WSET Policies and Procedures

Complaints and Appeals Policy

MS Wine Club is a WSET Approved Programme Provider (APP) that strives to provide exceptional wine education classes and values student feedback. Every student is important to us and all complaints will be taken seriously and handled accordingly.

Complaints are to be submitted in writing. When submitting a complaint, the complainant must submit the following:-

Name, address and contact information
Specify your preferred method of communication
Full details of the complaint ie. the cause of dissatisfaction with the operations, actions or behaviour
All supporting information ie. relevant documentation, dates, locations, any witnesses
Details of any previous attempts to resolve the identified dissatisfaction
What action or response you seek to resolve the dissatisfaction

MS Wine Club will log the complaint and will acknowledge the complaint in writing within 3 working days receipt and look to resolve all students’ complaints within 20 business days or less.

Receiving a complaint from an unidentified source potentially limits MS Wine Club’s ability to effectively investigate that complaint. However, if an anonymous complaint is received MS Wine Club will consider if there is enough information in the complaint to enable further investigation.

The APP undertakes to investigate all complaints in a thorough and professional manner. This includes, but is not limited to:

Acknowledge the complaint in writing within 3 working days receipt and look to resolve all students’ complaints within 20 business days or less.
Informing the complainant of the outcome of the investigation in writing.
Informing the complainant of the appropriate escalation of the complaint if the initial outcome is still unsatisfactory.

Examples of complaints would be:

Dis-satisfaction with teaching, facilities or administration of WSET courses.
Allegations of discrimination or unfair treatment.
Falsifying results, assisting candidates with answers.
Allowing unauthorised material into the exam room e.g. phones, notes etc.
Allowing candidates to copy from each other.
Disruptive behaviours e.g. talking during the exam.

If you wish to submit a written complaint, please contact:

Email   contact@ms-wineclub.com
Call     0414 311 584
Write   Level 4, 141 Osborne Street, South Yarra, 3141

Complaints Against the Awarding Body

Complaints against the Wine and Spirit Education Trust should, in the first instance, be discussed with the MS Wine Club representative and documented evidence will then be forwarded to The Wine and Spirit Education Trust who have their own complaints policy https://www.wsetglobal.com/wset-school-london/student-information/quality-assurance/complaints

Candidates requiring re-mark and/or feedback on their examination paper should contact MS Wine Club and request an Enquiry and Feedback Form. The form must be completed and submitted to WSET Awards along with the appropriate fee within six weeks of the date of the examination. Any request received outside this time frame will not be reviewed. Enquiries and feedback will be issued within two weeks of receipt by WSET Awards.

Conflict of Interest Policy

The MS Wine Club is an Approved Programme Provider (APP) by WSET Awards and as a regulated awarding organisation. We are required to identify, monitor and manage all conflicts of interest which may have an adverse effect on the qualifications we offer, and we must take all reasonable steps to mitigate such adverse effect where it exists.

This policy offers guidance to individuals engaged in activities undertaken on behalf of WSET Awards which have the potential to lead them to act contrary to the interests of WSET Awards in the development, delivery, assessment and award of its regulated qualifications.

It defines what is meant by conflict of interest, describes such conflicts of interest in the context of working with WSET Awards, identifies those conflicts of interest that can be managed and are therefore acceptable and those that cannot be managed and are therefore unacceptable. It also gives examples of potential conflicts of interest.

A conflict of interest can be raised with the APP by contacting

Email   contact@ms-wineclub.com
Call     0411 311 584
Write    Level 4, 141 Osborne Street, South Yarra, 3141

Scope of this Policy

This policy is applicable to all members of staff employed by My Sommeliers Wine Club P/L and/or their representatives. This includes those involved providing the course and exam delivery of WSET qualifications, question-setting, marking of assessments, delivery of WSET programmes of study leading to WSET qualifications, marketing of WSET qualifications, production of study materials, examination papers, qualification certificates and all other associated resources and services.

This policy should be considered in instances of both actual and perceived conflicts of interest.

Definition of Conflict of Interest

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

These can arise in many different aspects of awarding organisation activity, such as:

An individual whose personal interests or loyalties conflict with their awarding organisation involvement.
An individual who receives remuneration for services that conflict with their awarding organisation involvement.
An individual whose acts put WSET Awards in a position of non-compliance with its regulatory responsibilities.

Whilst it would be impossible to give a definitive list of scenarios representing potential conflicts of interest, the following have been identified from WSET Awards’ Risk Management review as significant.

