1. Complaints and appeals

Enoécole is committed to providing the best learning environment and to guaranteeing students’ satisfaction at all stages of the courses and examinations, therefore every student has the right to a fair and courteous service delivered in the context of its activity as WSET Approved Programme Provider (APP).

Complaints are any expressed dissatisfactions with the behaviour of Enoécole at any stage of the dealings of a student with Enoécole, be it in the administration process, course teaching or exam delivery and must concern a specific fact or circumstance that requires action or response by Enoécole.
Anyone who has been adversely affected by or has witnessed the cause of dissatisfaction, may make a complaint. Third parties (anyone acting on behalf of the affected person) submitting a complaint may only do so with written permission to represent the complainant and their interests, which the complainant must present to WSET.

Enoécole will deal any complaints with impartially and with seriousness with the only aim to assist students in resolving issues with regarding bookings, courses or non–exam related concerns and to promote a positive experience. Every complaint procedure will be deal in a positive manner and Enoécole aims to resolve concerns as quickly as possible and treat them as opportunities to review and improve Enoécole procedures and policies.

Complaint Procedure:

When a complaint is of a minor nature and can be solved informally. At Enoécole staff is always willing to help and solve minor dissatisfactions without any discrimination or prejudice.

When the dissatisfaction is of such a nature as cannot be solved informally, Enoécole will advise the party to submit a formal complaint in writing by email to students@enoecole.com 

When a formal complaint is received, this will be thoroughly be investigated, and actions will include:

• Notifying the complainant that their complaint will be investigated within 7 working days
• Informing in writing the complainant of the outcome of the investigation
• Informing the complainant of the appropriate escalation of the complaint if the initial outcome is still unsatisfactory
• If the student is still dissatisfied with the response from Enoécole or a suitable solution to the is not found, the complaint may be escalated to WSET and the student may file a complaint with the WSET team about Enoécole, at qa@wsetglobal.com 

The complaint should include as much detail as possible on the circumstances that caused the dissatisfaction and provide all contact details of the complainant.
Every complaint will be confidential and if the complaint is on behalf of someone else, Enoécole must know that the writer has the permission of the students involved before Enoécole can proceed further.

2. Privacy

Enoécole WSET is committed to protecting students’ privacy and aim to respect all personal information shared, or that Enoécole receive from others, and keep it safe.
The provision of personal data requested in the registration form in the filling form is mandatory to complete the booking for Enoécole courses (for example: name(s), date of birth, gender, email address and documentation provided for reasonable adjustment or special consideration applications)

Enoécole will only provide candidate’s personal data to WSET in the context of examination registrations and/or certification claims. It will not be used by WSET other than for the administration of the examinations process, conducting assessments and certifying results.
Personal data will be collected and processed by WSET for the purposes of marking and issuing examination results and providing candidates with post-results services.
All the data passed to WSET will be handled in accordance with WSET’s Privacy Policy

Enoécole may arrange for photographs or videos to be taken at any moment during courses.
Persons who do not wish to be photographed or filmed should advise the office in writing before the start of the course at students@enoecole.com, a Permission of Agreement Request will be submitted to candidates together with the booking form

3. Diversity and Equality

Enoécole supports the principles of Equal Opportunities and will take any action to ensure that all candidates for the WSET qualifications are treated fairly and on an equal basis without any artificial barriers, prejudices, or preferences.

Any staff member or student of Enoécole who becomes aware of inequality treatments must inform Enoécole manager (email: alessandro@enocratico.com).

Any unequal treatment will be dealt with by reference to the local legislation applicable in Italy.

4. Refunds and Cancellations

Places will be confirmed and, when applicable, course materials will be sent, only after payment is received. Advance payment is required for all classes and programs.

Only students that have attended a programme of study will be eligible to attend one of the exam dates.
Should attendance not be possible the student is responsible of the full amount

Examination dates are fixed to the course onto which the students book and any transfer to an alternative date will incur an administration fee of €60.00. All transfer requests must be made in writing by email to students@enoecole.com at least 4 weeks before the original examination date.
All transfers of courses and examination dates are subject to availability, should transfer not be possible cancellation charges apply as shown in the table below.

