35 Living Black at University Commission Report 2022/23 34 Living Black at University Commission Report 2022/23 4.2 RECOMMENDATION 8 Ensure there are clear and accessible policies and procedures (including anonymous reporting) that deal explicitly with racism in accommodation. Identified issues • Complaints processes are not always well signposted or explained, meaning that Black students may be unclear on how to submit or escalate a complaint about their experience in student accommodation • They may also be reluctant to submit a complaint in case it leads to further negative outcomes within their accommodation, particularly where the complaint involves flatmates or neighbours • A lack of transparency around outcomes from previous complaints can make complaint processes appear ineffectual, deterring students from going through the process • Universities or accommodation providers may have limited options for resolving complaints, in particular where there is a lack of supply to facilitate room moves, while it can be a challenge to resolve complaints that involve students from different universities • Submitting a complaint may be an alien concept to students from some cultural backgrounds Commission actions (to take forward in Phase 2) • Create a one-page flowchart resource to outline a complaints escalation process for students • Update National Codes to reflect requirements for sensitivity training around race-related complaints Good practice tips Jo Nuckley, Head of Outreach & Insight at the Office of the Independent Adjudicator : • Reframe how complaints are viewed within your organisation – complaints are proof that students feel safe to disclose their concerns; a lack of complaints doesn’t mean a lack of issues • Explore data around complaints to see recurring issues, which issues make it through the process and which issues have been rejected • Look at website analytics for digital complaint forms; if there is a frequent exit point midway through the process, students may not understand how the process works – or it may not work for them • Assign a human name to a complaints email address to humanise the experience and build trust in the process • Stay solution focused; apologies are powerful, and accepting responsibility for finding a resolution is not the same as accepting liability Self-assessment questions Does your organisation have clear signposting to your complaints process? Is it clear on your university’s website that complaints processes are not solely for academic complaints? Does your website explain to students that their complaint will only be shared with people who need to know about it? Does your organisation share examples of complaint processes and outcomes on your website? Is there a process in place in your organisation to signpost complainants to student support services? Does your university work with neighbouring universities to resolve complaints involving students from different institutions?