ANNUAL REPORT 2024 - Introduction to the Annual Report for 2024

Video transcription (PDF | 94kb)

Welcome to our Annual Report for 2024. The Report gives an overview of our work during the year and reflects on our wider context and relevant developments as we progressed our strategic priorities and delivered against our Operating Plan for 2024.

2024 was another complex and challenging year in the higher education sector, with increasingly acute financial pressures in providers, the continuing high cost of living, housing issues, and ongoing concerns about student mental health and wellbeing.

Against this backdrop, and with complaint numbers still rising, we continued to provide an effective service for reviewing and resolving students’ complaints. We made significant improvements in the timeliness of our case-handling process and exceeded all our key performance indicators. We closed 94% of cases within six months of receipt, far exceeding our KPI of 75% and reduced the average number of days to close which is a dramatic improvement in our service to students. We achieved all this whilst also reducing our unit cost.

There is huge value in using learning from complaints to improve students’ experiences of higher education. In 2024 we delivered a full outreach programme to share learning from complaints and to engage constructively with students, their representative bodies and providers.

We also worked extensively with others in the regulatory landscape to contribute to thinking around relevant policy developments, to help promote a joined-up approach and a focus on key issues affecting students. We continued preparations for the expansion of our remit in Wales to further education students, which will give more students the benefit of access to independent redress for their unresolved complaints.

2024 was an important year for developments in our organisation. Our strategic review enabled us to stand back and consider what we need to focus on to improve students’ experiences. This has resulted in revised strategic objectives and priorities which are summarised in our updated strategy for 2025.

We would like to thank our colleagues for their outstanding commitment to our work again this year and our Board for their continued support and valued advice.