Students registration is fully transferable to another person for the same course and session, subject to qualification. Participants may nominate an alternative person to attend in their place up to 3 weeks prior to the start of the course. The new candidate needs to complete a full booking form for the transfer to be valid and an administration fee of €50.00 will be applicable. All substitution and cancellation requests must be received in writing at students@enoecole.com

All substitutions of courses and examination dates are subject to availability, should substitution not be possible, cancellation charges apply as shown in the table below

Cancellation Charges:

• 8 weeks or more prior to start of course: 10% of the participants fee plus the cost of any materials sent;
• 4 to 8 weeks prior to start of course: 50% of the participants fee plus the cost of any materials sent;
• 4 weeks or less prior to start of course: 100% of the participant’s fee.

Up to 3 weeks before the start of the course students may also request to postpone their booking to a later date, subject to the following charges:

• 8 weeks or more prior to start of the course: €50.00 administration fee;
• 4 to 8 weeks prior to start of course: €50.00 administration fee plus 20% of the participant’s fee;
• 3 to 4 weeks prior to start of course: €50.00 administration fee plus 50% of the participant’s fee.

Failure to attend booked examinations, or transfers requested later than four weeks before the start of the course, will result in the student being liable to subsequent examination fees.
If student choose not to attend the exam and don’t let Enoécole know, the student will be liable to pay the full exam fee to reschedule the exam.

It is not possible to book an exam re-sit until you have received a ‘fail’ result for that exam. It is also not possible to enrol for an exam re-sit if the student have passed the exam, in order to obtain a higher grade. All transfers of courses and examination dates are subject to availability.
A €50.00 administration fee is payable for all transfer requests
All re-sit requests must be received in writing at students@enoecole.com at least 8 weeks before the examination date

Enoécole reserves the right to reschedule or cancel any course. Should this become necessary, registered students may transfer their booking to another scheduled course of the same level at no extra cost or request a refund of the fee minus the cost of any materials sent if this is not returned. In any event, Enoécole shall not be liable for any expenditure, damage or loss incurred by the participant.

Students requiring special examination conditions must submit their request before starting the course. Such requests must be supported by a medical certificate or similar document.

It is the responsibility of participants to arrange appropriate insurance cover in connection with the participation in courses. Enoécole cannot be held responsible for personal injuries or any loss, liability or damage to personal property.

5. Conflicts of Interest

As an APP Enoécole is required to identify to WSET and assist in managing or monitoring actual, potential and perceived conflicts of interest (‘Conflicts of Interest’) involving both APP staff and students. This policy complements WSET’s conflicts of interest policy and works to safeguard the integrity of WSET qualifications and promote confidence in WSET and Enoécole processes and procedures.

This policy applies to all Enoécole staff and students and to any individual acting on behalf of Enoécole.

A Conflict of Interest exists where an individual has interests or loyalties that could adversely influence their judgement, objectivity or loyalty to WSET or Enoécole when conducting activities associated with WSET qualifications.

Examples of Conflicts of Interest include:

• The assessment of candidates by an individual who has a personal interest in the result of the assessment for any or all individuals concerned;

• The moderation of assessment of candidates by an individual who has a personal interest in the result of the assessment for any or all individuals concerned;

• The undertaking of a WSET qualification by any individual employed by an APP;

• The invigilation of a WSET assessment by any individual involved in the delivery of training leading to the assessment;

• The employment by an APP of individuals engaged in the delivery of taught programmes or in the role of Internal Assessor in another APP;

• The investigation of a non-compliance incident by someone who is unable to act impartially.

Some of these Conflicts of Interest are manageable and therefore acceptable. For example, if family member of one of Enoécole’s educators or APP staff takes a qualification and exam through Enoécole ,or when an employee of Enoécole , or of the WSET, takes a WSET qualification through Enoécole, we can notify WSET in advance and work with them to put in place measures to maintain the integrity of the exam.

Some Conflicts of Interest are not manageable and are not acceptable. For example, no mitigation efforts overcome the conflict created when a single individual serves as the educator and exam officer of an exam for a family member where an external invigilator is not available.

