Data Protection

OWS will collect personal information from you, including information about your: 

• •name
• contact information
• interactions with us
• billing information
• other information provided by the student at registration.
• other information (e.g. grades) provided by WSET. 

We collect your personal information in order to:

• meet the legitimate needs of OWS and WSET
• maintain a community of learning (where you wish to opt in). 

Besides our staff, we share this information with WSET. 

We keep your information safe by storing your information securely and restricting access to authorised users only. You have the right to ask for a copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of your information, or to have it corrected, please contact us at agostina@oenotrian.com 

Candidates Requiring Reasonable Adjustments 

A reasonable adjustment is any action that helps to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty that places the candidate at a substantial disadvantage in the assessment situation. 

OWS seek to conduct the assessment of all candidates in a way that puts them at no disadvantage, or advantage, over other candidates. However, whilst Reasonable adjustments must not affect the integrity of what needs to be assessed, but may involve: 

•Changing standard assessment arrangements, for example allowing candidates extra time to complete the assessment activity 

•Adapting assessment materials, such as providing materials in large text format
•Providing access facilitators during assessment, such as a sign language interpreter or reader 

•Re-organising the assessment room, such as removal of visual stimuli for an autistic candidate. 

Reasonable adjustments are approved or set in place before the assessment activity takes place; they constitute an arrangement to give the candidate access to the qualification. The use of reasonable adjustment will not be taken into consideration during the assessment of a candidate’s work. Out of fairness to all candidates, evidence of the individual circumstances giving rise to the request must be produced. 

OWS will: 

• identify any special assessment needs at the time of candidate registration. 
• inform WSET at the earliest opportunity so that appropriate arrangements can be made. 
• agree the specific arrangements for the examination, or for marking with WSET which will vary according to individual circumstances. 

Please submit any Requests for Reasonable Adjustments at least 5 weeks before the date of the examination. This APP will forward any Requests for Reasonable Adjustments to WSET within 5 working days of receipt and WSET will respond after 4 working weeks after giving the request due consideration. 

Candidates and their advisors should also be aware: 

• that it is not appropriate to make requests for special arrangements where the candidate’s particular difficulty directly affects performance in the actual attributes that are the focus of the assessment. 
• reasonable adjustments will not give unfair advantage over candidates for whom reasonable adjustments are not being made, or alter the assessment demands of the qualification as detailed in the qualification specification. 

Candidates Requiring Special Consideration 

Special consideration is an action taken after an assessment to allow candidates who have been disadvantaged by temporary illness, injury, indisposition or adverse circumstances at the time of the assessment to demonstrate attainment. 

A candidate may be eligible for special considerations if: 

•Performance in an examination is affected by circumstances beyond the control of the candidate. This may include recent personal illness, accident, bereavement or examination room conditions; 

•alternative assessment arrangements which were agreed in advance of the assessment proved inappropriate or inadequate; 

•the application of special consideration would not mislead the end-user of the certificate. 

OWS must be notified in writing within ten (10) days of the examination date where special consideration is being requested using the Request for Special Consideration Form. Eligibility will only be considered if accompanied by supporting independent documentation, and please allow extra time for OWS to pass your request to WSET.

In cases of serious disruption during the examination, the Examinations Officer must submit a detailed report of the circumstances and candidates affected to the Examinations Administrator at WSET, in addition to the Examination Papers. 

If a candidate is unable to attend an examination for which they have been registered due to circumstances outside their direct control, they should notify OWS as soon as possible, and complete the “Request for Special Consideration” form submitting written third party evidence to support their application. Failure to attend due to work commitments does not qualify for “special consideration”. OWS  will not charge an unused paper fee for applications where approval from WSET is granted. 

Malpractice, Maladministration and Sanctions Policy 

OWS will ensure that their programme for the delivery and administration of any WSET qualification complies in all respects to the rules, regulations and procedures set out in the WSET APP Operating Handbook. All WSET examinations run by this APP will be administered in line with the Centre Agreement, Code of Practice and Invigilation Instructions provided in the Operating handbook, and Examination Regulations issued to all APPs and Students in the Qualification Specifications. 

