Lauren Jane Delaney T/A Fun Play Laughter
COMPLAINTS AND FEEDBACK POLICY
Purpose
Lauren Jane Delaney T/A Fun Play Laughter (we, us and our) are committed to providing high-quality services and support to our clients. We recognise that effective management of feedback and complaints is crucial to maintaining and improving our service quality. This policy outlines our commitment to effectively managing feedback and complaints in accordance with the NDIS Code of Conduct and other applicable rules. It provides a framework for how we receive, respond to, and learn from feedback and complaints.
Scope
This policy covers all aspects of our service delivery and operations. This policy sets out how you can make a complaint about our services or other aspects of our organisation.
Roles and Responsibilities
As a sole trader, Lauren Jane Delaney is responsible for all aspects of complaint handling, including:
•receiving and recording complaints;•investigating and responding to complaints;
•identifying improvements based on feedback; and
•maintaining complaint records.
If you have concerns about how Lauren has handled your complaint, you may escalate the matter to the NDIS Commission (details below).
Our Commitment
We recognise that an effective complaints and feedback system is crucial for maintaining high-quality services and fostering trust with our clients. Our commitments in this area are fundamental to our organisational values and operational practices. We are dedicated to:
•maintaining an accessible and effective complaints management system;
•ensuring our clients know how to provide feedback or make a complaint;
•welcoming and respecting all feedback and complaints;
•resolving complaints promptly and fairly; and
•using feedback to improve our services.
No person will be adversely affected because of making a complaint or assisting in the resolution of a complaint. Any form of victimisation or retaliation will be treated as serious misconduct.
Making a Complaint
We want our complaint process to be as accessible and straightforward as possible. We understand that making a complaint can be daunting, so we offer a few ways for individuals to share their concerns or provide feedback. Complaints can be made:
•By phone: 0435 918 815
•By email: lauren@funplaylaughter.com.au
•In writing to: PO Box 7290, Greenway ACT 2900
We are committed to making the complaints process as accessible and supportive as possible. We offer a range of supports to assist anyone who wishes to make a complaint:
•Communication aids: We can provide various communication aids or formats to suit your needs.
•Support persons: You are welcome to bring a support person of your choice to any meetings or discussions about your complaint.
We accept anonymous complaints and will act on them to the extent possible. While this may limit our ability to investigate fully, we will take all reasonable steps to address the issues raised.
We actively offer these supports and will work with you to understand and meet your individual needs throughout the complaint process. Our goal is to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to provide feedback and raise concerns.
For those who prefer to raise their concerns externally, or who are not happy with the way we have dealt with the complaint, complaints can also be made to the NDIS Commission:
Phone: 1800 035 544
Website: www.ndiscommission.gov.au
You may also have the right to make a complaint to the ACCC (which is the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) who accept and record reports of information about business practices and behaviours of concern. You may also have a right to make a complaint to Fair Trading or the Consumer Rights organisation in your state or territory. Find where to go for consumer help here: https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/problem-with-a-product-or-service-you-bought/where-to-go-for-consumer-help
Referral of Complaints
We recognise that some complaints may need to be referred to other bodies due to their nature or severity. Our referral process ensures that:
•Prompt action: We will quickly identify complaints that require referral and act without delay
.•Appropriate authorities: Depending on the issue, we may refer complaints to bodies such as:
oPolice (for criminal matters)
oNDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (for serious incidents or concerns about NDIS providers)
oOther regulatory bodies as appropriate
•Transparency: We will inform you if your complaint needs to be referred, explaining why and to whom, unless doing so would put someone at risk of harm.
•Continued support: Even if a complaint is referred, we will continue to provide support and assistance as needed.
•Follow-up: We will follow up with the relevant authority to ensure the complaint is being addressed.
We are committed to ensuring all complaints are handled by the most appropriate body to achieve the best possible outcome.