Any staff member or student of Enoécole who becomes aware of a Conflict of Interest must inform Enoécole manager Alessandro Marino (email: alessandro@enocratico.com) or refer them to Complaints policy as soon as possible. Alessandro Marino will inform the WSET of the possible conflict of interest and will work with WSET to put any protective or mitigating measures in place to manage the conflict on a case-by-case basis. If WSET and Enoécole  determine the conflict is not manageable, Alessandro Marino will inform any impacted APP staff or students.

Please note that the failure to declare a conflict of interest may have consequences for the student or Enoécole  because we are required to report conflicts to WSET.

6. Reasonable Adjustments 

Both WSET and Enoécole want to make WSET assessments accessible for all students, so none are at an advantage or disadvantage based on a disability or differing ability. This policy and the reasonable adjustment process allows Enoécole to work with students, before an assessment to gather the information needed to submit a request to WSET and work with them to make arrangements that give students access to WSET qualifications.

A reasonable adjustment is any accommodation or arrangement that helps to reduce the effect of a known disability or difficulty that substantially disadvantages a student’s assessment. Using a reasonable adjustment does not impact how WSET grades exam or result, but WSET cannot agree to reasonable adjustments where the particular difficulty directly affects performance necessary to complete the assessment outcomes (e.g., inability to smell or taste for a Level 3 Exam). The goal of a reasonable adjustment is to give an equal access to a WSET qualification, not to give unfair advantages over other students who take an assessment without the same adjustment, or to affect the overall reliability of the assessment outcomes that are explained in the course Specification.

Examples of reasonable adjustments may be:

• Changing standard assessment arrangements, for example allowing candidates extra time to complete the assessment activity;

• Adapting assessment materials, such as providing materials in large text format;

• Providing access facilitators during assessment, such as a sign language interpreter or reader;

• Re-organising the assessment room, such as removal of visual stimuli for an autistic candidate.

Enoécole will gather the information needed from students to submit a Reasonable Adjustment Application form to WSET. WSET must approve and arrange reasonable adjustments before the assessment activity takes place. Before completing enrolment with Enoécole, the APP will give all students access to this policy and the chance to identify any special needs that could require a reasonable adjustment. If a student identifies a special need, Enoécole will give the student the Reasonable Adjustment Application form as soon as possible and work with the student to gather the necessary information.

For any student seeking a reasonable adjustment, please contact students@enoecole.com with:

• Your full name;

• contact information;

• description of the special need, disability or differing ability that requires an adjustment; and

• supporting documentation.

Students must submit this information at least 9 weeks before the exam date for Levels 1-3.
The information the students submit will be shared with WSET in 5 working days and will be handled under WSET’s Privacy and Data Protection Policy.

7. Special Considerations

Special consideration is any adjustment given to a student who has temporarily experienced an illness or injury, or other event outside of their control at the time of the exam that significantly affects their ability to take the exam or their ability to show their knowledge and understanding in the assessment. Special consideration is only for things that happen immediately before or during an exam that have a material impact on your, the student’s, ability to take the exam or on your performance. To be eligible for special consideration, you must have completed the whole course and would have been fully prepared if not for the temporary illness, injury or other uncontrollable event. A special consideration may be for an individual (e.g., a student becomes ill the day of the exam) or a group of students (e.g., an exam is interrupted by a natural disaster).

Students may be eligible for special consideration if:

• Students performance on the exam is adversely affected by an event outside of control. This may include temporary illness, temporary injury, bereavement or exam room conditions;

• Reasonable adjustments which were agreed in advance of the exam proved inappropriate or inadequate;

• The application of special consideration would not make a passing result and certificate misleading about the student’s ability to satisfy the qualification’s assessment criteria.

Applying for special consideration

If Students have taken an exam, or the exam is immediately approaching, and student feel to have a temporary injury or illness, or other uncontrollable event that has interfered with student ability to complete your exam, please contact students@enoecole.com as soon as possible. Enoécole will provide you with a Special Consideration Application Form, which must be completed and returned with supporting documentation within 2 working days after the effected exam. The information submitted will be shared with WSET and will be handled under WSET’s Privacy and Data Protection Policy.

