after the examination has been taken.

Academy of Wine and Spirits will deliver your printed certificate within 3 weeks from the day you received your results, if you choosen a printed certifcate.

Destination Charger, Custom Clearance and Delivery arrangement is the responsibility of the Recipient.

I Hereby accept and assume all risk from any harm, injury, or damages that may befall me, foreseen or unforeseen, as a result of my participation in any Academy of Wine and Spirits course(s).

I agree to hold harmless and indemnify Academy of Wine and Spirits and its employees and contractors from any and all liability, loss, damages, injuries, costs or expenses which are sustained, incurred, or required arising out of my participation in the activity.

I authorize Academy of Wine and Spirits to seek medical assistance on my behalf should it be deemed necessary, and I have noted it is my responsibility to notify Academy of Wine and Spirits in writing of any special medical or other conditions which may adversely affect my participation in the course(s).