Why is an independent review important?
Decisions made by RTOs, including those related to enrolment, RPL, credit transfer, assessment, and other matters, can have significant impacts on students. Under Standard 2.8 of the 2025 Standards for RTOs, students must have access to an appeals process that is fair, transparent, and includes an option for review by an independent party at no or low cost.
To meet this requirement, RTOs must establish policies and procedures that outline not only how appeals are managed internally, but also what independent review options are available to students who are dissatisfied with the outcome.
Some RTOs may be struggling to identify a genuinely independent, qualified, and affordable reviewer who can support this process. Yes there are plenty of mediation services around, but they don’t necessarily understand the complexities of the Standards and RTO Operations.
A practical, professional solution
This service offers RTOs a compliant and practical solution for independent appeal review.
Appeals are reviewed by an experienced, qualified VET professional with high-level assessment expertise and a deep understanding of RTO operations, training product requirements, and the regulatory landscape. Reviews are conducted confidentially and objectively, with a written outcome provided to inform the RTO’s formal response to the appellant.
This allows RTOs to:
- Meet the compliance requirements of Standard 2.8
- Provide a clear and independent review pathway for students
- Maintain procedural fairness and transparency
- Keep costs predictable and low
- Resolve appeals promptly, with professionalism and care
How it works
- RTOs engage this service on a case-by-case basis, through a straightforward, low-cost arrangement.
- Appeals are reviewed independently and promptly by a qualified VET professional
- A written outcome is provided to the RTO, setting out the findings of the independent review and confirming whether the original decision is upheld or should be reconsidered.
- For assessment-related appeals, the reviewer examines whether the decision was made fairly, in line with the assessment requirements, principles of assessment and rules of evidence. The review does not involve re-assessing the student’s work or making a new competency decision, but provides an impartial determination on whether the original decision should be upheld or reconsidered.
- This service can be referenced in the RTO’s appeals policy and procedure to demonstrate compliance with Standard 2.8
Pricing
- Standard appeal review (up to 2.5 hours): $330 + GST
- Additional time (if required): $135 + GST per hour, with approval sought before proceeding
Most reviews are finalised within the standard timeframe. Where significant additional time is required due to volume or complexity, this will be clearly communicated in advance.
Having a plan
Raspberry Training does not require RTOs to have a formal arrangement in place – we’re here when and if you need us.
We do advise that RTOs have documented process for how they will provide students with a review by an independent party. The most common way to do this is within a policy or procedure. This will make it easy for staff to implement the plan when the need arises. It will also demonstrate that your appeals management system does meet the requirements of Standard 2.8(a)(iv).
Below is an example of how you might document this in your appeals management system. This is just a helpful suggestion and in no way a requirement to use our service.
| Example text for inclusion in an Appeals Policy and Procedure: Students have the right to request that a decision made by ABC Training be reviewed by an independent party. This may include decisions relating to enrolment, credit transfer, assessment, or other matters that impact progression through a course. To support this process, the RTO nominates Raspberry Training and Consulting as an independent reviewer who may be engaged to carry out this function. Independent reviews are conducted by a qualified VET professional with expertise in assessment and RTO compliance. A written outcome is provided, confirming whether the original decision is upheld or should be reconsidered, based on a fair and impartial review of the available evidence. Requests for independent review can be made by contacting Raspberry Training and Consulting directly: 📧 enquiries@raspberrytraining.com.au 📞 0439 597 115 🌐 raspberrytraining.com.au |