Failure to abide by these criteria will be considered Malpractice and or Maladministration and may affect our ability to continue teaching WSET qualifications. Malpractice can arise from any act, omission, event, incident or circumstance that prejudices learners, affects public confidence in qualifications, affects the standards of qualifications which the awarding body makes available or affects the ability of the awarding body to undertake the development, delivery or award of qualifications. Maladministration relates to a failure by the APP to offer WSET Qualifications in accordance with the rules, regulations and operating procedures set out in this Handbook 

Reporting Malpractice 

This APP will report any potential case of malpractice by candidates, educators, invigilators or centre staff to the Centres Co-ordinator and Quality Assurance Manager at WSET immediately using the Notification of Potential Malpractice Form. 

Our responsibility as OWS which we agree to carry out in full: 

The examiner/tutor is responsible for ensuring that all staff involved in the delivery and / or administration of the WSET programme run it in accordance with the rules, regulations and procedures set out in this manual, and are aware of, and comply with, this policy. 

It is OWS ’s intent that no learner should be disadvantaged by any instance of malpractice or maladministration that has arisen by the actions (or non-action) of the APP or its staff. However where such breach undermines the integrity of the assessment process, it may be necessary to invalidate the exam that has been held and require the student to perform a free resit at their convenience. 

Following an investigation by WSET, it may be necessary to apply one of more of the following sanctions against an individual candidate or candidates. 

•Letter of warning;
•The disallowing of an examination result;
•The invalidation of a certificate and/or unit certificate and recall of certification already issued; 

•Refusal of entry to future WSET qualifications. 

All decisions with regard to malpractice will be communicated in writing within 20 working days following receipt of supporting documentation. Where it is not possible to respond within this timeframe, a written response will be given providing a date for completion. 

Any candidate, educator, invigilator or APP has the right to appeal any decision made against them using the General Appeals section of this handbook, or as detailed in the WSET Customer Service Statement 

Booking Conditions, Cancellations and Refund 

Applications: Are made for specific course dates. If the applicant is unable to attend due to mandatory work commitment or illness, OWS will endeavor to find an alternative course date, though this cannot be guaranteed. 

Course Availability: Spaces for classes are allocated according to the order of arrival of the completed applications. Students may pre-register when Program dates are not set and will have priority registration when new course dates are announced. All open courses are publicly announced via social media and website. A booking is not secured until payment is received. 

Cancellation & Refunds: If a registration is cancelled, for whatever reason, up to 15 days prior to the beginning of the course, an administrative fee of 50% of the total amount will be charged. If a registration is cancelled, for whatever reason, during the 14 days prior to the beginning of the course or any time after the beginning of the course, the fee remains payable in full. 

Exam: the date of the exam is always communicated in advance and published on the website. Please note that the exam fee is always included in the course fee. 

Exam Absentees and Exam Re-sits: applicants who fail an examination or are absent during the exam, may re-sit it by paying the specific re-sit examination fee. 

Outside Candidates: OWS  is open to candidates who wish to sit an exam of a course that they have already concluded in another APP. 

Delivery of course materials: The course material will be sent directly to each student’s home address upon confirmation of payment of the fees. 

Course Changes: we reserve the right to cancel or reschedule any course. Should this occur the applicants will be refunded. 

Complaints and Appeals 

OWS strives to provide effective and efficient levels of service to all our students. However, there may be occasions where the service provided does not meet our intended standards or student expectations. 

Complaints Against OWS

Complaints against any action or practice which threatens the integrity of the WSET courses, should in the first instance be discussed with OWS‘s Director, Agostina Da Cunha (agostina@oenotrian.com). We undertake to investigate all complaints in a thorough and professional manner. Complaints are encouraged to be detailed in writing by email. You may request a meeting to discuss the complaint. All complaints are treated with confidentiality and will not prejudice the student. 

In order that the complaint can be addressed, please provide your name and phone number. Provide details in writing of the complaint to be addressed, any evidence supporting the details of the complaint, and any steps already taken to resolve the issue. 

