Recruitment Particulars
Independent Assessors for Student Finance Appeals and Complaints
Student Loans Company
Introduction from The Rt Hon Greg Clark MP
The Student Loans Company is crucial for students and universities alike, delivering its services
across all four of the Devolved UK Administrations. It has a critical role supporting around 1.6
million student finance applications a year; paying out £6.5 billion in maintenance loans and
grants and £6 billion to higher and further education providers; and managing a nationally
significant Income Contingent Repayment loan book with a value of £62 billion.
I am looking to appoint, in conjunction with Ministers from the Welsh Assembly
Government, six exceptional individuals as Independent Assessors to consider appeals and
complaints which have exhausted the Student Loans Company’s internal appeals and
complaints handling process.
The Independent Assessors act on behalf of Ministers and allow cases to be considered more
quickly and efficiently. An excellent independent assessment function is vital in providing the
Company’s customers with assurance that the appeals and complaints handling process is
sufficiently rigorous. It also provides a valuable source of feedback on the Company’s
performance which will inform their continuous improvement process.
Rt Hon Greg Clark, MP
Minister for Universities and Science
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The Student Loans Company (SLC)
The SLC is a non-profit making organisation set up in 1989 to provide loans and grants to
students in universities and colleges in the UK. It is incorporated as a company limited by
shares under the Companies Acts and is wholly in public ownership – the Department for
Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) being the majority shareholder and lead sponsor
Department, with the remainder of shares held by the Devolved Administrations (DAs).
Student Finance and the SLC remain high profile. The NAO Value for Money (vfm) study and
PAC hearing where BIS and SLC links to reports:
National Audit Office (NAO) Report
http://www.nao.org.uk/report/student-loan-repayments-3/
Public Audit Committee (PAC) Report
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmpubacc/886/88602.htm
SLC works with BIS, the Welsh Government, the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS),
the Education and Library boards in Northern Ireland, Higher Education Institutions and HM
Revenue & Customs (HMRC), to provide student support in the UK.
Its current primary role is to:

pay loans and grants to students

pay tuition fees to colleges and universities

collect repayments, through HMRC and direct from borrowers

make maintenance payments to school pupils aged over 16 in NI and Wales

pay bursaries and scholarships on behalf of universities and colleges

run all the administration and processing associated with these activities
Context
The Government’s White Paper ‘Students at the Heart of the System’, published June 2011,
set out its plans for the Higher Education (HE) sector following changes to funding
arrangements for higher education in England. These changes have led to a reduction in
grant funding and an increase in student funding - albeit that students are now able to
access full tuition loans funded by Government for the cost of their course.
SLC has become the primary source of funding for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in
England – and as such has an increasingly higher profile within the HE sector. The SLC,
working alongside the Higher Education Funding Council England (HEFCE) and other agencies
in the HE sector, has been charged by Ministers with developing a regulatory system for HE
that as far as possible – and in the absence of legislation – puts students at the heart of the
system whilst creating the conditions for institutions to prosper and providing effective
accountability for public investment.
SLC now supports around 1.6 million student finance applications a year; pays out £6.5
billion in maintenance loans and grants and £6 billion to higher and further education
providers; and manages a nationally significant Income Contingent Repayment (ICR) loan
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book with a value of £62 billion. With the launch of Further Education (FE) loans last year;
FE and Colleges are now major stakeholders of the organisation.
Following widely publicised service problems in 2009, SLC has worked hard to improve its
record of operational delivery and significantly improve service levels and has successfully
achieved four consecutive years of safe and accurate services. SLC is now overseeing a
broader range of products and services with increasing volumes and complexity, these
include: changes arising from HE Reforms; Further Education (FE) Loans; Part-time Loans; the
centralisation of eligibility processing for Wales; strengthening it’s management of the ICR
loan book; and work arising from plans to monetise the Mortgage Style and ICR loan books.
SLC’s Vision is to be valued as a digital, customer-focused centre of excellence where all
products are available online - running a best in class, efficient and effective assess, pay and
repay service and capable of designing and building new services. To support this vision it
has launched a major programme of transformation that will invest in replacing aging and
inflexible core systems, drive business, technological and cultural change and will improve
the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation. This puts SLC at the centre of the
Government’s digital delivery agenda and is a major step to ensuring that it offers a modern,
flexible, digital service for all our customers. The SLC has already made progress on this
journey, becoming an exemplar of Cabinet Office’s Government Digital Service (GDS) – and
the first to have live products available to customers.
Locations
SLC have sites in Darlington and Glasgow; there are further offices in London, and Llandudno
Junction in North Wales.
The successful candidates will be expected to attend up to four meetings a year with
representatives from SLC, BIS and the Welsh Government. Such meetings are generally held
in London, Glasgow and Darlington and NEDs will be expected to travel to these locations as
necessary.
For more information on the SLC please visit its website: www.slc.co.uk
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The Role Description and Person Specification
The appointment and recruitment process will be subject to the scrutiny of the Commissioner
for Public Appointments.
Particular qualities sought for the post:
Essential qualities:

