Complaints and Appeals Policy

Overview

This policy sets out how to raise a complaint about LII's service and how to appeal an LII decision. LII treats every complainant and appellant fairly, respectfully and in confidence. No one will be disadvantaged for making a complaint or appeal in good faith.

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction with LII's service, conduct or administration. An appeal is a request to review a decision on one of the recognised grounds. A complaint does not reopen a decision.

1. General principles

Accessibility. Clear information about the process is available to everyone. Support is available on request. No one is discriminated against for making a complaint or appeal.

Fairness. Every case is considered objectively and without prejudice. Every complainant or appellant may be represented. Decisions are consistent with LII's published standards.

Confidentiality. Case information is held securely, shared only with those directly involved, protected under LII's data-protection obligations, and communicated only to the parties concerned.

2. Complaints procedure

Stage 1 — Informal resolution. Concerns can be raised informally with the LII contact for the matter. LII aims to discuss the concern within 5 working days. Where informal resolution does not work, the complainant may make a formal complaint.

Stage 2 — Formal complaint. A formal complaint may be made in writing at any time. It should include a description of the events, any supporting evidence and the outcome sought. LII will:

• acknowledge it within 5 working days;
• assign it to an investigator who was not involved in the matter complained of;
• keep the complainant informed in writing;
• give a written response, including any action to be taken, within 30 working days.

Complaints about an assessor's conduct are handled by the Head of Assessment for the scheme and reported to the Standards Committee. A complaint about the Head of Assessment is handled by the Chair of the Standards Committee.

3. Appeals procedure

3.1 Decisions that may be appealed

Professional certification (CEL–CXL) and Certified Young Leader:

• any ratified assessment outcome: Pass, Merit, Distinction or Not Yet Competent;
• a decision not to renew a certification, or to require reassessment at renewal;
• a decision to suspend a certification, withdraw current certified status, or rescind an award (LII-POL-002).

Readiness-check outcomes, requests for further evidence and deferrals are process stages, not final decisions. They are not appealable, but concerns about them may be raised as a complaint.

Programme Recognition: a recognition decision, or a decision to suspend or withdraw recognition (LII-ASM-008 Section 17).

LEM Organisational Accreditation: see section 3.6.

3.2 Grounds of appeal

An appeal may be made where there is an arguable defect in how the decision was reached, on one or more of these grounds:

1. Procedural irregularity: the assessment or decision was not conducted in accordance with a material requirement of LII's published standards or the assessment specification, and this could have affected the outcome.
2. Conflict of interest or lack of independence: a person involved in the assessment or decision was not independent as LII's standards require.
3. Material evidence not considered: evidence that was validly submitted and was material to the decision was not considered.
4. New evidence: relevant evidence that could not reasonably have been provided before the decision, and that could have affected the outcome.
5. Assessment criteria applied incorrectly: the published criteria were misapplied, including a calculation or recording error.
6. Unfair or materially inconsistent treatment: the appellant was treated unfairly, or materially inconsistently with how the published standard is applied, in a way that could have affected the outcome.
7. Materially disproportionate decision: the decision is materially disproportionate to the findings recorded.

Disagreement with a grade or with professional judgement properly exercised under the published standard, without one of these grounds, is not itself a ground of appeal. An appeal that identifies no recognised ground is not accepted, and the appellant is told why in writing.

3.3 Making an appeal

An appeal must be made in writing within 20 working days of written notification of the decision. It should state the grounds and include all supporting evidence. LII acknowledges it within 5 working days.

3.4 Appeal Panel

Appeals are heard by an Appeal Panel of at least three independent members with relevant expertise. No member may have had any involvement in the decision appealed. Each member declares any interests before taking part.

The panel reviews the decision, the record and the appeal, considers any admissible new evidence, and checks that the process was followed. It may:

• dismiss the appeal; or
• uphold the appeal and direct a remedy. The remedy may be a fresh assessment or decision on the affected matter by assessors with no prior involvement, or the correction of a recording or calculation error.

The panel does not itself award a grade, level or status. Its decision and reasons are given in writing.

3.5 Final Appeal

An appellant who believes the Appeal Panel did not follow this procedure may make a Final Appeal to the Chair of LII's Governance Board within 20 working days of the panel's decision. A Final Appeal considers the procedural conduct of the appeal only. It is the final stage within LII, and its decision is binding.

3.6 LEM Organisational Accreditation

LEM appeals follow LII-ASM-009 Clause 17. An organisation may appeal a decision, a monitoring outcome, a suspension or a withdrawal within 20 working days, on these grounds:

• procedural irregularity that could have affected the outcome;
• misapplication of the specification, including a calculation error;
• a decision not reasonably supported by the evidence submitted;
• conflict of interest or bias.

New evidence is not admitted. The Appeal Panel may dismiss the appeal, or uphold it and remit the case to a new Assessment Panel. Final Appeal is to the Governance Board Chair on procedural conduct only.

3.7 Effect of an appeal

An appeal does not suspend the decision appealed unless the Appeal Panel directs otherwise. Scheme-specific rules on use of a designation or mark during an appeal apply.

4. Timeframes

5. Monitoring and review

• A complaints and appeals register is kept by the Head of Assessment for each scheme.
• Each stage of each case is documented.
• Records are retained in line with LII's data retention arrangements.
• Cases are reviewed quarterly for trends, and improvement recommendations are made to the Standards Committee and Governance Board.
• This policy is reviewed every year. Material changes are published with 30 days' notice.

6. How to make a complaint or appeal

Use the enquiry form on the Contact page, or write to enquiries@lii.institute with the heading "Formal Complaint" or "Formal Appeal". LII acknowledges receipt within 5 working days. For candidates under 18, LII's approved under-18 controls apply: the candidate keeps the same rights; a parent or guardian may assist but does not replace the candidate; communication uses approved LII channels only.

7. Transitional provision

LII-POL-001 Version 2.0 applies to decisions notified on or after 12 October 2026.

Where an LII decision was notified before 12 October 2026, the person affected will receive the more favourable procedural protection available under either the policy in force when the decision was notified or LII-POL-001 Version 2.0.

No person will lose an appeal or complaint right solely because of the change from Version 1.0 to Version 2.0.

Version history