Complaints Management
We will ensure that we handle complaints fairly, efficiently and effectively.
Our complaint management system is intended to:
- enable us to respond to issues raised by residents in a timely way
- maintain resident confidence in our administrative process, and
- provide information that can be used by us to deliver quality improvements in our services,
systems and complaint handling.
- This policy provides guidance to our staff and people who wish to make a complaint on the key principles and concepts of our complaint management system.
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Organisational Commitments
This policy applies to all staff receiving or managing complaints made to or about us, regarding our services, staff and any other related matter.
We expect staff at all levels to be committed to fair, effective and efficient complaint handling.
The following outlines the nature of the commitment expected from staff and the way that
commitment should be implemented.
Owner
- Promotes a culture that values complaints and their effective resolution
- Report openly on our organisation’s complaint handling.
- Provide adequate support and direction manager and assistant manager who are responsible for handling complaints.
- Regularly review reports about complaint trends and issues arising for complaints.
- Encourage staff to be alert to complaints and assist those responsible for handling complaints to resolve them promptly
- Encourage staff to make recommendations for system improvements.
- Recognise and reward good complaint handling by staff.
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- Support recommendations for [where relevant], product, service, staff and complaint handling improvements arising from analysis of complaints data.
Manager
- responsible for complaints handling
- Establish and manage our complaints management system
- Provide regular reports to the operator on issues arising from complaint handling work.
- Ensure recommendations arising out of complaint data analysis are canvassed with the operator and implemented where possible.
- Recruit, train and empower staff to resolve complaints promptly and in accordance with Oak Tree Dural’s policies and procedures.
- Encourage staff managing complaints to provide suggestions on ways to improve the organisations’ complaint management system.
- Recognise and reward good complaint handling by staff.
Staff (whose duties include complaint handling)
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- Demonstrate exemplary complaint handling practices
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- Treat all people with respect, including people who make complaints.
- Assist people make a complaint, if needed.
- Comply with this policy and its associated procedures.
- Keep informed about best practice in complaint handling.
- Provide feedback to management on issues arising from complaints and suggestions to management on ways to improve the organisation’s complaints management system.
- Implement changes arising from individual complaints and from the analysis and evaluation of complaint data as directed by management.
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All staff and contractors
- Understand and comply with Oak Tree Dural’s complaint handling practices.
- Treat all people with respect, including people who make complaints.
- Be aware of our complaint handling policies and procedures.
- Assist people who wish to make complaints by directing them to the village manager.
Terms and Definitions
Complaint
Expression of dissatisfaction made to or about us, our products [where relevant], services, staff or the handling of a complaint where a response or resolution is explicitly or implicitly expected or legally required.
A complaint covered by this Policy can be distinguished from:
- staff grievances
- responses to requests for feedback about the standard of our service provision (see the
definition of ‘feedback’ below)
- reports of problems or wrongdoing merely intended to bring a problem to our notice with
no expectation of a response (see definition of ‘feedback’)
- service requests (see definition of ‘service request’ below), and
- code of conduct complaints (see our code of conduct)
Complaint management system
All policies, procedures, practices, staff, hardware and software used by us in the management of complaints.
Dispute
An unresolved complaint escalated either within or outside of our organisation.
Feedback
Opinions, comments and expressions of interest or concern, made directly or indirectly, explicitly or implicitly, to or about us, about our services or complaint handling where a response is not explicitly or implicitly expected or legally required.
Service request
The definition of a service request will vary depending on the organisation’s core business.
However, it is likely to include:
- requests for approval and or action
- routine inquiries about the organisation’s business
- requests for the provision of services and assistance
- reports of failure to comply with laws regulated by the organisation
- requests for explanation of policies, procedures and decisions
