The OIA’s 2026 operating plan: What universities need to know

The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) has confirmed plans for the most significant review of its student complaints scheme since its inception. Higher education providers should take note.

Why now?

The OIA’s 2025 data has driven its decision to overhaul the complaints scheme. Complaints rose by 17% on the previous year, exceeding 4,000 for the first time.

Financial pressures on institutions are translating directly into student dissatisfaction. The Independent Adjudicator, Helen Megarry, noted that "as institutions make difficult decisions, students are feeling less fairly treated at the same time as their fees are increasing". With complaints at record levels, the OIA considers that a new scheme fit for dealing with student complaints over the next 20 years is overdue.

What's changing?

The review won't alter the fundamental aspects of the OIA complaints scheme. It will still be free for students to pursue. The OIA will still be independent in its decision-making, and the scheme will continue to be funded by subscriptions from providers. What will change is how the scheme is expressed and operated.

The OIA proposes to move from a rules-based approach to a clearer, principles-based framework, supported by accessible guidance. The aim is to make the scheme easier for students, advisers and providers to use, and to give the OIA greater operational flexibility.

Expansion into Wales

The OIA is also moving towards extending the scheme to cover students in the Welsh tertiary education sector. It continues to work with the Welsh Government and the post-16 regulator in Wales, Medr, to support the continued development of an integrated tertiary system.

Four priorities for 2026

The operating plan sets out four strategic priorities:

1. Reviewing the casework process: including developing an early resolution framework to resolve complaints more quickly and fairly, with targets to close 75% of cases within six months. This should reduce the overall length of investigations.
2. Increasing influence and effectiveness: through enhanced engagement with government, regulators and providers. The OIA wants to undertake targeted work with organisations that receive a high volume of complaints. It also plans to engage with providers that have had little or no contact with the OIA, to ensure they benefit from its good practice guidance.
3. Improving data and evidence: capturing better quality information, including through early engagement, and using artificial intelligence to support specific casework processes.
4. Organisational and cultural development: investing in leadership, technology, and people, while aiming to keep the unit subscription cost at approximately £1,700 per institution.   

What providers should do

The OIA will launch a formal consultation on its operational plan in spring 2026. It considers this a genuine opportunity to influence the shape of the refreshed complaints scheme.

Providers should consider engaging on key issues, including how the principles-based approach will interact with institutional complaints procedures, what early resolution will look like in practice, and the operational implications of expanding the scheme to the tertiary education sector in Wales.

We regularly support higher education providers in navigating the OIA's complaints scheme. If you'd like advice on any of the issues raised in this article, please contact Trish D’Souza, Legal Director and Head of our Cardiff team.