Complaint Handling Policy and Procedures 2018

Guiding principles

Facilitate complaints

People focus

We are committed to seeking and receiving feedback and complaints about our volunteer Catechists who teach SRE within State Schools, or about their practices, procedures, and complaint handling

Any concerns raised in feedback or complaints will be dealt with within a reasonable time frame, normally within two working days of receipt of any complaint

People making complaints will be:

• provided with information about our complaint handling process
• provided with accessible ways to make complaints
• 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 revie

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.

Anonymous complaints

We accept anonymous complaints and will carry out an investigation of the issues raised where there is enough information provided.

Accessibility

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

Respond to complaints

Early resolution

Where possible, complaints will be resolved at first contact with the appropriate authorised officer of the Diocese of Armidale being the CCD Director.

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.

Objectivity and fairness

We will address each complaint with integrity and in an equitable, objective and unbiased manner. We will ensure that the person handling a complaint is different from any staff member whose conduct or service is being complained about. Conflicts of interests, whether actual or perceived, will be managed responsibly. In particular, internal reviews of how a complaint was managed will be conducted by a person other than the original decision make

Responding flexibly

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

Confidentiality

We will protect the identity of people making complaints where this is practical and appropriate. Personal information that identifies individuals will only be disclosed or used by the Diocese as permitted Part 2 – Components of the framework under the relevant privacy laws, secrecy provisions and any relevant confidentiality obligations.

Manage the parties to a complaint

Complaints involving multiple agencies

Where a complaint involves an issue within a State School, we will work with the school or the Department of Education where possible, to ensure that communication with the person making a complaint and/or their representative is clear and coordinated. Subject to privacy and confidentiality considerations, communication and information sharing between the Diocese and the school of Department will also be organised to facilitate a timely response to the complain

Complaints involving multiple parties

When similar complaints are made by related parties we will try to arrange to communicate with a single representative of the group.

Empowerment of staff

All staff managing complaints are empowered to implement our complaint management system as relevant to their role and responsibilities. Staff are encouraged to provide feedback on the effectiveness and efficiency of all aspects of our complaint management system.

Managing unreasonable conduct by people making complaints

We are committed to being accessible and responsive to all people who approach us with feedback or complaints. At the same time our success depends on:

• our ability to do our work and perform our functions in the most effective and efficient way possible
• the health, safety and security of our staff, and
• our ability to allocate our resources fairly across all the complaints we receive.

When people behave unreasonably in their dealings with us, their conduct can significantly affect the progress and efficiency of our work. As a result, we will take proactive and decisive action to manage any conduct that negatively and unreasonably affects us and will support our staff to do the same in accordance with this policy.

Complaint management system

• Receive
• Acknowledge
• Assess and investigate
• Provide reasons for decision
• Options for redress and close complaint

Introduction

When responding to complaints, Diocesan staff should act in accordance with our complaint handling procedures as well as any other internal documents providing guidance on the management of complaints. Our staff should also consider any relevant legislation and/or regulations when responding to complaints and feedback. The five key stages in our complaint management system are set out below.

4.2 Receipt of complaints

Unless the complaint has been resolved at the outset, we will record the complaint and its supporting information. We will also assign a unique identifier to the complaint file.

The record of the complaint will document:

• the contact information of the person making a complaint
• issues raised by the person making a complaint and the outcome/s they want
• any other relevant and
• any additional support the person making a complaint requires.

Acknowledgement of complaints

We will acknowledge receipt of each complaint promptly, and preferably within two working days. Consideration will be given to the most appropriate medium (e.g. email, letter) for communicating with the person making a complaint.

Initial assessment and addressing of complaints

Initial assessment

After acknowledging receipt of the complaint, we will confirm whether the issue/s raised in the complaint is/are within our control. We will also consider the outcome/s sought by the person making a complaint and, where there is more than one issue raised, determine whether each issue needs to be separately addressed.

When determining how a complaint will be managed, we will consider:

• How serious, complicated or urgent the complaint is
• Whether the complaint raises concerns about people’s health and safety
• How the person making the complaint, or their child is being affected
• The risks involved if resolution of the complaint is delayed, and
• Whether a resolution requires the involvement of other organisations such as a local school or the Department of Education.

Addressing complaints

After assessing the complaint, we will consider how to manage it. To manage a complaint, we may:

• Give the person making a complaint information or an explanation
• Gather information from the person or the school that the complaint is about, or
• Investigate the claims made in the complaint.

We will keep the person making the complaint up to date on our progress, particularly if there are any delays. We will also communicate the outcome of the complaint using the most appropriate medium. Which actions we decide to take will be tailored to each case and take into account any statutory requirements.

Providing reasons for decisions

Following consideration of the complaint and any investigation into the issues raised, we will contact the person making the complaint and advise them:

• the outcome of the complaint and any action we took (with due regard and at all times adhering to privacy legislation pertaining to minor’s)
• the reason/s for our decision
• the remedy or resolution/s that we have proposed or put in place, and
• any options for review that may be available to the complainant, such as an internal review, external review or appeal.

If in the course of investigation, we make any adverse findings about a particular individual, we will consider any applicable privacy obligations under the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 and any applicable exemptions in or made pursuant to that Act, before sharing our findings with the person making the complaint.

Closing the complaint, record keeping, redress and review

We will keep comprehensive records about:

• How we managed the complaint
• The outcome/s of the complaint (including whether it or any aspect of it was substantiated, any recommendations made to address problems identified and any decisions made on those recommendations, and
• Any outstanding actions that need to be followed up.

We will ensure that outcomes are properly implemented, monitored and reported to the Bishop and/or Chancellor of the Diocese

Alternative avenues for dealing with complaints

We will inform people who make complaints to or about us about any internal or external review options available to them (including any relevant Ombudsman or oversight bodies).

‍

The three levels of complaint handling

We aim to resolve complaints at the first level, the frontline. Wherever possible the duly authorised officer(s) of the Diocese will be adequately equipped to respond to complaints, including being given appropriate authority, training and supervision.

Where this is not possible, we may decide to escalate the complaint to a more senior officer within the Diocese. 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).

Accountability and learning

Analysis and evaluation of complaints

We will ensure that complaints are recorded in a systematic way so that information can be easily retrieved for reporting and analysis.

Regular reports will be run on:

• the number of complaints received
• the outcome of complaints, including matters resolved at the frontline
• issues arising from complaints
• systemic issues identified, and
• the number of requests we receive for a review of our complaint handling.

Regular analysis of these reports will be undertaken to monitor trends, measure the quality of our customer service and make improvements..

Both reports and their analysis will be provided to Bishop and his delegates for review.

Monitoring of the complaint management system

Monitoring of the complaint management system

• ensure its effectiveness in responding to and resolving complaints, and
• identify and correct deficiencies in the operation of the system.
• Monitoring may include the use of audits of complaint satisfaction surveys.

Continuous improvement

We are committed to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of our complaint management system. To this end, we will:

• support the making and appropriate resolution of complaints
• implement best practices in complaint handling
• recognise and reward exemplary complaint handling by staff
• regularly review the complaints management system and complaint data, and
• implement appropriate system changes arising out of our analysis of complaints data and continual monitoring of the system