Student Complaints and Consumer Protection Conference 2026
The Student Complaints and Consumer Protection Conference 2026 brings together the university leaders and practitioners responsible for resolving student concerns at a time of record demand, increasing case complexity and stronger consumer expectations.
Combining authoritative policy updates with practical university insight, the event will help institutions create complaints systems that are faster, clearer and more consistent—and use learning from cases to prevent problems recurring.
The Conference will explore practical strategies for:
- Preparing procedures and Completion of Procedures letters for a proposed six-month OIA deadline, coverage from offer acceptance and earlier OIA intervention where internal handling fails
- Controlling backlogs through risk-based triage, clear ownership, capacity planning and effective early resolution
- Managing complex cases that cross complaints, appeals, conduct, disability and wellbeing without passing students between processes
- Closing the gap between agreed reasonable adjustments and delivery across faculties, placements and partners
- Coordinating group and mass complaints through consistent evidence, communications and redress
- Using case data to identify systemic service failures, prevent repeat complaints and strengthen governance
Context
Why Now?
The OIA received 4,234 complaints in 2025—up 17% in one year and the ninth consecutive annual increase.
The OfS proposes condition C6 to replace C1 and C3, while the OIA proposes a principles-led Scheme and a six-month complaint deadline.
Service issues increased from 30% to 33% of closed OIA cases, with more than £1.8 million offered through recommendations and settlements in 2025.
Forty-two per cent of students complaining to the OIA disclosed a disability, and adjustment-related cases were markedly more likely to be upheld or settled.
What to Expect
Why attend the conference?
Prepare for the new regulatory direction
Understand exactly how proposed OfS condition C6 and OIA Scheme changes could reshape procedures, redress, Completion of Procedures letters and governance.
Reduce delay and repeat escalation
Take away tested approaches to triage, early resolution and joined-up case ownership that protect capacity and improve the student journey.
Turn complaints into institutional improvement
Learn how peers use case intelligence to expose systemic problems, strengthen services and give senior leaders meaningful assurance.
Policy and Practice Context
A Changing Complaints Landscape
Proposed condition C6
The OfS proposes replacing conditions C1 and C3 with a new ongoing duty to treat students fairly, deliver promised education and services, remove unreasonable barriers to complaints and provide effective redress.
Broader consumer-protection scope
The OfS proposals would extend provider responsibility beyond enrolled students and core teaching to prospective and former students, ancillary services, partnership delivery, recruitment agents and other third parties acting on a university’s behalf.
The OIA Scheme is changing
The OIA proposes a principles-led Scheme, a six-month deadline after internal procedures, coverage from offer acceptance and greater scope to intervene when a provider’s internal handling has broken down.
Disabled students remain overrepresented
Forty-two per cent of students complaining to the OIA in 2025 disclosed a disability, with adjustment failures, delay and unclear ownership continuing to drive adverse outcomes.
Academic appeals and service issues dominate
Academic appeals remain the largest category, often involving personal circumstances, while service complaints increased to 33% of the OIA’s closed cases in 2025.
Condition E6 is now operational
Since 1 August 2025, providers have been required to maintain and follow a comprehensive approach to harassment and sexual misconduct, including effective reporting, trained staff, appropriate support and credible investigations.
Join higher education leaders strengthening student complaints and redress
Build a practical approach to fair decisions, earlier resolution and stronger consumer protection.
