Complaint Handling

Quirky Kid aims to provide high-quality service and improve constantly. We value all feedback, including complaints, to evaluate and improve our services. This policy sets out how you can make a complaint and have your concerns addressed.

We will review this policy and our services regularly.
Our staff can assist you during the complaint process

FAIR AND REASONABLE TREATMENT

We resolve complaints fairly and efficiently. Anyone making a complaint will be treated fairly, with courtesy, consideration and respect. We will maintain impartiality, confidentiality and transparency when we manage complaints. We will handle all records in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 and require staff managing complaints to be trained in complaint handling.

When reviewing and responding to your complaint, we consider information such as our Terms and Conditions, communication with you and legislation applicable to our services.

RESPONSIVENESS

We recognise that some people have particular needs or require extra assistance in expressing a grievance or making a complaint. We will be flexible when dealing with complaints and use complaints-handling methods that help us resolve issues as quickly as possible. If you need assistance with English, you can telephone 131 450 for Translating and Interpreting Service National, which offers support for over 120 languages and dialects at any time of the day or night.

EFFICIENCY

We resolve complaints within 30 days of receipt whenever possible. If a complaint takes longer than this to resolve, for example, if it is a very sensitive or complex matter, we will let you know. We will tell you about the progress of your complaint as we work to resolve it.

ACCOUNTABILITY, DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING

Our employees are aware of the service standards and procedures set out in this policy and the client service charter. The Practice Manager and Director/Principal Psychologist will be given regular reports on complaints received.

We collect and store information about the complaint in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Unless a complaint is a simple one that can be resolved the first time we are contacted, we will fully document all complaints and maintain details of decisions and actions taken on an official file.

COMPLAINTS HANDLING PROCESS

Resolving the Matter
Complaints at this level usually involve simple misunderstandings or provide an opportunity for a grievance to be heard. They should be dealt with informally by their Psychologist.
Referral to the Practice Manager
If we can't resolve your complaint at the first level, the matter will be referred to the Practice Manager. The role of the Practice Manager is to:
1. help staff and people making a complaint in the complaints-handling process
2. maintain a register of complaints received
3. maintain and review our complaints-handling framework
4. The Practice Manager will tell our Director/Principal Psychologist of the receipt and outcome of formal complaints. If referring a complaint to the Practice Manager would lead to a conflict of interest, the matter will be referred to the Director/Principal Psychologist, who may appoint another person to address the complaint.

External Review

If you are dissatisfied with our handling of a complaint, which is not a privacy complaint, at any stage, you are entitled to pursue an external method of review. Avenues of an external review or complaints handling can include (but are not limited to):

mediation and arbitration
the Commonwealth Ombudsman
Australian Psychological Society
NDIS Commission
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

While you can use these methods at any time, we strongly recommend you use our internal review before seeking independent assistance. While we are committed to resolving complaints within 30 days whenever possible, external reviews will have their own timeframes.

Support for Complainants and Contacting the Commissioner

We provide support to anyone who wishes to make a complaint or contact the commissioner regarding a complaint. This includes guidance on the complaint process, assistance in formulating the complaint, and information on contacting relevant external bodies. Our staff offer this support, ensuring that all individuals are aware of their rights and options when lodging a complaint.

STEPS IN THE COMPLAINT HANDLING PROCESS

Acknowledgement
We will acknowledge your complaint and tell you the process we will follow, we will also give you the contact details of the person who will be handling your complaint.
Assessment
We will determine the nature of your complaint and the best way to handle it.
Investigation (If needed)
Simple and straightforward complaints can often be resolved on the first contact. If this isn't possible and the complaint is referred to the Practice Manager, we will investigate to make sure that we have all the relevant information. This could include interviewing you and the staff member(s) involved, clearing up any misunderstandings, or seeking any legal advice.
Response
Once we have finished any investigation and made a decision or findings, we will tell you what the outcome is and explain how it came about. We will also tell you what your options are: have our findings reviewed or pursue your complaint externally.
Improvement
If we receive a complaint that highlights a systemic problem that we have, we will use the feedback we receive to review our policies and procedures and will make some changes if we think we can improve.

You can make a complaint by emailing support@quirkykid.com.au