Student Handbook

About Scope Institute and our courses

Scope Institute Pty Ltd (ABN 49 657 343 363, RTO code 45946) is a registered training organisation (RTO) in Wheelers Hill, Melbourne. We're a subsidiary of Scope Healthcare Limited and part of the Scope Healthcare group. Scope Healthcare Limited also runs Heartscope, a group of cardiology clinics where our echocardiography students do much of their clinical training.

Our registration

The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) is the national regulator for vocational education and training (VET). It registers and regulates us for the nationally recognised training we deliver. When we deliver that training, we must meet the Standards for RTOs 2025. You can check our registration on the National Register.

Our echocardiography courses aren't VET, so ASQA doesn't regulate them. Consumer, privacy and anti-discrimination laws apply to all our courses, and every student has the same access to our support, complaints and appeals processes.

Nationally recognised training: first aid and CPR

Nationally recognised training leads to a qualification or Statement of Attainment that's recognised across Australia under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Only an RTO can deliver it. It's made up of units of competency. Each unit describes a set of workplace skills and has a national code and title.

The nationally recognised training we deliver is currently:

• HLTAID011 Provide First Aid
• HLTAID010 Provide basic emergency life support
• HLTAID009 Provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Our Provide First Aid course covers all three units. Our Provide CPR course covers HLTAID009.

When you're assessed as competent in a unit, we issue a Statement of Attainment. It's the nationally recognised certificate for one or more units of competency, and other training organisations anywhere in Australia recognise it.

Non-accredited training: echocardiography

All our echocardiography courses are non-accredited professional training. They are not nationally recognised training, and completing one does not give you an AQF qualification or a Statement of Attainment. The Australasian Sonographer Accreditation Registry (ASAR) has not accredited them, and no professional college has approved them for continuing professional development (CPD). When you complete one, you receive a Scope Institute certificate that records the hours and topics you completed.

Our cardiac sonographer pathway is for graduates with a science or health degree:

• Basic Echocardiography
• Applied Echocardiography (Part 1)
• Clinical Rotations (Part 2)

Our courses for doctors currently include:

• Complete Critical Care Echocardiography
• Cardiac Ultrasound: Core Practice
• Echo in Shock and Life Support
• Left Ventricular Function and Ischaemia
• Right Heart, Pulmonary Embolism and Pericardial Emergencies
• Valve Disease and the Aorta

Part 3 of the pathway, Industry Based Learning, isn't a Scope Institute course. It's a salaried 72-week trainee position with Heartscope, filled by application and selection. We charge no fees for it. Any university study you do alongside it is separate.

None of our echocardiography courses qualifies you to work as a cardiac sonographer. That takes a separate university qualification and its clinical training. If your professional body has CPD requirements, you may be able to record eligible hours yourself under its rules. We don't award CPD points.

Current details for every course are on our Ultrasound courses and First aid and CPR courses pages.

Before you enrol

Information we give you

Before you enrol, and before you pay any fee, we will give you written information about the training we will provide, all fees and charges, and your obligations. Each course page also covers how the course runs, its dates, its entry and assessment requirements, and the fee.

Please also read these before you enrol:

• our Terms and Conditions, which form the agreement between you and us
• our Fees, Payments and Refunds Policy
• our RPL and Credit Transfer Policy, if you've already done training that might count towards your course

Choosing a first aid or CPR course

You must be at least 14 to enrol. The units themselves don't set a minimum age; 14 is our rule.

Before you book, check with your employer or industry body which first aid unit you need and how often you'll need to renew it. If you work in education and care, such as childcare, you may need HLTAID012, a separate unit for education and care settings that we don't deliver.

Language, literacy, numeracy and digital skills

For our first aid and CPR courses you need basic reading, writing and numeracy skills in English. In practice, you should be able to:

• read and answer the online theory and quiz questions
• understand and follow emergency instructions, including spoken instructions during the practical session
• give a spoken report on an emergency and, for HLTAID011, fill in an incident report form

You also need a device with internet access, an email address, and the skills to log in to the student portal and work through the online theory.

