The Essential Psychotherapy Institute (EPI), as an SNRO-accredited Dutch educational institution, upholds the quality standards of HBO-level professional education. This procedure ensures students and staff have a clear, fair, and protected route to voice and resolve concerns, consistent with the expectations of Dutch higher vocational training and SNRO’s quality framework.
This complaints procedure is an official part of the Institute's student policy framework and applies to all students, faculty, and staff.
1. Purpose and Principles
As a provider of HBO-level education, EPI is committed to:
Ensuring a safe, professional, and respectful educational environment.
Resolving issues at the earliest possible stage in an open and structured way.
Investigating complaints with integrity, transparency, and confidentiality, aligned with SNRO’s independent quality assurance standards.
2. Timelines
EPI will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days.
We aim to resolve complaints within 4 weeks of submission.
If more time is required due to complexity or availability, we will inform you with an updated expected resolution date.
3. Steps in the Complaints Process
Step 1: Informal Resolution
You are encouraged to speak directly with the person involved in the concern. Most issues can be resolved informally in this way.
Step 2: Instructor Mediation
If Step 1 does not resolve the issue, report it to your instructor, who will take responsibility for addressing it and facilitating a resolution.
Step 3: Review by Complaints Coordinator
If the issue remains unresolved, it will be escalated to the Complaints Coordinator (a senior faculty member not directly involved), who will:
Review the facts.
Conduct further discussion if needed.
Provide a written resolution response.
Step 4: Internal Appeal
If you are dissatisfied with the outcome, you may submit a written request for a second internal review, conducted by a separate senior faculty member or director not involved in previous steps.
Step 5: External Mediation
If no agreement is reached internally, EPI will arrange for a neutral, external mediator (not employed by or affiliated with EPI) to facilitate a final resolution.
4. Safeguarding Measures for Serious Cases
As an SNRO-accredited training provider, EPI upholds Dutch standards for psychological safety:
In cases involving harassment, safety concerns, or serious allegations, temporary safeguarding measures may be implemented (e.g., separating individuals, adjusting group roles or settings) to ensure a safe learning environment during the investigation.
5. Confidentiality and Respect
All complaint-related information is handled as strictly confidential.
It is only accessible to those directly involved in the complaints process.
Breaches of confidentiality by complainants or involved parties may lead to withdrawal of access to the complaint procedure or disciplinary review.
6. GDPR and Data Protection
In compliance with EU GDPR regulations:
All personal data related to complaints is securely stored.
Data is shared only with those handling the complaint.
Complaint records are kept for up to five years, after which they are deleted or anonymized unless required for legal purposes.
Data is used solely to resolve the complaint and inform institutional improvement.
7. Protection Against Reprisal
Students and staff are assured of the right to voice complaints without fear of reprisal. EPI will investigate all complaints in good faith. However, intentionally malicious or knowingly false complaints may result in consequences under the student or staff code of conduct.
8. Quality Monitoring and Annual Review
As part of our quality assurance obligations:
EPI maintains an anonymized record of all complaints, including the type of issue, time to resolution, and any actions taken.
These are reviewed annually by the EPI Ethical Committee.
Trends are analyzed to improve institutional procedures, student support, and communication.