Our Complaints Process
Our complaints process is designed to be thorough, fair, and transparent. We aim to resolve all complaints in a timely manner while ensuring that all parties are heard and treated with respect. We follow the Four A’s approach to complaint resolution:
•Acknowledge: We promptly acknowledge the complaint within 3 business days, recognising your feelings and concerns.
•Assess: We investigate the complaint, determine how to handle it, and assess any potential risks, especially to the health, safety, or wellbeing of a person with disability.
•Act: We take action to resolve the complaint, implement necessary changes to prevent it from happening again, and keep you informed throughout the process.
•Advise: We provide clear explanations about outcomes, decisions made, and reasons behind them. Where appropriate, we offer a sincere apology for any shortcomings in our service.
We prioritise high-risk complaints for immediate attention and action. Throughout the process, we keep you informed of progress and any delays that may occur.
We also use this process to identify potential improvements to our services and processes.
Involvement of Affected Persons
We recognise the importance of keeping all relevant parties informed and involved throughout the complaint resolution process. This includes both you and any person with disability affected by issues raised in the complaint (if these people are different). Our approach ensures:
•Regular updates: We will keep you informed about the progress of your complaint at every stage.•Consultation: We will consult with you about proposed actions or decisions that affect you.
•Opportunity to respond: You will have the chance to comment on any findings before a final decision is made.
•Clear communication: We will explain our decisions, including the reasons behind them, in a way that is easy to understand.
•Review options: We will inform you about options for review if you are not satisfied with the outcome.
We are committed to a person-centred approach, ensuring that your voice is heard and respected throughout the process.
Requesting a review
If you’re not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you can request a review. You may provide additional information or reasons why you believe the decision should be reconsidered by contacting Lauren within 14 days of receiving the outcome. Lauren will consider any additional information and provide a further response as soon as practicable. If you remain dissatisfied, you may raise your concerns with the external bodies listed in the "Making a Complaint" section above.
Reportable Incidents
We report any reportable incidents to the NDIS Commission in accordance with NDIS laws and guidelines.
Record KeepingWe will maintain records of all complaints for a minimum of 7 years from the date of the complaint. These records will include the nature of the complaint, actions taken, decisions made, and outcomes.
Procedural Fairness
We are committed to ensuring procedural fairness in our complaints handling process. This means that all parties involved in a complaint are treated equitably and given a fair opportunity to present their case. To achieve this, we will:
•inform people of any case against them;
•give people a right to be heard;•conduct the process without bias;
•act only on relevant evidence; and
•provide reasons for our decisions.
Complaints about the Business Owner
As a sole trader operation, Lauren Jane Delaney is the sole decision-maker. If you wish to make a complaint about Lauren's conduct or are not satisfied with how your complaint has been handled, you may raise your concerns with the external bodies listed in the "Making a Complaint" section above.
Confidentiality
We understand the sensitive nature of many complaints and the importance of maintaining confidentiality. We will treat all complaints with discretion and maintain confidentiality as far as possible. We will only disclose information related to complaints if required by law or if absolutely necessary to resolve the complaint. We will ensure that we comply with the Privacy Act and that we treat your personal information (or any personal information disclosed to us) in accordance with our obligations under the Privacy Act.
Continuous Improvement
We view complaints and feedback as valuable opportunities for organisational learning and improvement. To make the most of these opportunities, we will:
•record and analyse our complaints data;
•regularly review this policy and our complaints processes;
•seek feedback on the accessibility of our complaints system; and
•use complaints to identify areas for improvement in our services and operations.
References
We have developed this policy in accordance with relevant legislation and guidelines, including:
•NDIS Practice Standards;
•NDIS Effective Complaint Handling Guidelines for NDIS Providers;
•National Disability Insurance Scheme (Complaints Management and Resolution) Rules 2018;
•NDIS (Procedural Fairness) Guidelines 2018;
•NDS Risk Incidents and Complaints Management – Complaint and Feedback Policy and Procedure Checklist;
•Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).We are committed to staying up-to-date with any changes to these standards and updating our policy accordingly.
We will review this policy regularly to ensure it remains current and effective in meeting the needs of our clients and organisation.