Before your enrolment is confirmed, we check with you whether the course suits you. You'll complete a short self-check as part of enrolling in the first aid student portal, or you can call us to talk it through. It isn't a test. If it shows you may need help, we'll discuss support or adjustments with you, or whether another option would suit you better. We can also refer you to a specialist service such as the Reading and Writing Hotline.

Physical requirements for first aid and CPR

All three units require you to show practical skills on manikins, following Australian Resuscitation Council guidelines. To be assessed as competent, you must be able to:

• perform at least 2 minutes of uninterrupted CPR on an adult manikin placed on the floor
• perform at least 2 minutes of uninterrupted CPR on an infant manikin placed on a firm surface
• follow the prompts of a training defibrillator (AED) and deliver a shock
• swap over with another rescuer during CPR with minimal interruption
• respond if the person vomits or regurgitates
• manage a person who is unconscious and breathing

That means kneeling on the floor and doing chest compressions for at least 2 minutes at a time. If an injury, disability, pregnancy or health condition could make this difficult, tell us before you book and we'll work out with you what adjustments might be possible. If you cannot meet these requirements even with adjustments, we cannot issue you a Statement of Attainment. Instead, we'll give you a Statement of Attendance for the training you completed.

Entry requirements for echocardiography courses

Each course page lists the full entry requirements. In brief:

• Basic Echocardiography needs a completed degree in science or a related health field, and basic computer skills. You don't need any echo experience.
• Applied Echocardiography (Part 1) needs a completed degree and either Basic Echocardiography or equivalent practical echo training that we've approved. We review external training before you enrol. You'll also have a consultation with us to check that the course suits you.
• Clinical Rotations (Part 2) needs you to have successfully completed Applied Echocardiography and passed its progression review. You must also be available full time.
• Industry Based Learning (Part 3) is filled through Heartscope's application, interview and selection process. You must meet your university's enrolment requirements and hold the required ASAR student status. A place is not guaranteed.
• Our courses for doctors are designed for medical practitioners, and some expect existing skills, such as being able to obtain the standard echo views.

For the online learning you'll need a device with internet access. For scanning practice in Basic and Applied Echocardiography, you must bring a suitable adult volunteer who agrees to be scanned. In our courses for doctors, we provide the volunteers.

Students under 18

Young people aged 14 to 17 can enrol in our first aid and CPR courses. A parent or guardian must consent to the enrolment and accept the terms. They do this on a consent form in the first aid student portal before the session.

Enrolment and your USI

When you enrol, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. Give us accurate details and tell us if they change, particularly your name, contact details and USI, so your records and certificate are correct.

Enrolling in a first aid or CPR course

You enrol in the first aid student portal, which runs on RTO Pilot. It's where you give us your details and your USI, and where you complete the online theory. If your employer has booked on-site training for your team, you still need to give us your own details and USI.

When you enrol, we give you a privacy notice about the information we must report to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). The "Privacy" section below summarises it.

Enrolling in an echocardiography course

Start by registering your interest or booking a consultation through the course page. We check that you meet the entry requirements, then send you the enrolment details and fees in writing. If the course has a deposit, paying it secures your place. Once your enrolment is confirmed, we give you access to the Scope Institute learning portal.

Your USI (first aid and CPR only)

A Unique Student Identifier (USI) is a reference number issued by the Australian Government. It links to an online record of the nationally recognised training you've done since 1 January 2015.

You must have a USI before we can issue your Statement of Attainment. The law does not allow us to issue one without it unless you are exempt.

A USI is free. If you don't have one, you can create it at usi.gov.au. You may already have one if you've done nationally recognised training before, such as an earlier first aid course or a white card. You should have only one USI, so check first with Find your USI.

We verify your USI with the Student Identifiers Registrar and include it in the data we report to NCVER, which is how your results reach your authenticated VET transcript. Your USI never appears on your Statement of Attainment.

