Quality and Complaints Management
Joy Valley Care is committed to assisting participants, participants’ representatives, and staff with the timely and effective management of complaints and compliments.
It is our priority to enable participants, their families and representatives, visitors, staff and volunteers to provide feedback or raise a compliment or complaint about any aspect of our service, the care we provide or the operation of our centres.
Compliments Received
Compliments received by the centre tell us what we are doing well. Complaints received by the service are seen as an opportunity for improvement. All feedback is taken seriously. We make all reasonable efforts to understand issues or concerns and resolve complaints within the centre when they arise.
Complaints are addressed promptly with the aim of providing a formal response as soon as possible. We acknowledge that complex issues may take longer to resolve. We will communicate with you openly and regularly while we work to resolve your complaint. Where appropriate, the participant and their representative are actively involved in resolving the issue. Once a resolution has been reached, we will talk with you to make sure you are satisfied with the outcome of your complaint.
If the person complaining is not happy with the outcome of the complaint, they can ask us for an internal reconsideration of our decision. We can also assist in accessing external complaint resolution mechanisms.
Our Approach
- All care recipients and/or their family members and representatives are informed on admission about the process for lodging a compliment or complaint.
- Our Compliments and Complaint Handling Policy is promoted within our service. Copies of policy, procedures and relevant forms are available at the centre reception area.
- Our Comments, Suggestions and Complaints Form (Feedback Form) outlines our service’s commitment to a welcoming environment for compliments and complaints.
- Staff and volunteers have an understanding of our Compliments and Complaint Handling Policy and are available to assist care recipients, their family and representatives in providing feedback to the service.
- Copies of our Compliments and Complaint Form are easily accessible in public areas of our centres to provide clear and accessible ways of providing feedback on the services and care provided.
- Compliments and complaints can be lodged:
* in writing to management by completing a Comments, Suggestion and Complaints Form or by writing a letter.
* by telephone to the facility supervisor or Administration Officer.
* in person, verbally to the home supervisor or by approaching a member of staff for assistance. - If you are not satisfied by the way that the matter has been dealt with or it is of a serious nature, please contact our 24 hour service number: 0421 862 175.
- If you are not satisfied with our complaint handling and systems you may contact NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission on 1800 035 544 (free call from landlines). You may also visit the NDIS Commission’s website and complete a complaint contact form. The Commission can also be accessed through the National Relay Service then 1800 035 544. You may need the translating and interpreting services by calling Translating and Interpreting Service 131 450.
- You are encouraged to lodge your complaint in writing. This will assist with understanding the nature of the complaint and ensure that the facts provided are correct.
- The complaint is to be referred to the manager or team leader for registration on the Comments, Suggestions and Complaints Register.
- Complainants have the right to ask us for an internal reconsideration of decisions we have made in relation to the complaint.
- Complainants have the right to lodge their complaint with and to seek assistance from an external agency.
- Options for internal reconsideration of decisions and external complaint resolution are offered to any complainant who is not satisfied with the resolution of their complaint within the centre.
- If someone gives a verbal compliment or complaint, they should be encouraged to complete a Comments, Suggestions and Complaints Form to facilitate the tracking of feedback by the centre. Alternatively, staff will use the Form to record verbal feedback to facilitate tracking by the centre and inform ongoing improvement activities.
- If a concern or complaint is minor and was addressed at the point of service, staff should record the issue and any actions taken on the Comments, Suggestions and Complaints Form.
- Any staff member can be approached to provide compliments, to raise a concern or make a complaint. Where a staff member is not empowered to handle or resolve complaints on behalf of the centre, the staff member will be able to refer the complaint to other staff and/or act as an advocate for the complainant and assist with completing forms for them.
- Any complaints received by our centre are registered on the Comments, Suggestions and Complaints Register, acknowledged, and investigated as required. Feedback on how the complaint was managed and resolved is sent to the complainant once the complaint is closed. Where the complainant is not the care recipient, the care recipient will also be informed.
- Every complaint is an opportunity for us to improve our service delivery.
- Every complaint is confidential
Confidentiality
- All information regarding complaints is kept confidential amongst the staff concerned with its resolution.
- Complaint documentation is kept in a safe, locked place and accessible only to staff handling the complaint.
- Compliment and complaint information may be forwarded to the management team as part of ongoing improvement activities within the centre.
- Download this policy document as a PDF