Specific examples of conflicts of interest include the following:

The undertaking of any 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 any 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 tutoring of candidates by any individual involved in the assessment process.
The undertaking of a WSET-regulated qualification by any individual employed by an APP.
The undertaking of a WSET-regulated qualification by any individual employed by WSET Awards.
The invigilation of a WSET-regulated qualification by any individual involved in the delivery of training leading to the assessment.
The delivery of “coaching sessions” to examination candidates by any individual involved in the assessment of candidate scripts or the authoring of examination questions.
The employment by an APP of individuals engaged in the delivery of taught programmes or in the role of Internal Assessor in another APP.

Some potential or perceived conflicts of interest can be managed and are therefore acceptable. In more problematic situations, MS Wine Club will take guidance from WSET Awards.

Where there are scenarios, other than those listed above, that could constitute a conflict of interest, MS Wine Club will take actions to redress any such instances that come to their attention other than by declaration from the individual concerned. Such actions may also include the imposition of sanctions, if deemed appropriate

Guidance on Handling Conflicts of Interest

Any individual engaged with MS Wine Club in the provision of undertaking the WSET courses, as identified under the scope of this policy, is required to make a “Declaration of Interest” by informing MS Wine Club of any potential conflict of interest.

Certain individuals, such as those involved in the assessment process are also required to submit a signed declaration of “Non-disclosure”. It is essential that any conflict of interest is declared to MS Wine Club immediately. Any student who fails to declare a potential conflict of interest is in breach of our criteria for approval, which may affect their ability to undertake the course.

MS Wine Club has processes and procedures in place to manage actual or perceived conflicts of interest. Such instances will be handled on an individual basis to ensure that the integrity of our assessments is not compromised.

Privacy and Data Protection Policy

MS Wine Club is committed to protecting your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal information you share with us, or that we receive from others, and keep it safe.

This document sets out our date processing practices and your rights and options regarding the ways in which your personal information is used and collected. If you have any queries please contact MS Wine Club on contact@ms-wineclub.com

MS Wine Club has the following procedures in place to safeguard data collected by it as an awarding organisation:

All students and educators have access to this policy;
MS Wine Club is required to inform students of how their data will be processed for the purposes of registration and certification of a WSET qualification;
Forms which require the collection of personal or sensitive personal data include a data protection statement informing individuals about how their data will be processed;
Data collected by MS Wine Club is not used for marketing purposes or shared with third parties in a situation other than stated below under “sharing your information with third parties”;
No personal data is disclosed to anyone outside of MS Wine Club without the prior written consent of the individual in a situation other than stated below under “sharing your information with third parties”;
Access to personal information on the Ms Wine Club is restricted to authorised users;
All records are kept accurate and up-to-date as far as practicable; MS Wine Club relies on individuals to communicate any changes; and
Where MS Wine Club sends email correspondence to multiple recipients, recipients will be blind-copied.

Data security arrangements

MS Wine Club has appropriate measures in place to ensure the data held on our systems is secure. In the event of an unauthorised use of data or data loss, the individuals concerned will be notified and a recovery plan implemented. This will include a risk assessment and review of operating procedures.

This policy must be made available to candidates upon request.

Data Protection and Privacy Policy

MS Wine Club collect personal information from you, which may include information about your:

name
contact information
interactions with us
billing information
other information provided by the student
other information (e.g. grades) provided by WSET awards.

We collect your personal information in order to:

meet the legitimate needs of the MS Wine Club and WSET awards,
maintain a community of learning (where you wish to opt in).

Besides our staff, we share this information with:

WSET Awards.

We keep your information safe by storing your information securely and restricting access to authorised users only.

You have the right to ask for a copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of your information, or to have it corrected, please contact us at:

Email   contact@ms-wineclub.com
Call     0411 311 584
Write   Level 4, 141 Osborne Street, South Yarra, 3141

Sharing of your Personal Information with Third Parties

For us to provide you with products and services, we on occasion share some of your personal information with certain approved third parties. These include course providers, suppliers (eg. our IT services provider) and regulatory bodies (eg. WSET)

We reserve the right to disclose your personal information to third parties:

in the event that we buy or sell any business or assets, in which case we may disclose your personal information to the prospective buyer or seller of such business or assets;
if substantially all of our assets are acquired by a third party, personal information held by us may be one of the transferred assets;
with our professional advisors eg lawyers, where necessary to protect our interests;
if we are under any legal or regulatory obligation to do so; and
in connection with any legal proceedings or prospective legal proceedings, in order to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights.

