Policies

Compliments & Complaints Policy

We are committed to listening and responding to our customers, employees, associates and partners, to offer choice, access and flexibility. We aim to improve our services through customer feedback – positive or negative – and always welcome the opportunity to put things right if a problem has occurred.

Click here to view our Customer Compliments, Comments and Complaints Policy

 

Whistleblowing Procedure

Babcock is very keen to ensure all of its sectors are operating safely, ethically and legally. To ensure this is always the case staff can use our Group confidential whistleblowing service to report any suspicions they may have concerning cases of malpractice or misconduct.

This service can be used if staff feel they are unable to raise concerns with local management teams. However any routine day-to-day issues of purely operational differences of view should be dealt with by local management.

The reporting service is confidential and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Here are some examples of the issues that staff can report in confidence using the whistleblowing service:

  • Breaches of the Babcock Code of Conduct (including any suspected or attempted act of bribery of or by a Babcock employee, representative, contractor or agent)
  • Criminal offences or activities
  • Exposing fraud
  • Issues of bullying or harassment
  • Financial mismanagement or corruption
  • Endangering of individual health and safety
  • Failure to comply with legal obligations or breaches of legislation
  • Payments in exchange for awarding contracts
  • Risks to the environment
  • Occurrence of a miscarriage of justice

Any concerns reported will be investigated by an appropriate member staff and anyone reporting a genuine belief of malpractice or misconduct will be protected within the confines of the law. If you have a genuine belief please use the reporting system so we can put a stop to any wrong doing in our company.

If you are an employee in the UK, you can use one of the following options to report a concern:
Telephone: 0808 100 5689 (access code: 22226#)

Email: via www.intouchfeedback.com/babcock (access code: 22226#)

Write to:
In Touch (Babcock)
Blythe Valley Innovation Centre
Blythe Valley Park
Solihul
West Midlands
B90 8AJ

 

Subcontracting Policy

Babcock is committed to working with subcontractors in delivering a professional learner and employer experience; an experience that incorporates best practices in training and assessment, technology and tools, and ensuring the learner is at the centre of everything we do.
Our intention of partnering with subcontractors is:

  • To bring about a material improvement to the learner and/or employer experience

To utilise subject matter expertise where it doesn’t exist within Babcock
To provide a complete apprenticeship service to our employers
The purpose of this policy is to ensure effective management of subcontractors and adherence to the necessary policies, procedures and processes stipulated by government agencies (like the Education and Skills Funding Agency) and our own organisation. Our initial engagement with and final decision to partner with a subcontractor will be informed by the following:
A fair, open and transparent tender process (where required)

  • Compliance with all legal and contractual requirements
  • Agreeing to our Service Level Agreement that describes the role and responsibility of both parties (Babcock and the subcontractor)
  • An open relationship with key stakeholders in the subcontractor organisation such that we are able to share improvement opportunities – operational delivery, learner volumes, etc.
  • Value for money – for the learner, employer, subcontractor, Babcock and government.

Due diligence
As part of the standard due diligence all suppliers are required to sign up to and agree to the Babcock Supplier code of conduct .Our standard due diligence requires evidence of a suppliers Health & Safety Policy, Environmental Policy, and Quality Policy, with the supplier agreeing to allow Babcock staff on site to perform an assessment of aforementioned policies.
The standard due diligence also covers

  • Financial stability – a fit-for-business assessment
  • Suitability against requirement – a fit-for-purpose assessment
  • Organisational overview – management structure, directly employed staff, any outsourced activity
  • Evidence of appropriate capacity and expertise of staff
  • Evidence of previous delivery and results
  • Consideration of added value
  • Current QA systems
  • Current status with ESFA / other funding bodies
  • Evidence of required registers and accreditations such as the RoATP