Intent of this requirement
This requirement describes how organisations need to welcome feedback and complaints as an opportunity to learn about ways in which they can improve outcomes for consumers.
Organisations must recognise that consumers have the right to raise concerns and make complaints about the care and services they receive from the organisation. The organisation must have in place best practice complaint handling and resolution systems that facilitate and support consumers to make complaints. Once made, the system follows principles of procedural fairness and natural justice and is managed in line with better practice guidelines.
The organisation is expected to demonstrate that they encourage and support consumers and their representatives to provide feedback or complain about the care and services they receive. This is based on consumers’ trust and confidence that there won’t be negative consequences if they raise concerns or complain.
It is expected consumers are made aware of and supported to access alternative, external complaints handling options, including the role of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner.
Reflective questions
- How does the organisation make sure everyone is aware of their right to provide feedback or make a complaint to the organisation? How is the complaint handling process publicised?
- How does the organisation make sure everyone knows how to use advocacy and complaint agencies outside of the organisation? How are advocacy services publicised?
- Are tools and information about feedback and complaints handling and resolution systems in plain English? Or in the consumer’s language? Are they presented in a format that can be easily understood?
- How does the organisation support diverse and vulnerable groups to give feedback and make complaints about their care and services?
- Does the workforce know how to access translation services and other communication and hearing support services to help consumers give feedback and make complaints?
Examples of actions and evidence
Consumers
- Consumers and their representatives understand how to give feedback or make a complaint.
- Consumers and their representatives say when they give feedback or make a complaint they feel comfortable and safe and aren’t treated in a negative way because of their feedback or complaint.
- Consumers and their representatives can describe what has been done in response to their feedback or complaint.
Workforce and others
- The workforce can describe how they encourage and support consumers to provide feedback and make complaints.
- The workforce demonstrate they are aware of and understand the operation of the organisation’s complaint handling system.
- The workforce can describe what they do when they receive feedback or a complaint and how the complaint handling process is in line with best practice complaint management.
- The workforce can describe how they are able to provide feedback where they identify issues in the delivery of care and services by the organisation.
- Workforce orientation, training or other records that show how the organisation has supports the workforce in how to handle feedback and complaints and the systems for complaints resolution.
Organisation
- Evidence of the organisation’s approach to feedback and complaints that describe the way it encourages and supports consumers, their representatives, the workforce and others to give feedback and make complaints.
- Evidence that the organisation prioritises appropriate receipt and management of complaints by consumers, their representatives, the workforce and others.
- Policy or process about the organisations system to manage complaints, including what consumers, their representatives, the workforce and others can expect when they provide feedback or make a complaint.
- Evidence that shows how the organisation protects the identity of those who want to give anonymous or confidential feedback or make an anonymous or confidential complaint.
- Availability of information about complaints and how complaints are managed by the organisation that consumers, their representative, the workforce and others can easily access.
- Complaints records or other evidence that show how the organisation has applied best practice in handling complaints.
- Evidence that the organisation monitors, reports and continuously improves its performance against this requirement.