We can also apply for a USI for you if you authorise us to. Our Privacy Policy explains what that involves and how we handle your USI.

Some people are exempt from needing a USI, for example if the Student Identifiers Registrar has granted them an exemption. Tell us before you enrol and give us a copy of your exemption letter; we won't ask why you're exempt. If you are exempt, your results will not be accessible through the Commonwealth and will not appear on any authenticated VET transcript.

The Student Support team can help if you have trouble with your USI. You don't need a USI for our echocardiography courses, because they aren't nationally recognised training.

Recognition of prior learning and credit transfer

First aid and CPR

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) is an assessment of skills and knowledge you already have, from work, life or earlier training, against the requirements of a unit. If your evidence shows you meet them all, you're assessed as competent without doing the training. For first aid, your evidence must show that your practical skills are current, so RPL includes a practical demonstration, with at least 2 minutes of CPR on a manikin on the floor.

Credit transfer recognises a unit you've already completed with another RTO. It covers the same unit, or one the National Register shows as equivalent. You give us your Statement of Attainment or authenticated VET transcript, and we verify it with the issuing RTO or through your USI. There is no fee for credit transfer. The older units HLTAID003, HLTAID002 and HLTAID001 are not equivalent to HLTAID011, HLTAID010 and HLTAID009, so they can't be credited, but you may be able to apply for RPL.

Apply for RPL or credit transfer when you enrol. Our RPL and Credit Transfer Policy explains how to apply and gives the RPL fee. We'll give you our decision and the reasons in writing, and you can appeal it.

Echocardiography

RPL and credit transfer under the Standards for RTOs 2025 don't apply to our echocardiography courses, because they aren't nationally recognised training. Instead, we assess whether training you've done elsewhere is equivalent for entry to Applied Echocardiography. Completing Basic Echocardiography with us earns a fee credit towards Applied Echocardiography.

Our RPL and Credit Transfer Policy also covers how we review training done elsewhere and the conditions of the Basic Echocardiography credit.

Fees and payments

Course fees are on each course page and in the written information we give you before you enrol. Prices are in Australian dollars and include GST where GST applies. First aid and CPR fees are per person, and on-site group training is priced by quote. Some echocardiography courses need a deposit to secure your place, with the balance due before the course starts. If you'd like to pay in instalments, we can give you details of third-party finance providers that may offer a payment plan.

Our Fees, Payments and Refunds Policy covers:

• each course's fees and any other charges, such as for rebooking a session
• when and how to pay, including deposits and balances
• how to cancel, transfer or withdraw, what that costs, and when you can get a refund
• what happens to your fees if we cancel or change a course

Refunds, overdue fees and hardship

The policy describes when you can get a refund. To cancel, transfer or ask for a refund, email admin@scopeinstitute.edu.au, or call us if you can't email.

If a payment is overdue and we haven't agreed another arrangement with you, we may pause your access to training until it is paid, after giving you written notice. If you're having trouble paying, contact the Student Support team early. We'll treat it confidentially and may be able to change your payment dates.

The policy has our full fee, payment and refund terms. Nothing in these terms excludes, restricts or modifies any right or remedy you have under the Australian Consumer Law.

Learning and attendance

How first aid and CPR courses run

You complete the online theory in the first aid student portal, then attend one practical session with a trainer at our training venue or, for on-site group training, at your workplace. You must finish the online theory before your practical session.

At the practical session you practise and show your skills in realistic simulated emergencies, using manikins, a training defibrillator and first aid equipment. The course also covers consent, duty of care, privacy and confidentiality, Good Samaritan protections and managing the stress of responding to an emergency. Course pages give the time needed for the theory and the length of the session. There's no work placement.