Programme
Agenda
Chair’s Welcome Address
OfS Update: The Future of Consumer and Student Protection
- The latest position following the OfS consultation on a proposed new approach to consumer and student protection
- What the proposed condition C6, Treating students fairly, could mean for complaints, redress, student contracts and service delivery
- The proposed scope across prospective, current and former students, ancillary services, partnerships and third-party delivery
- What comes next, likely implementation priorities and the changes providers should prepare for now
OIAHE Update: A Complaints System Under Strain and the Future of the Scheme
- What the record 4,234 complaints reveal about pressure on the student redress system
- Why academic appeals and service complaints are driving institutional workload
- How the proposed Scheme would change jurisdiction, timescales and early intervention
- What universities should review next in their procedures and Completion of Procedures letters
Break and Networking
Panel Discussion: Solving the Biggest Pressures in Student Complaints and Casework
- Designing a sustainable operating model for record caseloads and constrained resources
- Establishing clear ownership when cases cross institutional procedures and teams
- Achieving consistent decisions across faculties, partners and different student groups
- Using complaints intelligence to prevent repeat failures and drive service improvement
Academic Appeals, Mitigation and AI-Related Decisions: Building a Fairer Route to Resolution
- Reducing avoidable appeals by improving assessment information, mitigating-circumstances routes and communication before results are confirmed
- Handling personal circumstances that affect engagement or assessment without creating fragmented or duplicative processes
- Setting fair evidence standards for generative AI and academic misconduct cases, including the limits of detection tools
- Writing clear, evidence-based decisions and using appeal outcomes to improve academic regulations and local practice
Lunch Break
Disabled Student Cases: From Agreed Adjustments to Consistent Delivery
- Why disabled students remain overrepresented in complaints and where institutional processes most often break down
- Closing the gap between centrally agreed reasonable adjustments and delivery in faculties, assessments, placements and partner settings
- Designing accessible complaints and appeals processes for neurodivergent students and students experiencing mental ill health
- Responding when disability support, mitigation, academic progress and fitness-to-practise issues overlap within one case
Mass Complaints and Group Claims: Coordinating Response, Redress and Risk
- Recognising when separate cases require a single systemic response
- Managing claims arising from cohort-wide disruption or service failure
- Coordinating institutional evidence, messaging and decision-making
- Designing consistent, defensible remedies for affected students
Break and Networking
Caseload Management: Building Capacity, Control and Earlier Resolution
- Building a triage model that distinguishes urgent, complex, systemic and suitable-for-early-resolution cases
- Using workflow, templates, service standards and case management data to reduce duplication and strengthen oversight
- Equipping frontline teams to resolve concerns early while preserving independence and escalation routes
- Turning case data into institutional intelligence on recurring services, faculties, student groups, timescales and remedies
Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Complaints: From E6 Compliance to Confident Case Handling
- Demonstrating that published E6 policies are working consistently in practice
- Building trusted reporting routes and reducing repeated disclosure for reporting students
- Supporting all parties while preserving independence, natural justice and clear communication
- Training investigators and decision-makers for sensitive, complex and high-risk cases
Conference Close: Setting Your Priorities for the Next Six Months
Ready to strengthen your complaints and casework approach?
Turn the day’s insight into a clear plan for faster, stronger complaint resolution.
Who Should Attend?
Audience
This Conference is designed for higher education professionals responsible for student complaints, appeals, casework, consumer protection, governance and service improvement. Those in attendance will include:
- Heads and Directors of Student Casework
- Complaints and Appeals Managers
- Academic Registrars and Directors of Registry
- Directors and Heads of Academic Quality and Standards
- Directors of Student Services, Experience and Operations
- University Secretaries, Legal Counsel and Governance Leaders
- Heads of Disability, Accessibility and Student Wellbeing
- Student Conduct, Investigations and Safeguarding Leads
- Students’ Union Advice and Representation Leaders
- Casework Officers, Complaints Analysts and Service Improvement Leads
Registration
Secure Your Ticket
HE and Public Sector
£195 + VAT
- Full-day live conference access
- Latest sector and policy insight
- Actionable case studies and tested approaches
- Live chat functionality
- Breakouts and networking
- Access to event resources
Private Sector
£395 + VAT
- Full-day live conference access
- Latest sector and policy insight
- Actionable case studies and tested approaches
- Live chat functionality
- Breakouts and networking
- Access to event resources
HE Team of 3
£526.50 + VAT
- Full-day live access for three delegates
- Latest sector and policy insight
- Actionable case studies and tested approaches
- Live chat functionality
- Breakouts and networking
- Access to event resources
For group discounts and enquiries about your registration please contact us on enquiries@heprofessional.co.uk