Complaints

National Aged Care Provider Conference 2023 - Our approach to resolving complaints. Presentation by:

• Janet Anderson PSM, Commissioner
• Louise Macleod, Complaints Commissioner
• Michelle Bampton, Executive Director, Intake and Complaints Resolution

On Friday 26 August, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner, Ms Janet Anderson, PSM, sent a letter to approved providers regarding the SCHADS Award.

Associate Professor Juanita Breen's presentation on her review of medication-related complaints received by the Commission in 2019-20.

This booklet aims to give guidance on how to:

• create an effective, resolution focused complaints system in aged care services and how to enhance existing processes
• maintain compliance with Standard 6
• encourage a positive, blame-free culture around complaints handling in aged care services by fostering an understanding of the complaints process and how it affects the people involved, and setting out the essential elements for the effective management of complaints within a service including skills, procedures and policies.

This fact sheet provides information on a Direction, which can be issued by the Commission to a provider.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission handles a range of complaints every day. Some of these complaint issues can be handled solely by us, while others may need to be referred to another organisation.

There are a number of organisations we refer complaint information to when required:

The ‘A little yarn goes a long way’ fact sheet has been developed to inform older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and their friends and family, about the support available to help them resolve concerns about aged care services, and why it’s important to raise these concerns.

This resource is available in 7 different languages including: Alyawarra, Arrernte, English, Luritja, Pitjantjatjarra, Torres Strait Creole and Warlpiri. 

The ‘A little yarn goes a long way’ brochure has been developed to inform older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and their friends and family, about the support available to help them resolve concerns about aged care services, and why it’s important to raise these concerns.

This resource is available in 7 different languages including: Alyawarra, Arrernte, English, Luritja, Pitjantjatjara, Torres Strait Creole and Warlpiri. 

This fact sheet outlines how the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission supports providers to resolve complaints.

Provider resolution involves us referring complaint issues that a complainant raises with us to a provider to resolve. Where possible, we choose this approach as it is often the best way to have concerns effectively resolved.