How echocardiography courses run

Our echocardiography courses combine in-person teaching and supervised scanning practice with online learning in the Scope Institute learning portal. Some courses include clinical training:

• Applied Echocardiography includes a lesson at a Heartscope clinic, where you scan patients under supervision.
• Clinical Rotations runs full time, Monday to Friday, for 8 weeks at Heartscope clinics and approved clinical sites. It's observation-based and unpaid, not a patient-scanning placement.

Student portals

You can reach both student portals from our Student login page:

• the first aid student portal, which runs on RTO Pilot, holds your enrolment, your USI and the online theory for first aid and CPR courses
• the Scope Institute learning portal at learn.scopeinstitute.com.au, which runs on EducateMe, holds the online learning for echocardiography courses

The companies that provide these systems don't deliver any training or assessment. No other organisation recruits students for, delivers or assesses our first aid training on our behalf.

Attendance and participation

The attendance rules are part of our Terms and Conditions. The main points are:

• Arrive on time. If you're more than 30 minutes late, you may not be able to join the session and may need to rebook.
• Take part in all learning activities, including the practical tasks.
• For first aid and CPR, bring photo ID to your practical session, because we check your identity before assessment.
• For echocardiography, plan to attend every scheduled session in person. Basic Echocardiography requires attendance at all its sessions, and Clinical Rotations is full time.
• If you're unwell with a contagious illness, don't come to class or a clinic. Contact us and we'll make other arrangements.

If you can't attend a session, tell the Student Support team as soon as you can so we can help you catch up or rebook. Any rebooking fee is in the Fees, Payments and Refunds Policy. If you do not meet your course's attendance or participation requirements, you may not be able to complete the course.

Support and wellbeing

Help with your studies

Your trainer is your first point of contact for help with course content, practical skills and assessment, so ask them during your sessions. Between sessions, and for anything else, contact the Student Support team on 1300 508 809 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, Melbourne time) or at admin@scopeinstitute.edu.au. They'll pass on any question that needs your trainer's answer. We aim to reply within 1 business day.

If reading, writing or numeracy is making your course harder, let your trainer know. We can give you extra support or refer you to a specialist service such as the Reading and Writing Hotline.

Your wellbeing

If something in your life is affecting your study, let us know early. We don't offer counselling ourselves, but the Student Support team can give you a confidential referral to an outside service and go through your options for the course with you.

Responding to an emergency, even a simulated one, can stir up difficult feelings. If a first aid scenario affects you, tell your trainer.

Support services you can contact

These are independent of Scope Institute:

• Lifeline, 13 11 14: 24-hour crisis support
• Beyond Blue, 1300 22 4636: mental health support
• 1800RESPECT, 1800 737 732: support for people affected by sexual assault, domestic or family violence
• 13YARN, 13 92 76: crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• QLife, 1800 184 527: support for LGBTIQ+ people
• Kids Helpline, 1800 55 1800: support for young people

In an emergency, call 000.

If you experience abuse, harassment or violence

If anyone abuses, harasses or is violent towards you while you're studying with us, tell your trainer or the Student Support team, or make a complaint. We will act to keep you safe and support you, and you will not be disadvantaged for raising it. You can also contact 1800RESPECT or the police.

Access, equity and reasonable adjustment

We follow Commonwealth and Victorian anti-discrimination laws, including the Disability Standards for Education 2005. We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment or victimisation.

A safe and inclusive place to learn

Our classes, clinics and online spaces must be safe and respectful for every student, whatever their background, culture, identity or ability, and culturally safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. If anything about your course, or the way someone treats you, makes you feel unsafe or excluded, tell us and we will act on it.

Telling us about a disability or other need

You can tell us about a disability, injury, health condition or learning need at any time. Before you enrol is best, because the earlier we know, the more we can plan. You don't have to tell us, but we can only make adjustments for needs we know about. We may ask for supporting information from a health professional. We keep what you tell us confidential and handle it under our Privacy Policy.