Diversity and Equality Policy

MS Wine Club fully supports the principles of Equal Opportunities. We strive to ensure that all candidates for our qualifications are treated fairly and on an equal basis.

Equal opportunity is assured by:

the selection, recruitment and training of those working for this APP;
consideration at an early stage in the development of new schemes or qualifications;
ensuring that the format and content of all syllabi, examinations and other do not discriminate against anyone which is the responsibility of WSET Awards by whom we are approved to teach WSET qualifications;
ensuring there are no barriers to entry to units and qualifications, which we deliver and/or offer, for disabled people, women or men, or people from different racial groups, other than those directly related to the integrity of the units or qualifications. The nature of any barriers will be stated and the inclusion of the requirements that create the barrier justified only and explicitly in terms of the integrity of the unit or the qualification. Details of how the effect of any barriers will be mitigated will be recorded, including using access arrangements or including reasonable adjustments.
clarifying the responsibility of all members of staff and/or consultants, who are involved in the delivery of WSET courses within this APP, to comply with this policy. In particular external parties invited by this APP to contribute to these development arrangements must also, as representatives of relevant learners, ensure that the views of learners and others are taken into account in the development of QCF units and qualifications.
anonymous assessment of examination candidates wherever possible;
promoting practices and procedures that give equal opportunities to everyone;
being required to have equal opportunity policies in place;
the variation of any conventional rules and regulations for the conduct of examinations which might inhibit the performance of candidates with specific needs, provided that the standard, quality and integrity of the assessment is not compromised.
working as appropriate with relevant organisations and agencies to develop measures to identify and prevent inequality of opportunity;
making every effort to ensure that there is equality of opportunity in its assessment process, regardless of the candidate’s gender, age, racial origin, religious persuasion, sexual orientation or disability;
ensuring, to the best of our ability, that any documentation produced does not contain language or images which may be regarded as offensive or stereotypical, and that they reflect the diversity of contemporary society;

MS Wine Club is an equal opportunity organisation and will consider applications from any organisation or individual who can demonstrate that they meet our approval criteria.

Should you wish to contact us to discuss please do so by

Email   contact@ms-wineclub.com
Call     0411 311 584
Write   Level 4, 141 Osborne Street, South Yarra, 3141

Monitoring

This APP will comply with all current and relevant legislation and this policy will be monitored and reviewed annually.

Candidates who believe they have been discriminated against should contact us in the first instance for advice.

Email   contact@ms-wineclub.com
Call     0411 311 584
Write   Level 4, 141 Osborne Street, South Yarra, 3141

Reasonable Adjustments Policy

In line with WSET policy, MS Wine Club seeks to assess all candidates in a way that puts them at no disadvantage, or advantage, over other candidates.

A reasonable adjustment is any action that helps to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty that places the candidate at a substantial disadvantage in the assessment situation. Reasonable adjustments are approved by WSET and out in place before the assessment activity takes place; they constitute an arrangement to give the candidate access to the qualification. The use of a reasonable adjustment is not taken into consideration during the assessment of a candidate’s work.

Reasonable adjustments must not give unfair advantage over candidates for whom reasonable adjustments are not being made or affect the reliability and validity of the assessment outcomes.

Reasonable adjustments must not affect the integrity of what needs to be assessed, but may involve:

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.

Our facilities are easily accessible from the road and have access to any floor by lift and stairs.

This APP will:

identify any special assessment needs at the time of candidate registration.
inform WSET Awards at least four weeks before the exam date in the case of Level 1 and Level 2 so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
agree the specific arrangements for the examination, or for marking with WSET® Awards, which will vary according to individual circumstances.

WSET Awards reserves the right to seek the advice of independent agencies as appropriate in coming to a decision on specific arrangements and must agree before any reasonable adjustments are offered by this APP to its students.

Please submit any Requests for Reasonable Adjustments at least 5 weeks before the date of the examination.

Email   contact@ms-wineclub.com
Call     0411 311 584
Write   Level 4, 141 Osborne Street, South Yarra, 3141

The candidate is required to provide evidence/statement of disability from an independent professional of the relevant field. MS Wine Club will forward any Requests for Reasonable Adjustments to WSET Awards at the earliest opportunity so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

Candidates and their advisors should also be aware:

that it is not appropriate to make requests for special arrangements where the candidate’s particular difficulty directly affects performance in the actual attributes that are the focus of the assessment
reasonable adjustments will not give unfair advantage over candidates for whom reasonable adjustments are not being made, or alter the assessment demands of the qualification as detailed in the qualification specification.

