Decent Care views feedback and complaints as an important tool to help the organisation improve service provision and create greater participant satisfaction and outcomes. Decent Care’s complaints and feedback management process ensures that issues presented are managed fairly, are valued and listened to respectfully, with promptly in ways that are culturally appropriate. In line with this policy and procedure manual, concerns will be treated as a priority, involving participants in the resolution process and keeping the participant informed about progress. The purpose of this policy is to set out how any person can provide feedback and complaints about any aspect of Decent Care’s operations, as well as the process that will be undertaken to address or respond to feedback and complaints without reprisal.
This policy applies to all stakeholders, including participants, families, carers, advocates, team members, students, contractors, other service providers, government agencies and members of the community. Decent Care team members are trained in and comply with the requirements of this policy and its procedures
This policy complies with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Quality Indicators) Guidelines 2018 and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Complaints Management and Resolution) Rules 2018 Decent Care is committed to the following complaints management principles:
Decent Care is committed to managing complaints in a way that is accountable, transparent, timely, meaningful and the most direct way possible. Any individual, stakeholder or agency wishing to lodge a complaint about services will be provided information about the complaint management process. Every complaint will be heard respectfully with a willingness to assist the complainant. Information will be provided in a format that is easily understood, in an appropriate language, communicated appropriately and considered effort will be taken to ensure the complainant is fully informed about the process. Complaints may be lodged on behalf of another person, if permission been obtained. Each participant is provided with information about the use of an advocate (including an independent advocate) and access to an advocate is facilitated if the participant selects to include one. See also Decent Care Advocacy Policy and Procedure. Information is provided in the Welcome Pack along with the Service Agreement at commencement of service. All personal information that Decent Care collects to manage feedback and complaints is handled in accordance with privacy legislation and the Decent Care Privacy Policy. Decent Care takes all reasonable steps to notify the complainant before disclosing any confidential information. Decent Care expects that most complaints or feedback will be addressed and responded to by the Program Managers. Where complaints require investigation or more formal review, sufficient resources are allocated to ensure that complaints are effectively and professionally managed, thoroughly investigated by suitably skilled team members who will, if required, seek guidance from the external agencies such as the NDIS Commission.
All Decent Care team members will handle complaints with:
At any time, people can make a complaint about NDIS service providers or the support they provide to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission at the below details:
People making a complaint, or affected by a complaint, must be assisted to contact the NDIS Commission, if this is required.
Where a complaint alleges actual or possible criminal activity, abuse or neglect, the Managing Directors must report the complaint, as per Decent Care’s Incident Management Policy and work with the relevant authorities to investigate the allegation.Complaints made to Decent Care or the NDIS Commission can be withdrawn at any time.
Decent Care understand that failure to comply with the complaint’s management requirements of the NDIS legislation and rules may lead to the NDIS Commissioner taking compliance and enforcement action against the organisation.
Where a complaint about Decent Care is made to the NDIS Commission, the organisation will:
1. Lodge
Complaints and Feedback can be submitted in the following way:
Any stakeholder wanting to make a complaint can request that a specific team member be allocated to assist and support them with the process. All complaints must be referred to the Program Manager for resolution. Team members will discuss minor complaints directly with the party involved as a first step towards resolution. If the complaint cannot be resolved promptly or within 24 hours, the team member will advise the person of their right to lodge a formal written complaint, if they have not already done so, with the assistance of a support person or advocate if they wish. Formal complaints can be lodged via a face-to-face meeting, email of complaints form, mail or phone. Where a formal complaint has been lodged the complaint will be recorded and investigated by the relevant Program Manager. Where a complaint is complex, severe, or systematic the complaint must be escalated to the Managing Directors for resolution.
2. Record
The Program Manager must record all information relevant to complaints, in its original and simplest form, in the Complaints Register that is held in the organisational Master Register. This is reviewed monthly for continuous improvement processes.
3. Acknowledge
Where a complaint is received the Program Manager or Managing Director (depending on complexity of complaint) will acknowledge receipt of complaints within two (2) working days. However, where a person has requested to remain anonymous, contact may not be possible or expected. In their acknowledgement, realistic expectations regarding complaint resolution and provide timeframes for resolution where possible.
4. Resolve
In resolving a complaint, Decent Care aims to involve the complainant and keep them informed and involved in the progress of the complaint. Decent Care discuss any disparities identified with the complainant and may request additional information if required. A timeframe within which further information is to be provided is clearly communicated with the complainant. Complaint investigation must focus on the identified complaint matters only and be undertaken in a way that provides procedural fairness to all parties involved. Investigation of complaints will not be conducted by a person about whom a complaint has been made. Decent Care will undertake to fully inform any team members that is the subject of a complaint, the nature of the complaint and of the process being implemented to resolve complaint. If required, the team members concerned will be provided with a seven (7) day timeframe in which to submit a written response and/or seek further advice. All decisions or actions regarding complaint investigation are recorded in the Complaints Register. The Complaints Register will be used by the Program Managers to record, track investigation progress, note details of the outcomes and how the outcomes have been communicated back to stakeholders.
5. Communicate resolution
Decent Care aims to resolve all complaints as soon as possible and within 28 days from acknowledgement. If a complaint cannot be resolved in full within 28 days of acknowledgement, an update will be issued to the complainant. The update will provide the date by which a full response can be expected. The outcome of a complaint investigation will be discussed with the complainant, where possible. This must be followed by written advice that provides the complainant an opportunity to make further contact with Decent Care if required. The written advice must also include information on what further action may be available to the complainant at the conclusion of the complaint investigation. This may include escalating the matter to an external complaints agency or seeking a further review within Decent Care. Written advice should also seek feedback from the complainant regarding their experience of the complaints process. Support must be provided to assist complainants’ understanding of correspondence regarding complaints where required (e.g. interpreters, referral to advocates, etc.). Options for resolving complaints include:
Monitoring and review - complaints management
As part of Decent Care’s commitment to quality management and continuous improvement, complaints information is recorded using the Complaints Register. Adopting a complaints process as such assists Decent Care to review service performance and progress through ensuring that the list is analysed for repeat issues enabling opportunities for identification of service improvement. The Complaints Register is reviewed monthly by the Managing Directors as part of the management processes.
Decent Care takes reports of violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation and discrimination very seriously. It is mandatory that any report of abuse or neglect that is disclosed to Decent Care by team members, participants, families, carers and other stakeholders or members of the public are immediately forwarded to the Managing Directors. The Managing Directors will then immediately contact the Police and to any relevant external agency, see Freedom from Violence, Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation and Discrimination Policy.
At recruitment stage all team members undergo an induction that includes information on the complaints processes. Additional on-the-job and formal training will be provided where required
Decent Care’s Managing Directors are responsible for:
Program Managers are responsible for:
Team members are responsible for ensuring: