Purpose

This policy:

  • establishes clear guidelines and support for participants, children and young people in our care and other stakeholders to lodge a complaint; and
  • ensures that effective feedback mechanisms are implemented to drive continuous improvement of our services.

Scope

This policy applies to all staff, contractors, participants, children and young people in our care, their families, parents, guardians, carers, advocates, and all other persons acting on behalf of or involved with the Xanadu Group and its subsidiaries Helping Solutions, True Ability and Helping Community Solutions.

Policy

  • We welcome feedback and complaints about our services, our staff, or our handling of a complaint. We use feedback and complaints to improve our services.
  • We are committed to facilitating a person’s right to make a complaint about our services, to appeal a decision that directly concerns them, and to ensure their complaint or appeal is fairly assessed and promptly responded to. For children and young people in care, this right is consistent with the Charter of Rights for Children and Young People in Care.
  • Our complaints process follows the principles of procedural fairness. Complaints are dealt with in an equitable, objective and unbiased manner.
  • We acknowledge, assess and resolve complaints in an efficient, non-threatening and culturally safe manner, including for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people and families.
  • Complaints are dealt with directly and promptly at the point of service, unless the complaint requires further investigation.
  • Our complaints process respects the privacy and confidentiality rights of the people making a complaint and the participants and children and young people affected by the issues raised.
  • Our staff receive regular training to competently receive, manage and resolve complaints.
  • We will notify the relevant authorities if complaints raise issues that require action by other bodies, such as WA Police or the Department of Communities, including where a child may need protection.

Who can make a complaint?

Anyone can make a complaint or give us feedback at any time, including:

  • a participant, or a child or young person in our care
  • a staff member
  • a family member, parent, guardian, carer or representative
  • an advocate
  • a Department of Communities child protection worker or other professional
  • a member of the public

How to make a complaint

You can make a complaint or give feedback in a variety of ways, including:

  • In person, either directly with a member of staff in the community or by visiting our offices at:
    • The Geraldton address comes off entirely. Line 1: 4 Gwenyfred Road, South Perth WA 6151 Line 2: 112
    • 12-18 Corporate Drive, Heatherton VIC 3202
  • In writing to:
    • Compliance, Quality and Risk Manager
    • 4 Gwenyfred Road, South Perth WA 6151
  • By phone or email:
  • Online, by completing the feedback form via our brand websites at xanadugroup.com.au/our-brands

You are also welcome to make a complaint or give feedback anonymously.

Our commitment to complainants

  • We will provide information, reassurance and support to any person who wishes to make, or has made, a complaint using internal or external mechanisms.
  • We will ensure support and advocacy is available to children and young people in care who make a complaint. This includes advising any complainant on how to make a complaint to external bodies including the Department of Communities, the Commissioner for Children and Young People WA, the Ombudsman Western Australia and providing appropriate support and assistance in doing so.
  • No one will be disadvantaged by making a complaint.

What happens after I make a complaint?

  • Complaints and appeals are a high priority for us to resolve and remediate.
  • Wherever possible we try to resolve the complaint in the initial discussion, or as soon as possible afterwards.
  • If we cannot resolve the complaint immediately, it is referred to management for investigation, which will follow our Complaints Management Procedure.
  • We will keep the people involved, and any affected participant, or child or young person, appropriately involved in the process and informed of its progress, including any action taken, the reasons for any decisions, and options to have a decision reviewed.
  • We will recognise and include any decision-maker or advocate of the complainant in the complaints and resolution process, as the complainant wishes.
  • If the complaint is made against a staff member or contractor, they will have no contact with the complainant while we work to resolve it.
  • If the complaint involves investigations into staff conduct, disciplinary procedures may apply.
  • All information relating to a complaint and its outcome is kept confidential.

Appeals

  • The complainant has the right to pursue a formal appeal at any time during the complaints process if they are not satisfied with the process and/or the outcome.
  • We will offer to assist the complainant in seeking external appeal bodies and agencies that may help resolve the complaint.

Records management

  • We keep all information relating to a complaint in our Complaints and Feedback Register.
  • We maintain accurate records of all complaints received, including whether they were resolved, the action taken, and the outcome of any action.
  • We create, store and dispose of records relating to complaints and feedback in accordance with our Records Management Policy. Records are kept for seven (7) years from the date they are made, unless the complaint is about sexual abuse that has occurred or is alleged to have occurred, in which case records are maintained for a minimum of 45 years, consistent with the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Continuous improvement

  • Our Compliance, Quality and Risk team continually monitors complaints, appeals and their outcomes to identify areas for service improvement.
  • Information gathered from complaints and appeals informs our decision-making and planning. This includes reviewing complaints and appeals in all service planning, monitoring and evaluation activities, and keeping complaints and appeals as a standard item on staff and management meeting agendas.

Review

  • This policy and our complaints management and resolution process will be reviewed annually to identify and resolve systemic issues raised through the process.
  • If at any time the policy is no longer appropriate in its current form, it will be reviewed immediately.
  • Any necessary revisions will be made in consultation with stakeholders, including the participants and children and young people in our care who use our services.

Legislation and frameworks

  • National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013
  • National Disability Insurance Scheme (Complaints Management and Resolution) Rules 2018
  • Better Care, Better Services: Safety and Quality Standards for Children and Young People in Protection and Care
  • United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
  • United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
  • United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
  • Children and Community Services Act 2004 (WA)

Definitions

Complaint: an expression of dissatisfaction made to or about an organisation, related to its products, services, staff or the handling of a complaint, where a response or resolution is expected or legally required.

Feedback: information, both positive and negative, given by another person about aspects of a person’s, a team’s or an organisation’s behaviour, actions or performance.

Procedural fairness: a fair and proper process used when making decisions. A decision-maker who follows a fair procedure will most likely reach a fair and correct decision.