Complaints and Grievances Policy

This policy provides guidance to our staff and people who wish to make a complaint on the key principles and concepts of our complaint management system.

2. Objective

The Carnelian Foundation aims to ensure that that we handle complaints fairly, efficiently and effectively.

3. Scope

This policy applies to all staff (paid and volunteer), contractors and our governing body, receiving or managing complaints from the public and clients made to or about us, regarding our products, services and staff, or our complaint handling process.

4. Definitions

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about the services provided by the Carnelian Foundation.

5. Responsibilities

6. Policy

An effective complaint handling system must be modelled on the principles of fairness, accessibility, responsiveness, efficiency and integration into organisational culture.

Step 1. Facilitate complaints.

Step 2. Acknowledge and respond to complaints.

Step 3. Manage and resolve the complaint.

6.1 People focus

We are committed to seeking and receiving feedback and complaints about our services, systems, practices, procedures, products and complaint handling.

Any concerns raised in feedback or complaints will be dealt with within a reasonable time frame (as in AS/NZ 10002).

People making complaints will be:

• provided with information about our complaint handling process and how to access it
• listened to, treated with respect by staff and actively involved in the complaint process where possible and appropriate, and
• provided with reasons for our decision/s and any options for redress or review.

• No detriment to people making complaints

We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that people making complaints are not adversely affected because a complaint has been made by them or on their behalf.

6.3 Anonymity

Complaints may be made anonymously and a confidential investigation will be carried out however anonymous complaints may limit the amount of information we have access to and may impact our ability to productively resolve the complaint.

• Accessibility

We will ensure that information about how and where complaints may be made to or about us is well publicised on our website (if available). We will ensure that our systems to manage complaints are easily understood and accessible to everyone, particularly people who may require assistance.

If a person prefers or needs another person or organisation to assist or represent them in the making and/ or resolution of their complaint, we will communicate with them through their representative if this is their wish. Anyone may represent a person wishing to make a complaint with their consent (e.g. advocate, family member, legal or community representative, member of Parliament, or another organisation).

7. Responding to complaints

• Early resolution

Where possible, complaints will be resolved at first contact with us. When appropriate we may offer an explanation or apology to the person making the complaint.

• Responsiveness

We will promptly acknowledge receipt of complaints.

We will assess and prioritise complaints in accordance with the urgency and/or seriousness of the issues raised. If a matter concerns an immediate risk to safety or security the response will be immediate and will be escalated appropriately.

We are committed to managing people’s expectations, and will inform them as soon as possible, of the following:

• the complaints process
• the expected time frames for our actions
• the progress of the complaint and reasons for any delay
• their likely involvement in the process, and
• the possible or likely outcome of their complaint.

We will advise people as soon as possible when we are unable to deal with any part of their complaint and provide advice about where such issues and/or complaints may be directed (if known and appropriate).

We will also advise people as soon as possible when we are unable to meet our time frames for responding to their complaint and the reason for our delay.

Our staff are empowered to resolve complaints promptly and with as little formality as possible. We will adopt flexible approaches to service delivery and problem solving to enhance accessibility for people making complaints and/or their representatives.

We will assess each complaint on its merits and involve people making complaints and/or their representative in the process as far as possible.

8. Complaint management process

Level 1
We aim to resolve complaints at the first level, the frontline. Wherever possible staff will be adequately equipped to respond to complaints, including being given appropriate authority, training and supervision.

Level 2
Where this is not possible, we may decide to escalate the complaint to a more senior officer within our organisation. This second level of complaint handling will provide for the following internal mechanisms:

• assessment and possible investigation of the complaint and decision/s already made, and/or
• facilitated resolution (where a person not connected with the complaint reviews the matter and attempts to find an outcome acceptable to the relevant parties).

Level 3
Where a person making a complaint is dissatisfied with the outcome of our review of their complaint, they may seek an external review of our decision (by the Australian Charities and Not- for- Profits Commission for example).

9. Program partners

Carnelian Foundation cannot investigate complaints regarding the service delivery of another provider, or organisation. Issues may be raised which can be addressed collaboratively however complaints regarding another organisation are best dealt with by that organisation.