Service standards

Placement Promise

30 point plan to ensure high standards

Our contractual standards mean that, inter alia, we adopt the following 30 point placement promise:
1. We tell all parties who is paying us to do what.
2. We ask institutions to train us in their systems, and we constantly seek training on student integration and welfare and institutional requirements and Home Office rules.
3. We independently advise students on what is best for them according to the requirements they notify us of and within the specification of their instructions to us, regardless of who they apply to or which institution pays us, we thus act in students best interests by giving best advice rather than granting institutions exclusivity.
4. We stick to facts when selling, avoiding criticism of institutions but highlighting comparative advantages, also we restrict our representations where supplied marketing collateral to that provided, but also encourage institutions who wish us to brief students to train us to the same standard as their own staff so that representations about academic matters such as content, industry connection, required experience, accommodation matters such as deposits and guarantors, and employability matters such as market supply, careers service and visa rules, are realistic.
5. We do not represent minors.
6. We sift out questionable visa and course applications, likewise we steer students towards only what they have the money, English skills and academic ability to succeed in, we thus minimise the risk of reputational damage to us and institutions and avoid us being downgraded from gold to silver and institutions having their sponsor licence put at risk on enrolment, attendance and pass statistics.
7. We warn students to enrol, attend and pass, and not to upset the Home Office by failing to disclose changed circumstances.
8. We have a complaints procedure.
9. We stay away from any suggestion of government endorsement.
10. We ensure students know everything about payments duties and rights.
11. We undergo all eligible training for education agents from British Council, UKCISA, NUS, HELOA, ACA, QAA, NARIC, UCAS.
12. We try to promote an idea of how educations should operate in Sri Lanka through our websites.
13. We advise and counsel students.
14. We recognise our influence over students.
15. We stick to our sphere of competence and have referrals available for exceptional cases, such as to counsellors or immigration advisers.
16. We factor in differing cultures by deploying staff from the source country.
17. We maintain a professional distance from students to avoid inadvertently being seen as friends whose advice may be trusted unquestioningly.
18. We do not accept gifts.
19. We avoid working with students who indicate an intention to overstay or work illegally, which would eventually tar us.
20. We welcome institutions to provide students with an outreach manager who can address any concerns they may have with ongoing service from us so that they have a measure of reassurance that we do not disappear once they have their place.
21. We agree to communicate in writing to avoid cultural differences leaving a party exposed.
22. We provide named contacts you always deal with, and expect relationship management to be applied to all agents so that those supplying excessive failing or absent students are terminated, eg reviews, tiers, audits.
23. We make it clear to students that we are only introducers or ‘marketing agents’ and thus not contractual agents of the admissions department and thus cannot bind institutions.
24. As our goals rely on references we are more interested in performing on metrics than a numbers game of students of random quality.
25. We do not use sub-agents.
26. We will promote all courses offered by our institutions, however it remains the institutions responsibility not to prevent a skew in applications in favour of or against particular courses by not imposing differences that skew demand.
27. As our director is a paralegal we actually read contracts.
28. We provide 24 hour response and are contactable via phone, text, email and social media, plus we can attend a sensible number of relationship management meetings.
29. We request campus visits so that we can promote institutions from first hand experience and we can even stream photos, video and reports to our website, facebook, twitter and instagram.
30. We warn students that courses do not guarantee entry to their profession in their country, nor employment or residency in the UK.
We also recommend that institutions interview agents and give us an appointment certificate to confirm we are an introducer and have authority to help students with applications.

Briefing Protocol

59 point plan for well informed students

Our contractual standards also mean that likewise, we expect institutions, in combination with what we agree to provide, to ensure that students receive a briefing to include our 59-point protocol, so that students know exactly where they are going, why, and what they are getting into:

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1. Recruitment:

a. an overview of the nature of UK higher education and HE qualifications,

b. the profile of the institution,

c. details of registered representatives or agents and expected standards of service,

d. entry requirements, including English language proficiency, acceptance conditions, payment deadlines, deposits required and refund policies,

e. estimated cost of living, including accommodation costs, in the UK,

f. study costs (including tuition fees and other costs) and details of whether and how such costs may alter during the course,

g. programme details, including:

i. the nature and type of qualification;

ii. credit value and level;

iii. study routes and options available within the programme;

iv. principal methods of teaching, learning and assessment;

v. progression opportunities; and

vi. whether or not the programme is externally recognised or accredited, for example by a professional, statutory or regulatory body (PSRB),

h. details of any scholarships and other financial assistance schemes,

i. an indication of student support services, such as careers advice, that are made available, and

j. employability including opportunities for work experience, volunteering and work placements.

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2. Admissions:

a. admissions policies and processes, including any variation for international students and processes for entry part-way through an academic year,

b. application deadlines and processes for considering applications,

c. student classification for tuition fee purposes,

d. application fees,

e. how students who need a visa should go about securing one, signposting relevant organisations and sources of further information, advice and guidance,

f. contact point for enquiries,

g. details of where students may need to satisfy Home Office requirements (including for English language competency) in addition to the entry requirements set by the institution,

h. availability of pre-sessional courses or academic study skills courses,

i. deadlines, decision making time, and

j. contact for equivalent accreditation credit transfer.

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3. Joining instructions:

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a. advice on where students need to go and what they need to do immediately on arrival,

b. guidance on how to arrive safely at the institution or accommodation,

c. emergency and out-of-hours contact details which, as a minimum, should include the UK's emergency telephone number (999),

d. a recommendation that students make appropriate arrangements to access money upon arrival in the UK and/or to finance themselves until such access can be arranged,

e. details of how students can contact home upon arrival to confirm that they have arrived safely),

f. details of any 'meet and greet' services made available by the institution,

g. what to expect upon arrival from immigration control, including what documents are needed, when, and where students will need to bring them,

h. details of any accommodation that the HEI makes available or privately-run accommodation,

i. details of the registration/enrolment process and the documents that entrants will need,

j. details of any orientation/induction programmes that the HEI makes available,

k. services and support (academic and non-academic) available to students at the institution,

l. access to banks,

m. basic guidance on personal safety and British law,

n. arrangements for healthcare, including students' entitlements, insurance that may be necessary,

o. signposting to useful sources of information about coming to and living in the UK, including entitlements or restrictions on working while studying, such as from UKBA, the British Council or UKCISA (see 'Sources of further information'),

p. signposting for academic preparation, and

q. suitability and availability of accommodation and deadlines deposits rent and contracts.

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4. Orientation:

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a. enrolment process and documents,

b. advice on settling in and information on living in the UK,

c. details of social, sporting, spiritual (faith-based) and leisure facilitates on campus,

d. advice on recognising and dealing with cultural shock and sources of guidance and support,

e. arrangements for healthcare and personal welfare,

f. details of any 'buddying' schemes or similar,

g. academic support, including for language proficiency, and

h. inhouse immigration adviser.

5. Academic induction:

a. learning and teaching methods, assessment methods and criteria for assessment,

b. grading and classification systems where appropriate,

c. feedback on assessment - types and usage,

d. academic practice and malpractice (for example, plagiarism),

e. the institution's expectations towards students as active and independent learners,

f. academic support including, where relevant, the use of tutors and tutorials,

g. the institution's rules and regulations governing the academic experience including its complaints and appeals procedures, and

h. opportunities for student representation and feedback.

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Our 30 point promise and student briefing protocol only apply by incorporation into our standard terms, or into an institution’s written agreement by our written agreement.