Reasonable adjustments

A reasonable adjustment is a change to how we train or assess you, so that a student with a disability can take part on the same basis as other students. We work out adjustments with you. Examples include:

• learning materials in another format, such as large print
• extra time for assessment tasks
• assistive technology or specialised equipment
• one-on-one support from a trainer

Adjustments can change how you're trained and assessed, but not what a unit requires you to show. For first aid and CPR, that includes the physical requirements listed under "Before you enrol", which you must meet to receive a Statement of Attainment. We consider each request individually, and some changes may be possible as long as your CPR is still effective.

Reasonable adjustments are available in our echocardiography courses too. If we can't make an adjustment you've asked for, we'll explain why in writing and look at other options with you. You can appeal that decision under our Complaints and Appeals Policy.

Disability harassment

Harassing someone because of their disability is against the law, and so is victimising someone for making a complaint about it. If it happens to you, tell us or make a complaint. You can also contact the Australian Human Rights Commission or the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission.

Assessment and academic integrity

First aid and CPR assessment

First aid and CPR assessment is competency-based. We assess whether you can do what the unit requires, to the standard it sets, rather than giving you a mark. Before you're assessed, your trainer will explain what you'll be assessed on, how, and what you need to show.

You're assessed through:

• knowledge questions in the online theory
• practical demonstrations on manikins and a training defibrillator, including the physical requirements listed under "Before you enrol"
• simulated emergency scenarios

In HLTAID011 you also manage simulated emergencies such as asthma, anaphylaxis, bleeding, choking, bites and stings, fractures and shock, and you give a spoken and written report on an incident. In HLTAID009 you give a spoken report and hand over to emergency services.

Each task is marked satisfactory or not yet satisfactory, and your result for the unit is competent or not yet competent. If a task isn't yet satisfactory, your trainer will explain what you need to improve and arrange another attempt with you. Our Fees, Payments and Refunds Policy says how many further attempts your fee includes.

Echocardiography assessment

Because our echocardiography courses aren't nationally recognised training, the competency-based rules above don't apply to them. Your course documents explain how you'll be assessed, which may include online quizzes and assignments, supervised scanning and a course logbook. To move from Applied Echocardiography into Clinical Rotations, you need to pass a progression review.

Appealing an assessment decision

You can appeal any assessment or progression decision, in any course. You must lodge the appeal within 20 business days of being told the result. A different assessor will review it.

Academic integrity

Your assessment work must be your own, and you must complete your assessments yourself. Academic misconduct includes:

• presenting someone else's work, words or ideas as your own (plagiarism)
• working with others on a task that's meant to be done alone (collusion)
• getting someone else to complete an assessment for you, whether a friend or a paid service, or pretending to be another student
• making up or changing results, records, signatures or logbook entries
• using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate assessment answers and submitting them as your own work, unless the task allows it

We check that work is genuine, for example by asking you questions about it and checking your identity at assessment.

If we think misconduct may have happened, the Administration Manager will write to you with the allegation and the evidence. You have 10 business days to respond, in writing or at a meeting, and you can bring a support person. Outcomes depend on how serious the misconduct is. They range from a written warning to suspension or cancellation of your enrolment for serious or repeated misconduct. You can appeal any finding or outcome.

Our Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy explains what AI use is allowed, how we investigate and the possible outcomes.

Student code of conduct

Wherever you study with us, including online and at clinics, we expect you to:

• treat staff, other students, patients, volunteers and clinic staff with courtesy and respect
• be honest, and take responsibility for your own learning and actions
• arrive on time and take part in learning activities
• follow health and safety instructions
• keep patient and organisational information confidential
• use equipment and facilities with care
• dress professionally for practical sessions and clinics, with closed-toe shoes, neat clothing, minimal jewellery and any protective equipment your trainer asks you to wear
• never attend under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs

These rules are part of our Terms and Conditions.

Bullying, harassment and discrimination

Bullying, harassment (including sexual harassment), discrimination and victimisation are not acceptable in person, online or on social media, whoever they're aimed at, including patients, volunteers and clinic staff.

