Client Feedback and Complaints Management Policy

Policy Statement

1. Encouraging and Acknowledging Feedback, Compliments, and Complaints

Ensure clients are aware of their right to provide feedback and make a complaint (without fear of reprisal or retribution), both internally and externally to a regulator, and support them to do this if requested.

Welcome all complaints, concerns, compliments, and suggestions as opportunities for continuous improvement.

Support clients to access an advocate, language services, or any other aid or service they need to raise and resolve a complaint.

Acknowledge the complaint verbally and/or in writing, expressing regret that standards or expectations have not been met, or express verbal gratitude to acknowledge a compliment, in a way that is culturally respectful and, in a language, mode, and method the client is most likely to understand.

2. Response Actions

Take required action(s) to address immediate client risks, issues, or concerns.

Conduct internal and external incident reporting as required.

Document the feedback/complaint in the Complaints Register.

Discuss response actions with the client and/or family/alternate decision-maker/advocate and encourage their involvement in improving services.

Inform the client if their rights or interests may be adversely affected in a direct and specific way because of the complaint, or something relating to the complaint.

Ensure any adverse decision outcome(s) for the client is/are based on the facts and the record of decision is clearly and accurately documented in the client file and in the Complaints Register.

3. Communication and Collaboration

Conduct all discussions with the client and/or family/alternate decision-maker/advocate with sensitivity, courtesy, and respect.

Communicate and collaborate with the client and/or family/alternate decision-maker/advocate throughout the complaints process.

4. Continuous Improvement and Quality Management

Seek to learn from feedback and complaints and continually improve service delivery processes.

Review and analyse feedback and complaints raised to identify systemic issues and take follow up action(s) as required (changes to policy and procedures, worker rostering, supervision and training, technology and communications).

Report outcomes of complaints/incident investigations to both the client and other stakeholders (including relevant workers) and ensure this is documented in the quality management system as part of the continuous improvement process.

5. Reviewing and Monitoring Processes

Conduct audits to review and monitor feedback and complaints management process and make any required adjustments.

Maintain a Complaints Register and a Continuous Improvement Register with details, actions, and outcomes of complaints and suggested improvements.

6. Information and Record-keeping

Ensure information and records are accurate and up to date.

Ensure the client has provided all required written consents.

Store the information securely to ensure privacy, dignity, and confidentiality and make sure it is accessible to the client and only other stakeholders authorised to access it.

7. Worker Training and Supervision

Maintain a skilled and trained workforce, which is aware of clients’ right to complain and the complaints-handling process.

Maintain processes to adequately monitor and supervise workers.

Responsibilities:

The Director is responsible for:

• Maintaining this policy, its related procedures, and associated documents.
• Ensuring the policy is effectively implemented across the service.
• Monitoring worker compliance with the requirements of this policy.
• Ensuring training and information is provided to workers to carry out this policy.

All workers are responsible for complying with the requirements of this policy.

Compliance

Deliberate breaches of this policy will be dealt with under the misconduct provisions, as stated in the Code of Conduct Agreement.

Lodge your complaint or feedback here: https://www.jonquillacare.com.au/lodge-a-complain-feedback/.