Must possess either a Legal qualification or have relevant experience from undertaking
paid or voluntary work in a legal, judicial or quasi-judicial context;

Must have experience of independent decision making in a complaint handling,
Ombudsman or similar environment;

Must have the ability to interpret and apply statutory criteria to a decision-making
process;

Must be able to demonstrate experience of using high level analytical skills including the
ability to review evidence and produce well-informed findings;

Demonstrable commitment to producing decisions and advice to timescales.
Desirable qualities:

Awareness of Education Law – particularly the Student Support Regulations under the
Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998;

Experience of involvement with investigating appeals or complaints between individual
and a public sector organisation;

Awareness of judicial review procedures and civil law appeals process;

Experience of working to service standards.
Role of an independent Assessor
The English and Welsh Ministers wish to appoint Independent Assessors to consider appeals
and complaints which have exhausted the Student Loans Company (SLC) internal appeals and
complaints handling process.
The independence of the Assessors from the SLC provides additional assurance from a customer
perspective that the process to consider appeals and complaints is sufficiently rigorous. It also
provides an opportunity for SLC to analyse and review their decision-making as part of SLC’s
continuous improvement process.
The main responsibilities and duties of the Assessor will be:

Consider appeals from England and Wales domiciled Student Finance customers against
decisions made by SLC relating to eligibility or entitlement to financial support, where
they have not been resolved through SLC’s internal review process;
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
Review, in writing, customer complaints about the standard of service received from
SLC;

Conduct formal paper based investigations;

Conduct a formal written review of the evidence presented and interpret relevant
legislation, seeking further written evidence where necessary;

Given written reports to customers and SLC following assessment of individual appeals
and complaints cases within appropriate guidelines.
Work closely with the other appointed Assessors to prepare two annual reports on the exercise
of the Assessors’ functions covering the Financial Year period April to March. One report will be
for the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and will cover consideration of
appeals from English domiciled Student Finance customers. The other report will be for Welsh
Ministers which will cover consideration of appeals from Welsh domiciled Student Finance
customers (both reports should be copied to Student Loans Company).
All investigations and subsequent reports are to be conducted in line with set standards.
Appointees will be expected to develop an awareness of current Student Support
arrangements and must be prepared to ensure that they keep up to date with changes in all
relevant law and policy.
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Terms and Conditions
Time Commitment
Successful candidates can expect to commit up to a maximum of eight days of their time per
month to consider cases (a complaints case can take anything between 0.5 to 2 days to
consider). You will be expected to process four cases per month, if necessary.
Location
Successful candidates will mainly be expected to work from home, although up to four
meetings a year are generally held in London, Glasgow or Darlington and Assessors will be
expected to travel to these locations as necessary.
Expenses
All essential travel will be arranged by SLC and Assessors may claim additional expenses in
line with SLC’s policy.
Remuneration
A daily rate of £500 per day pro rata. In addition,
Pension
The post is not pensionable.
Term of appointment
Up to three years with the possibility of reappointment subject to satisfactory performance
appraisal.
Disqualifications
You are not expected to occupy paid party political posts or hold particularly sensitive or
high roles in a political party.
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How to Apply & Queries
If you are interested in being considered for this position please:

Examine the Role Description and Person Specification carefully to assess whether you
are suitable for this role.

Complete all three sections of the application form attached:
o SECTION ONE: Personal details
o SECTION TWO: Relevant experience (attaching your CV and an expression of
interest)
o SECTION THREE: Public appointment monitoring forms
All information will be treated in strictest confidence. However, if you are successful, the
information provided on the political activity form will be published with the announcement
of your appointment.
Application forms may be passed, in confidence, to the Commissioner for Public
Appointments and the Commissioner’s auditors for the purposes of complaints investigation
and audit.
Monitoring Forms
In the application form, we have provided specific forms for you to fill in and return on equal
opportunities and political activity. These are for monitoring purposes. By collecting data
and analysing the data of those applying and obtaining a public appointment, we can
improve our diversity strategy. These forms are not part of the selection process and will be
treated in confidence. They will be kept separate from your application and not be seen by
the selection panel.
Submitting Your Application

The closing date for applications is 23 January 2015

Late applications cannot be considered.

Soft copy applications are preferred and should be sent to:
slc_sponsorshipgroup@bis.gsi.gov.uk

Hard copy applications can be sent to: Susan Coleman, Department for Business,
Innovation & Skills, HE Directorate,, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET.