If it happens to you or you see it, report it to your trainer or the Student Support team, or make a complaint under our Complaints and Appeals Policy. We will act on every report, and no one will be disadvantaged for raising a concern in good faith. You can also contact the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission or the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Health and safety at practical sessions

At practical sessions you must:

• follow your trainer's safety instructions
• use manikins, training defibrillators and other equipment only as shown
• use safe manual handling, for example when kneeling or moving someone to the floor
• follow hygiene and infection control steps with manikins, including using the protective equipment provided
• report any hazard, incident or injury to your trainer straight away

Tell your trainer before the session starts if you have an injury or condition that kneeling or CPR could make worse.

At clinics

Echocardiography students who train at Heartscope clinics and approved clinical sites work alongside clinic staff and real patients. While you're there, you must:

• keep everything you learn about patients confidential, during and after your course
• follow the clinic's policies, dress code, infection control and safety procedures, and the directions of clinic staff
• respect patients' privacy and dignity
• never photograph or record patients, or copy or remove their information

Before Clinical Rotations starts, you must give us a current police check and a Working with Children Check, which you arrange and pay for. You'll need the same checks for Industry Based Learning. Our Terms and Conditions explain what's involved.

Industry Based Learning is employment with Heartscope, so Heartscope's workplace policies apply to you as well.

Phones, recordings and social media

Keep your phone on silent during sessions unless you're using it for a learning activity. You must not record audio or video, or take photos, during a session without permission from the trainer and everyone being recorded. Don't post confidential information about patients, clinics, staff or other students online.

Breaches of the code

Serious or repeated breaches of the code can lead to suspension or cancellation of your enrolment. Before we decide, we will tell you in writing what the concern is and give you 10 business days to respond. You can appeal the decision. Our Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy explains the process.

Certificates and records

Statements of Attainment (first aid and CPR)

When you're assessed as competent, we issue a Statement of Attainment for the unit or units you've completed. It shows our name, our RTO code and the Nationally Recognised Training logo, and we email it to you.

We will issue your Statement of Attainment within 30 calendar days of you completing all assessment requirements and paying all agreed fees, as long as we hold your verified USI, or your exemption if you have one. That's the legal maximum. Our Terms and Conditions give our usual turnaround. If your employer booked your place and hasn't yet paid our invoice, we will still issue your Statement of Attainment.

A Statement of Attainment has no expiry date. WorkSafe Victoria's first aid compliance code says CPR training should be done every year and first aid qualifications renewed every three years. Your employer may have its own rules.

Your results are also recorded against your USI, and you can view them in your authenticated VET transcript through your USI account. We will send your certificate or results to your employer only with your written consent.

Scope Institute certificates (echocardiography)

When you complete an echocardiography course and have paid all fees, we issue a Scope Institute certificate that records the hours and topics you completed. Our Terms and Conditions give the timeframe. In Applied Echocardiography and Clinical Rotations you also keep a course logbook.

A Scope Institute certificate is not a Statement of Attainment or an AQF qualification, and it does not carry the Nationally Recognised Training logo. It is not an ASAR-accredited qualification and does not qualify you to practise as a cardiac sonographer.

Copies and replacements

Current and former students can ask us for a copy of a certificate, and there's no charge. Contact the Student Support team, and we'll confirm your identity before we send it.

Revoking a certificate

In limited cases, such as a certificate issued by mistake or obtained through misconduct, we may revoke (cancel) it. Before we decide, we will tell you in writing why and give you a chance to respond. You can appeal. ASQA can also cancel a Statement of Attainment or direct us to. The grounds and process are in our Terms and Conditions and our Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy.

Records we keep

We keep:

• records of the Statements of Attainment we issue for 30 years
• your completed first aid and CPR assessment work for at least 2 years after you complete the unit
• enrolment and financial records for at least 7 years

Our Privacy Policy lists how long we keep other records, including echocardiography course records. We store records securely. You can ask to see your records at any time, and there's no charge to see them. Contact the Student Support team, and we'll confirm your identity first. If we ever stop operating as an RTO, we'll transfer the required VET records to ASQA so you can still get proof of your results.