If there has been serious disruption during an exam affecting a group of students, Enoécole will submit a detailed report of the circumstances and candidates affected to WSET to request a special consideration.

Enoécole will keep records of all applications for special consideration.

8. Malpractice and Maladministration

Both Enoécole and WSET have policies and procedures in place to protect WSET students and safeguard the integrity of WSET qualifications. Enoécole ensures compliance with Enoécole and WSET’s policies through this Malpractice and Maladministration Policy, which gives a framework for both us and students to identify, report and manage potential malpractice or maladministration.

Non-compliance with Enoécole or WSET Policies and Procedures can fall into two distinct, but related, categories:

1. Maladministration, where the non-compliance is generally unintentional, or the result of mistakes, carelessness, inexperience or poor processes; and

2. Malpractice where the non-compliance is intentional or the result of a negligent or reckless action without consideration of the consequences of the action.

Context is important and the line between maladministration or malpractice is not always clear for example: maladministration incidents may become malpractice (e.g., if student fail to implement corrective measures, repeat the same or similar incident, or attempt to misrepresent or hide information during an investigation); or there may be mitigating factors that turn potential malpractice into maladministration. Though malpractice and maladministration are distinct concepts, they can shade into one another. Malpractice and maladministration are always case, context and fact specific.
Both APPs and students can commit malpractice and maladministration.

There are many ways that malpractice or maladministration could occur, but some examples of malpractice or maladministration include: 

For APPs:

• Failure to adhere to WSET Policies and Procedures;

• Failure to follow WSET requirements for course delivery or exam regulations;

• Failure to follow WSET’s candidate registration and certification procedures;

• Late student registrations;

• Fraudulent claim for certificates/fraudulent use of certificates/reproduction or forgery of certificates;

• Insecure storage of exam materials;

• Revealing or sharing confidential exam materials with candidates ahead of an exam;

• Failure to disclose a Conflict of Interest;

• Failure to timely respond to WSET;

• Failure to report changes in APP ownership/personnel/location/facilities;

For students:

• Cheating, or facilitating cheating, including the use of unauthorised devices or materials;

• Disruptive behaviour in an exam;

• Plagiarism of any nature by students;

• Impersonation (including forgery of signatures);

• Unauthorised reading/amendment/copying/distribution of exam papers;

• Any action likely to lead to an adverse effect;

• Breach of confidentiality.

In general, we also expect that both Enoécole staff and students should treat others and be treated professionally and respectfully at all times. We will treat inappropriate behaviour including verbal or physical abuse, persistent or unrealistic demands, or threats that cause stress to staff as misconduct and may report student misconduct to WSET as necessary.

Reporting and Investigation of Malpractice or Maladministration:

As an APP, the aim is to ensure compliance with WSET Policies and Enoécole policies and will keep records of potential or actual malpractice or maladministration by students or staff.

Enoécole is required to notify WSET immediately of any non-compliance issues that could be malpractice or maladministration, so that WSET can investigate the non-compliance under their own Malpractice and Maladministration Policy.

Enoécole ask that students also raise any concerns or non-compliance issues that may be malpractice or maladministration with Enoécole as soon as possible by following the process outlined in our Complaints policy. 

During WSET’s investigation, they may reach out to Enoécole or to students directly to request further information or conduct an interview. Please respond to any requests promptly and honestly.

Managing Non-Compliance:

If WSET identifies malpractice or maladministration, they will consider its impact and may apply sanctions. WSET will take all reasonable steps to ensure the sanctions do not disadvantage uninvolved students affected by malpractice or maladministration. However, in some cases, they may need to disallow or withhold results and/or certificates.

Potential sanctions applicable to APP may include:

• Written Warning
• Training
• Invalidation of Results
• Suspension of APP status

Potential sanctions applicable to Students/Candidates may include:

• Written Warning
• Exame results declared null
• Disqualification from a Qualification
• Disqualification from use of WSET certified logos and postnominals

Appeals:

If you wish to appeal penalties or sanctions WSET has imposed due to Malpractice or Maladministration, please follow the procedures laid out in WSET’s Complaints Policy.