Special Consideration Policy

Special consideration is an action taken after an assessment to allow candidates who have been disadvantaged by temporary illness, injury, indisposition or adverse circumstances at the time of the assessment to demonstrate attainment.

A candidate may be eligible for special consideration if:

performance in an examination is affected by circumstances beyond the control of the candidate. This may include recent personal illness, accident, bereavement or examination room conditions;
alternative assessment arrangements which were agreed in advance of the assessment proved inappropriate or inadequate;
the application of special consideration would not mislead the end-user of the certificate.

WSET Awards must be notified in writing within seven days of the examination date where special consideration is being requested using the Request for Special Consideration Form. Eligibility will only be considered if accompanied by supporting independent documentation, and please notify MS Wine Club in writing within 10 business days to allow extra time for your request to be passed to WSET Awards.

Where a candidate is unable to attend an examination due to recent personal illness, accident or bereavement, MS Wine Club will endeavour to transfer the candidate to an alternative examination date at no extra cost.

In cases of serious disruption during the examination, the Examinations Officer of this APP must submit a detailed report of the circumstances and candidates affected to the Examinations Administrator at WSET Awards, in addition to the Examination Papers.

It should be noted that WSET Awards does not offer aegrotat awards and that all assessment requirements of WSET qualifications must be met. It is also our policy that special considerations will not give unfair advantage over candidates for whom special considerations are not being applied, or alter the assessment demands of the qualification as detailed in the qualification specification.

If a candidate is unable to attend an examination for which they have been registered due to circumstances outside their direct control, they should notify this APP as soon as possible by submitting a request in writing to MS Wine Club setting out in full why special consideration should be applied.

Eligibility for special consideration will only be considered by MS Wine Club post exam if accompanied by supporting independent documentation and received within 3 clear business days post the exam date in order for it to be sent to WSET within the 7 clear business day deadline.

Any request for special consideration or to transfer a candidate’s course dates or examination date will be reviewed by MS Wine Club on a case-by-case basis. All requests must be made in writing. Where applicable, students should be transferred to the next suitable examination date pending approval from WSET Awards. Please note that administration fees may apply.

Email   contact@ms-wineclub.com
Call     0411 311 584
Write   Level 4, 141 Osborne Street, South Yarra, 3141

Malpractice and Maladministration

The aim of this policy is to protect the interests of MS Wine Club students and safeguard the integrity of WSET qualifications by ensuring compliance with MS Wine Club Policies and Procedures. It provides a framework for the identification, reporting and management of any potential malpractice or maladministration and for the application of sanctions.

Non-compliance with MS Wine Club Policies and Procedures generally falls into one of two followed categories:

Maladministration, where non-compliance is accidental rather than intentional;

Malpractice where non-compliance is intentional or the result of negligence.

The boundaries between maladministration and malpractice are not clear-cut. Some incidents may fall into either category depending on the wider context. Some maladministration incidents may become malpractice e.g. through failure to implement corrective measures, repetition of the incident, or subsequent attempt at non-disclosure or misrepresentation. A malpractice incident may be deemed to be maladministration if there are extenuating circumstances. Whether a situation is maladministration or malpractice will be determined by MS Wine Club following an investigation.

Malpractice or maladministration may include:

Failure to adhere MS Wine Club Policies and Procedures;
Failure to comply with the APP Code of Conduct;
Failure to carry out course or assessment delivery in accordance with WSET Awards requirements;
Failure to adhere to MS Wine Club candidate registration and certification procedures;
Late student registrations;
Fraudulent claim for certificates/fraudulent use of certificates/reproduction or forgery of certificates;
Withholding of information from MS Wine Club which is critical to maintaining the rigour of quality assurance;
Insecure storage of assessment materials;
Submission of false or inaccurate information to gain a qualification;
Cheating, including the use of unauthorised devices or materials;
Disruptive behaviour in an examination;
Plagiarism of any nature by students;
Impersonation (including forgery of signatures);
Any action likely to lead to an adverse effect;
Breach of confidentiality;
Failure to a disclose Conflict of Interest;
Issue of incorrect exam results/failure to issue results to students in a timely manner;
Unauthorised reading/amendment/copying/distribution of exam papers;
Failure to report changes in ownership/personnel/location/facilities;
Denial of access to information, documentation, workforce, facilities;
Failure to respond to ‘MS Wine Club in a timely manner;
Failure to return examination papers within the specified timeframe or to follow delivery and tracking regulations;
Infringement of WSET copyright, trademarks, intellectual property rights and brand identity;
Use of unqualified and/or unregistered educators or internal assessors;
Misleading advertising/publicity