Privacy

We handle your personal information under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles, and your health information under the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic). The details are in our Privacy Policy.

What we collect and why

We collect the information we need to enrol, train, assess and certify you, to support you and to meet our legal obligations. That includes your contact details, identity information, education background, training records, results and payment records. We also collect health information when you give it to us, for example to plan an adjustment or keep you safe at a practical session. For Clinical Rotations, we collect your police check and Working with Children Check.

Who we share it with

We share your information only for those purposes or where the law requires or allows it. That can include:

• NCVER, to which the law requires us to report first aid and CPR enrolment and results data, including your USI
• the Student Identifiers Registrar, to verify or create your USI
• ASQA, for audits and other regulatory purposes
• our parent company, Scope Healthcare Limited, which runs Heartscope, to help run our courses, arrange your clinical training and consider you for Industry Based Learning if you apply
• other approved clinical sites, to arrange your clinical training
• your employer, only with your written consent
• the companies that run our systems, such as the student portals

Some of these systems store information outside Australia, and our Privacy Policy lists them. We share your police check and Working with Children Check results only with your consent. We never sell your information. We send you marketing only with your consent, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

The national VET privacy notice (first aid and CPR)

When you enrol in a first aid or CPR course, we give you the national VET privacy notice. In summary, it explains that:

• the law requires us to disclose information about your enrolment to NCVER, which manages national VET data
• NCVER uses it, and may share it with government bodies and VET regulators, for purposes including authenticated VET transcripts, the administration of VET, and research and statistics, including surveys
• NCVER does not intend to disclose your information overseas
• you may be invited to do a student survey by a government department, NCVER or someone acting for them, and you can opt out when you're contacted

The full notice is in our Privacy Policy. You can also read NCVER's Privacy Policy and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations VET Privacy Notice.

Seeing, correcting or complaining about your information

You can ask to see or correct the information we hold about you at any time. Email our Privacy Officer at admin@scopeinstitute.edu.au with "Privacy" in the subject line. If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, complain to the Privacy Officer first. If you're not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner or, for health information, the Health Complaints Commissioner.

Feedback, complaints and appeals

The full process is in our Complaints and Appeals Policy. All students can use it, and it costs you nothing to complain or appeal.

Feedback

You can give feedback at any time, to your trainer or the Student Support team, and anonymously if you prefer. At the end of your course we'll ask you to fill in an evaluation form. First aid and CPR students may also be contacted for a survey by NCVER, a government department or ASQA. We use feedback, complaints and appeals to improve our courses and services.

Complaints

You can complain about anything we've done or failed to do, including our training, assessment, staff, services or facilities, the behaviour of another student, or anyone who provides services on our behalf. You can complain at any time.

You can try to sort things out first with your trainer or the Student Support team, but you don't have to. To make a formal complaint, email the Administration Manager at admin@scopeinstitute.edu.au. You can also complain by phone on 1300 508 809, in person or by post. If you tell us by phone or in person, we'll write your complaint down and check it with you.

We will acknowledge your complaint in writing within 5 business days and aim to resolve it within 20 business days of receiving it. If it will take longer, we'll tell you why and keep you updated. If your complaint is about the Administration Manager, or they were involved in what happened, the Chief Executive Officer handles it instead. If you're not satisfied with the outcome, you can ask the Chief Executive Officer to review it. If the Chief Executive Officer decided your complaint, you can ask for an independent review instead.

You can bring a support person to any meeting, and you can ask for an interpreter or for information in another format. We keep complaints confidential, and no one will be disadvantaged for making a complaint in good faith.

