Standard 6

Complaints management

Processes to respond to complaints and concerns are child focused.

Effective, child-focused complaint and concern processes are essential for protecting children. Children, families, carers, staff and volunteers involved in your business or organisation should feel safe and supported to speak up about concerns. Complaints must be managed in a timely, transparent, trauma-informed and respectful way, with the child’s wellbeing and safety at the centre of every response.

Actions you can take to apply this Standard in your organisation

• have an accessible, child-focused complaint-handling policy, which clearly outlines the roles and responsibilities of individuals at each level of your organisation and their approach to dealing with different types of complaints, breaches of relevant policies or the Code of Conduct and their obligation to act and report
• have effective complaint-handling processes that are understood by children, families, staff and volunteers. Train staff to respond sensitively to disclosures, ensuring children’s safety and wellbeing is prioritised
• take complaints seriously and respond to them promptly and thoroughly. Inform complainants about the outcomes and actions taken because of their feedback
• put policies and procedures in place that address reporting of complaints and concerns to relevant authorities, and co-operate with authorities that have a responsibility to investigate
• ensure investigations into complaints do not re-traumatise children and families
• meet all your reporting, privacy and employment law obligations
• monitor and review complaint trends to identify systemic issues and drive continuous improvement.

What if you’re a sole trader, small business or volunteer community group?

• take complaints seriously
• have a complaints process, including contact details
• promote your complaints process on your website or social media channels
• make sure the children and families know how to make a complaint and can understand the process
• seek support from child abuse prevention organisations or refer children and families to them if needed
• protect the privacy of anyone who makes a complaint to you, in line with your legal obligations.

How does cultural safety look?

• ask Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families if they need support in the complaint process from a First Nations Liaison Officer, trusted community Elder, and/or an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support person.

Successful implementation looks like a business or organisation where:

• clear, documented complaints policies and procedures are in place and accessible
• staff demonstrate confidence and competence in identifying and managing child-focused complaints
• feedback from children, carers, families and staff confirms they feel safe and supported, when raising concerns and confident about the process
• complaint data is regularly reviewed and informs potential systemic reform and policy, process and practice improvements
• all children feel safe to report concerns and complaints and feel that the resolution process results in meaningful change
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people report that the complaints processes are culturally safe.