Complaints Procedures

Our commitment 

We are committed to handling complaints in a fair and open way. Every effort will be made by Care Works to resolve the complaints it receives to the satisfaction of everyone involved.

If you make a complaint to Care Works you can expect that we will:

• treat you with respect
• tell you what to expect while your complaint is being looked into
• carry out the complaint handling process in a fair and open way
• provide reasons for decisions that are made
• protect your privacy.

Our complaints policy

The Care Works Feedback and Complaint Handing Policy outlines the principles for management of complaints and provides guidelines to help our employees in responding to complaints received. All employees of Care Works, including contractors and volunteers, are required to handle complaints according to the principles and guidelines outlined in this policy.

Who can make a complaint?

You do not have to be receiving services from us to make a complaint and you may make a complaint on behalf of someone else.

Anonymous complaints will be accepted and investigated as far as possible.

Care Works staff who have complaints, including concerns relating to a client’s welfare, should refer to our staff grievance processes.

What can I make a complaint about?

Care Works services

You can make a complaint to Care Works about any aspect of its business or the services it provides directly.

Who do I make a complaint to?

You should in the first instance make your complaint to your Service Coordinator. If the complaint is not dealt with satisfactorily, you can make a complaint to Care Works Management. If the complaint is about a Care Works staff member, that person will not deal with it.

If the complaint is about a particular area or group of staff in Care Works then another area of Care Works may handle the complaint or an independent party may be called in to investigate the complaint.

How do I make a complaint?

Complaints can be made in a number of ways, in a letter, email, over the phone, in person or using the form downloaded from our website. We will help you if you need assistance in making a complaint.

You may wish to have an advocate or someone to act on your behalf to help you make a complaint. There are a number of advocacy services that provide this kind of help.

There are other external agencies who may be able to give you advice or assist you in making a complaint. These include the Department of Family and Community Services, Ageing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC),  NSW Ombudsman,  National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline and http://www.pwd.org.au/individual.html.

What happens once I make a complaint?

When you make a complaint we will explain:

• what will happen while the complaint is being dealt with
• who will deal with the complaint
• what will happen next, such as when you are likely to be contacted again.

You can expect that telephone calls/messages lodged during Office Hours will be returned within 4 hours, and that any emails will be acknowledged/answered within 24 hours if received during Office Hours..

You should not be made to feel that you cannot make a complaint, nor should making a complaint have any effect on the services you are receiving from Care Works, such as changes to your service or less communication with you.

If the complaint is simple then it may be resolved immediately. If our staff need to make further enquiries, it may take a few weeks to resolve. In most cases it will be a Care Works manager who will deal with the complaint.

Where the complaint is about a more difficult matter it may take longer to resolve.

Once the complaint is resolved as far as possible, you will be informed of the outcome.

You may wish to raise any ongoing problems or concerns at this time.

Sometimes it may not be possible for a complaint to be resolved completely. If this is the case, Care Works staff will work with you to look at other options to address your issues. Care Works staff may follow up with you afterwards to check that the outcome of the complaint handling process is meeting your needs.

What if I’m not happy with the outcome of the complaint?

If you are not happy with the outcome of the complaint then you can ask a more senior Care Works manager to review how the complaint was dealt with. You can do this in a letter, email, over the phone or in person.

Care Works staff may gather additional information to review the decision. This may or may not lead to changes to the original decision. After you have asked us to review how the complaint was dealt with, and you are still unhappy with the outcome of a complaint then there are outside agencies that may be able to help.

You can contact the Department of Family and Community Services, Ageing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC)via their website or by calling (02) 8270 2000.

You can also complain to the Ombudsmanabout Care Works. The Ombudsman can also inquire into major issues affecting clients and services. Further information about the NSW Ombudsman can be found at www.ombo.nsw.gov.auor by calling (02) 9286 1000 or 1800 451 524 (rural/regional callers only).

Anti Discrimination Board (ADB)

You can complain to the ADB about discrimination, harassment and vilification. The ADB investigates and conciliates such complaints. Further information can be found at www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/ADBor by calling (02) 9268 5555 or 1800 670 812 (rural/regional callers only).