You can expect an email acknowledgement of receipt of application (and supporting
documentation) within 3 days.
Queries
BIS will respect the privacy of any initial approach or expression of interest in this role,
whether formal or informal. Please email Susan Coleman at susan.coleman@bis.gsi.gov.uk
or call on 020 7215 1495.
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The Recruitment Process
Candidates who are short-listed for interview will be informed by telephone and invited to
an interview at the London offices of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The Panel will be:

Ben Coates – Deputy Director, SLC Sponsorship and Programmes, BIS (Chair of the panel)

Jayne Aldridge – Deputy Director for Student Services, Kingston University (independent
panel member)

Chris Jones – Head of Higher Education Performance Management and Funding Policy at
the Department for Education in Wales (Devolved Administration Representative)

One further panel member to be confirmed.
The Panel will then agree on which candidate/s will be recommended as appointable to the
Minister of State for Universities and Science (Rt Hon Greg Clark, MP) prior to their making a
final appointment. Welsh Government Officials will separately arrange for appointment by
Welsh Government Ministers.
Please see the timetable below.
Stage
Indicative dates
Strict Close date
23 January 2015
Application sift meeting
February 2015
Panel interviews
March 2015
Ministerial recommendation
process
May 2015
Expenses
Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed to candidates who are required to attend an
interview.
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Public Appointment Code of Practice
The Commissioner for Public Appointments Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to
Public Bodies will apply to this recruitment exercise. A key principle of this guidance is
selection based on merit. Further information may also be found at the Commissioner for
Public Appointments website: http://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk
Standards of Conduct and Conflicts of Interest
Successful candidates will be required to show commitment to the Seven Public Principles of
Public Life, as drawn up by the Committee on Standards in Public Life, more usually known
as the Nolan Principles. These can be found at:
http://www.public-standards.gov.uk
Candidates invited to interview will be questioned about any real or perceived conflicts of
interest. These do not constitute an automatic bar to appointment, but they must be
manageable. Conflicts could include: financial arrangements, e.g. fees or shareholdings, of
the candidate, business associates or close family; membership of organisations whose aims
might be perceived to be in conflict with those of the Office of Fair Access; and any activity
which, if revealed after appointment, could cause embarrassment to BIS or the Minister.
Equal Opportunities
BIS is committed to providing equal opportunities for all and welcomes applications from
candidates irrespective of race, age, disability, gender, marital status, religion, sexual
orientation, transgender or working patterns.
Applications can be accepted in alternative formats, this candidate brief can be made
available in different formats, such as audio tapes, Braille or large print etc. To discuss your
requirements please contact 0207 215 1495 or by e-mail:
slc_sponsorshipgroup@bis.gsi.gov.uk
Complaints
If you have reason to complain about the way your application for appointment was
handled, you should contact the Department in the first instance. The contact is Sue
Coleman at susan.coleman@bis.gsi.gov.uk or 020 7215 1495.
If you are not satisfied with the response, you can contact the Commissioner for Public
Appointments. A leaflet explaining the process is available at:
http://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2013/04/Commissioner-for-Public-Appointment-Complaints-Procedure.pdf
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APPLICATION FORM
SECTION ONE: PERSONAL DETAILS
Title (Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Other [please specify])
Surname
First Name
Home Address
Preferred Contact Numbers/email address
Other e.g. Business Contact Details
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POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Please give details of any business or other interests or any personal connections which, if
you are appointed, could be misconstrued or cause embarrassment to the Department for
Business Innovation & Skills. These could include financial interests or share ownership,
active connections with a field of expertise in which the organisations works, membership of
societies, activities, associations or employment of a partner or friend in the particular field
in which the public body operates.
Any potential conflicts of interest detailed here will not prevent you going forward to
interview but may if appropriate, be explored with you during your interview to establish
how you would address the issue(s) should you be successful in your application.
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PUBLIC APPOINTMENTS CURRENTLY HELD
Body
Period of Appointment
Government Department
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REFERENCES
Please give the details of two people who may be asked to act as referees for you. They will
be expected to have authoritative and personal knowledge of your achievements. The first
referee will be asked to comment in a professional or other activity-based capacity. The
second referee will be approached in a personal capacity. The referees will be approached
only if you are to be invited for interview following the initial sift.
Reference One: Professional/Achievements
Name
Address
Telephone
Email
Reference Two: Personal
Name
Address
Telephone
Email
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SECTION TWO: RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Provide a CV and accompanying expression of interest which sets out how you meet the
criteria for the role.
DECLARATION
I declare that the information given on this application is complete and correct to the best of
my knowledge. I have also read the information pack and can confirm that I am eligible to be
considered for appointment to this body. I also certify that I will immediately inform BIS of
any changes in circumstances that affect the answers I have given.
Signed……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Date……………………………………………………………………………………………………
In order to help us monitor the effectiveness of the way in which we publicise our
appointments and plan for future recruitment rounds, please tell us how you found out
about this vacancy.
…………………………………………
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SECTION THREE: PUBLIC APPOINTMENT MONITORING FORMS
These following forms will not be seen by the selection panel during the long and shortlisting
selection process and meetings.
If you are selected for interview the Political Activity Questionnaire will be made available to
the panel to allow the panel to explore such activity in the context of your ability to perform
the role.

