Complaints and Feedback Policy

PURPOSE

This policy:

• establishes clear guidelines and support for participants 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 and their families, friends, carers, friends and advocates and all other persons acting on behalf of or involved with 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 about 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 made that directly concerns them, and to ensure that their complaint or appeal is fairly assessed and promptly responded to.
• 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 appropriate manner.
• 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 participants affected by the issues raised in a complaint.
• 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 to be taken by other bodies such as law enforcement or child protection services.

WHO CAN MAKE A COMPLAINT?

• Anyone at any time can make a complaint or give us feedback including:
  • a participant
  • a staff member
  • a participant’s family, guardian or representative
  • an advocate
  • a 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:
    • 4 Gwenyfred Road, South Perth WA
    • 112 / 12-18 Corporate Drive, Heatherton, Melbourne VIC
    • Unit 4 / 65 Bayly Street, Geraldton WA 6530
  • In writing to:
    • Compliance Quality and Risk Manager
    • 4 Gwenyfred Road, South Perth WA 6151
  • By phone or email:
    • Phone: +61 (08) 6118 5900
    • Email: admin@xanadugroup.com.au
  • Online: complete our online feedback form via our brand websites:
    • https://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 a complaint or has made a complaint using internal or external mechanisms.
• We will ensure support and advocacy is available to participants who make a complaint. This includes ensuring that any complainant and any affected participant is advised on how to make a complaint to external regulatory bodies, and that appropriate support and assistance is provided 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 and resolve the complaint in the initial discussion or as soon as possible afterwards.
• If we cannot resolve the complaint immediately the complaint is referred to management for investigation. Investigation will follow our Complaints Management Procedure.
• We will keep the people involved in the complaint and any affected participant appropriately involved in the complaints process and informed of the progress of the complaint including any action taken, reasons for any decisions made, and options to have any 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 not have any contact with the complainant while we work to resolve the complaint.
• 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 process any time during the complaints process if they are not satisfied with our complaints process and/or outcome.
• We will offer to assist the complainant in seeking external appeal bodies and agencies that may help in resolving 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 information about the complaints that have been resolved or not resolved, action taken to resolve the complaints and the outcome of any action taken.
• 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 the records are made, unless the complaint is about sexual abuse that has occurred or is alleged to have occurred in which case records are maintained and stored for a minimum of 45 years.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

• Our Compliance Quality and Risk team continually monitors complaints, appeals and their outcomes to identify areas of service improvement.
• Information gathered from complaints and appeals informs our decision-making and planning processes. This includes:
  • reviewing complaints and appeals in all service planning, monitoring and evaluation activities; and
  • 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 systematic issues raised through the complaints and resolution 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 particpants and children 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
NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators
NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People

DEFINTIONS

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 a decision. A decision maker who follows a fair procedure will most likely reach a fair and correct decision.
Participant: a participant in the NDIS or a child or young person in the care of Helping Community Solutions under the guardianship of the Chief Executive of the Department for Communities.