Appeals

An appeal is a request to review a decision we've made that affects you, such as:

• an assessment result
• an RPL or credit transfer decision
• a finding of academic misconduct
• a decision to suspend or cancel your enrolment
• a refusal of a reasonable adjustment
• a refund decision

You must lodge your appeal within 20 business days of being told the decision. If something stops you appealing in time, contact us and explain why. We may accept a late appeal if there's a good reason. We acknowledge and aim to resolve appeals within the same timeframes as complaints. The Chief Executive Officer decides appeals, and no one who was involved in the original decision can decide your appeal. For an assessment appeal, a different assessor reviews your assessment first, and the Chief Executive Officer takes that review into account.

Independent review

If you're not satisfied with our final decision on a complaint or appeal, you can ask for an independent review within 20 business days of that decision. We will arrange a person independent of Scope Institute to review it, at no cost to you.

External complaint bodies

Most external bodies expect you to try our process first. Their contact details are in the Complaints and Appeals Policy.

For first aid and CPR students only:

• the National Training Complaints Hotline, 13 38 73, which refers complaints about vocational training to the right body
• ASQA, which doesn't resolve individual disputes but uses reports to inform how it regulates training providers

For all students:

• Consumer Affairs Victoria, about refunds, cancellations and your consumer rights
• the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), for disputes about services
• the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, about privacy
• the Health Complaints Commissioner, about health information
• the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission and the Australian Human Rights Commission, about discrimination, harassment and victimisation

Child safety

We follow the Victorian Child Safe Standards. Young people aged 14 to 17 can do our first aid and CPR courses, with a parent or guardian's consent. We act immediately on concerns about a child's safety.

If you're under 18 and anything makes you feel unsafe, tell your trainer, any staff member or our Child Safety Officer. We will listen and act. You can also call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.

Parents, guardians and anyone else with a concern about a child's safety can contact our Child Safety Officer, who is our Chief Clinical Educator, on 1300 508 809, or by email at admin@scopeinstitute.edu.au with "Child safety" in the subject line. If a child is in immediate danger, call 000. We report concerns to Victoria Police and Child Protection when the law requires it, and whenever we believe a child is at risk of harm.

Our Child Safety page states our commitment, summarises our policy and explains how children, young people and families can raise a concern. It also lists other people you can contact: the police, Child Protection and the Social Services Regulator.

Changes to your course

Changes we make

We will tell you promptly by email if something changes that affects you, such as your course dates, times or venue, our fees, an organisation involved in your training, our ownership, or the course or unit itself. Course pages and policies always show the current details.

If we cancel or postpone your course

If we cancel or postpone your course, we will tell you as soon as possible. You can choose a full refund of all fees you have paid for it or a free transfer to another date or intake.

If we can't continue your training

If we can't finish delivering your course, we will contact you in writing to explain your options. Our Fees, Payments and Refunds Policy says what you're entitled to, and you keep your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. For first aid and CPR, we will issue a Statement of Attainment for any unit you've completed.

Changes you want to make

To transfer to another date or withdraw from your course, email the Student Support team. Your options, and any costs, are in the Fees, Payments and Refunds Policy.

Contact us

The Student Support team is your first contact for anything about your course, enrolment, USI, support, adjustments, records or certificates.

• Phone: 1300 508 809, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (Melbourne time)
• Email: admin@scopeinstitute.edu.au
• Street address: Unit 1, 202 Jells Road, Wheelers Hill VIC 3150
• Postal address: PO Box 3533, Wheelers Hill VIC 3150
• Student portals: Student login
• Course enquiries: Enquire now

For particular matters:

• formal complaints and appeals: the Administration Manager, admin@scopeinstitute.edu.au
• privacy requests and complaints: the Privacy Officer, admin@scopeinstitute.edu.au with "Privacy" in the subject line
• concerns about a child's safety: the Child Safety Officer, 1300 508 809 or admin@scopeinstitute.edu.au with "Child safety" in the subject line

In an emergency, call 000.

Scope Institute Pty Ltd, ABN 49 657 343 363, RTO code 45946.