The Director will conduct an investigation into the complaint. All complaints are acknowledged within 3 working days, and the complainant will be informed of the outcome in writing within 20 working days. Within this timeframe, the manager may contact you for more details surrounding the complaint. 

The outcome of the complaint can be appealed to OWS’s President Turgut Tokgoz within 10 working days of receiving the written notification of the outcome. The response will be reviewed for reconsideration. An opportunity to meet and discuss the complaint will be offered. The appeal review will be acknowledged within 3 working days and a written response will be provided within 20 working days. 

If the student is still unsatisfied with the outcome, the next step is to refer the complaint to the WSET APP administration team.

Complaints Against the Awarding Body 

Complaints against the Wine and Spirit Education Trust should, in the first instance, be discussed with OWS School Director Agostina Da Cunha and documented evidence will then be forwarded to The Wine and Spirit Education Trust who have their own complaints policy. Candidates who are unhappy with their exam results can appeal via the centre contact. 

Conflicts of Interest Policy 

OWS is approved by WSET which is subject to regulation by the UK Government’s regulator, Ofqual. As a regulated awarding organisation, they are required to identify, monitor and manage all conflicts of interest which may have an adverse effect on the qualifications they offer and we must take all reasonable steps to mitigate such adverse effect where it exists. 

Roles, responsibilities and procedures in the handling of actual or perceived conflict of interest 

It is the responsibility of all individuals engaged in the provision of WSET qualifications, in all and any capacity, to promptly report any potential for conflict of interest to the Centre Co-ordinator and Quality Control Manager at WSET. 

Diversity and Equality – Equal Opportunities Policy 

OWS  fully supports the principles of Equal Opportunities. We strive to ensure that all candidates for our qualifications are treated fairly and on an equal basis 

Equal Opportunities are assured by:
•the selection, recruitment and training of those working for this APP
•consideration at an early stage in the development of new schemes or qualifications

•ensuring that the format and content of all syllabi, examinations and other do not discriminate against anyone which is the responsibility of WSET by whom we are approved to teach WSET qualifications; 

•ensuring there are no barriers to entry to units and qualifications, which we deliver and/or offer, for disabled people, women or men, or people from different racial groups, other than those directly related to the integrity of the units or qualifications. The nature of any barriers will be stated and the inclusion of the requirements that create the barrier justified only and explicitly in terms of the integrity of the unit or the qualification. Details of how the effect of any barriers will be mitigated will be recorded, including using access arrangements or including reasonable adjustments. 

•clarifying the responsibility of all members of staff and/or consultants, who are involved in the delivery of WSET courses within this APP, to comply with this policy. In particular external parties invited by this APP to contribute to these development arrangements must also, as representatives of relevant learners, ensure that the views of learners and others are taken into account in the development of QCF units and qualifications. 

•anonymous assessment of examination candidates wherever possible

•promoting practices and procedures that give equal opportunities to everyone; 

•being required to have equal opportunity policies in place; 

•the variation of any conventional rules and regulations for the conduct of examinations which might inhibit the performance of candidates with specific needs, provided that the standard, quality and integrity of the assessment is not compromised. 

•working as appropriate with relevant organisations and agencies to develop measures to identify and prevent inequality of opportunity; 

•making every effort to ensure that there is equality of opportunity in its assessment process, regardless of the candidate’s gender, age, racial origin, religious persuasion, sexual orientation or disability; 

•ensuring, to the best of our ability, that any documentation produced does not contain language or images which may be regarded as offensive or stereotypical, and that they reflect the diversity of contemporary society; 

This APP is an equal opportunities organisation and will consider applications from any organisation or individual who can demonstrate that they meet our approval criteria. 

This policy is published on our website or Candidate Booking Form and will be provided to any student on demand. For all questions regarding diversity and equality, please contact OWS Director Agostina Da Cunha (agostina@oenotrian.com) 

Note to Candidates 

Candidates who believe they have been discriminated against should contact OWS (agostina@oenotrian.com) in the first instance for advice.

Monitoring 

This APP will comply with all current and relevant legislation and this policy will be monitored and reviewed annually.