Equal opportunities and diversity questionnaire

Political activity questionnaire
The intention of monitoring and analysis is to establish if there are different success rates
between genders, people of different sexual orientation, ages, different ethnic backgrounds
or faiths, and people with disabilities. If there are differences in success rates it will enable
action to be taken to ensure that no group is treated unfairly. Your answers will be treated
confidentially and will not affect your application in any way.
Personal Details:
Title
Mr / Mrs / Miss / Ms / Dr / Other
Surname:
First name:
Age:
16-24
25-34
Gender:
Male
Gender Identity (if
appropriate)
If you identify as transsexual, transgender (in that you have
effected a permanent change of gender identity) or as intersex
which group do you identify with?
Transsexual
Working Pattern:
35-44
Female
Transgender
Part time
Full time
Other.............................
45-54
55-64
65+
Prefer not to say
Intersex
Job Share
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Ethnic origin: Please tick against one of the following:
Asian or Asian British
Mixed
Bangladeshi
White and Black Caribbean
Indian
White and Black African
Pakistani
Asian and White
Any other Asian background
Any other mixed background
Please specify below if you wish.......
Please specify below if you wish.......
...........................................................
........................................................
...
Black or Black British
White
African
British
Caribbean
English
Any other Black background
Irish
Please specify below if you wish.......
Scottish
...........................................................
Welsh
Any other White background
Please specify below if you wish.......
........................................................
...
Chinese or Other ethnic group
Prefer not to say
Chinese
Any other
Please specify below if you wish.......
...........................................................
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Disability: Please tick against one of the following:
Do you consider yourself to have a disability under the Equality Act 2010?
In the Act, a person has a disability if:
they have a physical or mental impairment
the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to perform
normal day-to-day activities
For the purposes of the Act, these words have the following meanings:
'substantial' means more than minor or trivial
'long-term' means that the effect of the impairment has lasted or is likely to last for at least
twelve months (there are special rules covering recurring or fluctuating conditions)
'normal day-to-day activities' include everyday things like eating, washing, walking and going
shopping
Yes
No
Prefer not to say
Please describe the nature of your disability
This information is provided for monitoring purposes only – if you need any reasonable
adjustments you should arrange these separately.
Religion or belief: Please tick against one of the following
No religion
Jewish
Baha’i
Muslim
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Buddhist
Sikh
Christian
Other
Hindu
Please specify below if
you
wish.……………………………
…
Jain
Prefer not to say
Sexual Orientation: Please tick against one of the following
Bisexual
Gay Man/Homosexual
Gay Woman/Lesbian
Heterosexual/straight
Prefer not to say
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POLITICAL ACTIVITY QUESTION
All applicants for a public appointment should complete the question below. This question is
asked as it enables the monitoring of political activity of candidates for a public appointment
in so far as it is already in the public domain. Neither activity nor affiliation is a criterion for
appointment (except where statute dictates specific representation). If you are successful,
the information provided will be published with the announcement of your appointment.
Please indicate which of the following activities you have undertaken during the past five
years by ticking the appropriate box and by providing details of your involvement. Name the
party or body for which you have been active. If you have been or are an Independent or
have sought or obtained office as a representative of a particular interest group, you should
state this. You should tick all relevant categories.
Obtained office as a Local Councillor, MP, MEP etc
Stood as a candidate for one of the above offices
Spoken on behalf of a party or candidate.
Acted as a political agent
Held office such as Chair, Treasurer or Secretary of a local branch of a party
Canvassed on behalf of a party or helped at election
Undertaken any political activity which you consider relevant
Made a recordable donation to a political party 1
None of the above activities apply.
Name of Party of which activity undertaken:……………………………………
1
The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 requires the Electoral Commission to
publish a register of recordable donations (donations from an individual totalling more than £5000 in
any calendar year, or more than £1000 if made to a subsidiary accounting unit such as a constituency
association, local branch, women’s or youth organisations). These provisions became effective from
16 February 2001.
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DETAILS OF INVOLVEMENT
Note: It is appreciated that such activities may have given you relevant skills, including
experience gained from committee work, collective decision making, resolving conflict and
public speaking. If, therefore, you have had such experience and you consider it relevant to
your application for this post, you should include it separately in your expression of interest.
DECLARATION
I confirm that the information I have given is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, true
and complete. I confirm that I understand the purpose of the form and the reasons for the
collection of my personal data and that I agree to my personal data being used as stated.
Yes
No
Name:………………………………………………………………………………………………
Signature:…………………………………………………………………………………………
Date:…………………………………………………………………………………………………
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