Responsibilities of the APP

MS Wine Club will implement reporting systems to ensure compliance with its own Policies and Procedures which is in correlation with WSET. These will be reviewed regularly to ensure they are fit for purpose. If required MS Wine Club will seek assistance from WSET Awards on how best to prevent, investigate and deal with allegations of malpractice or maladministration by contacting them at qa@wsetglobal.com

MS Wine Club is committed to notify WSET Awards immediately if notice any noncompliance issues or if receive such information from candidates or anyone else. Notification will be conducted by phone or by followed mail qa@wsetglobal.com

If any non-compliance issue is noted during a WSET examination, the Examinations Officer will notify WSET Awards by submitting a Notification of Malpractice Form.

A MS Wine Club Examination Officer is responsible for ensuring that all staff involved in the delivery and/or administration of the WSET programme run it in accordance with the rules, regulations and procedures set out in APP Handbook, are aware of, and comply with, this policy.

The Examination Officer agrees to co-operate fully with WSET Awards in any investigation of alleged malpractice at the APP including the removal and/or suspension of staff from their WSET duties during such investigation.

Any candidate, educator, invigilator has the right to appeal any decision made against them using the MS Wine Club Complaints and Appeals Policy.

All other notifications will be submitted in writing (email) and will include:

A detailed account of the circumstances surrounding the suspicions and allegations
Details of any consequent actions or investigations;
Any extenuating circumstances (e.g. medical reports);
Details of any procedures followed for informing staff/students of consequences of malpractice and maladministration;
Any unauthorised materials found during assessment;
Written statements signed and dated by any individuals involved.
Management of non-compliance

If malpractice or maladministration is identified, WSET Awards will consider its impact and may apply sanctions accordingly. WSET Awards will take all reasonable steps to ensure that students who are affected by malpractice or maladministration through no fault of their own are not disadvantaged. However, in some cases, it may be necessary to disallow or withhold results and/or certificates.

Managing of non-compliance include different form of sanctions described in APP Handbook in tables named as Sanctions Applicable to APPs and Sanctions Applicable to Students. Appeals against these sanctions or penalties are allowed following the Appeals against WSET Awards.

Cancellations and Refunds

WSET Level 1 policy

If the candidate notifies MS Wine Club by email that they wish to cancel the course not less than 16 days before the start date, the candidate will be entitled to a 70% refund. Refunds will be processed within 14 days of receiving your request via bank transfer to the original payer.

There is no charge for transferring your booking to the same course on an alternative date provided you notify MS Wine Club in writing not less than 16 days before the start of your current course booking.

If the candidate notifies MS Wine Club less than 16 days before the start of your current course a transfer fee of 30% of the course fee will be charged.

Candidates are not allowed to transfer between courses 16 days before the course start date. If the candidate fails to attend any course no refund will apply.

Candidates must request a cancellation, refund or transfer in writing by sending an email to contact@ms-wineclub.com. Cost of study material is non-refundable.

WSET Level 2 policy

If the candidate notifies MS Wine Club by email that they wish to cancel the course not less than 16 days before the start date, the candidate will be entitled to a 80% refund. Refunds will be processed within 14 days of receiving your request via bank transfer to the original payer.

If the candidate notifies MS Wine Club less than 16 days before the start of your current course a transfer fee of 30% of the course fee will be charged.

Candidates are not allowed to transfer between courses less than 16 days before the course start date. If the candidate fails to attend any course no refund will apply.

Candidates must request a cancellation, refund or transfer in writing by sending an email to contact@ms-wineclub.com. Cost of study material is non-refundable.

Exams and Re-sits

Candidates may only sit the exam with MS Wine Club, upon successful completion of the course and not prior.

Exam re-sits for courses completed with external providers will not be permitted by MS Wine Club.

If an enrolled candidate notifies MS Wine Club in writing that they wish to cancel the exam or re-sit not less than 16 days before the start date of the exam, the candidate will be entitled to a refund of the exam cost.

Refunds will be processed within 14 days of receiving your request via bank transfer to the original payer. Cancellation of less than 16 days will not be permitted a refund.

Candidates must request a cancellation, refund or transfer in writing by sending an email to contact@ms-wineclub.com. Cost of study material is non-refundable.

WSET Policies and Procedures

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