The following Client Complaint Procedure may be read in conjunction
with the following Citizen Advice Bureau ACT (CABACT) Policies:
In the first instance CABACT seeks to resolve all
client complaints in a non-threatening, informal and accessible manner.
Staff undertake to address any concerns or complaints raised by clients
immediately and on a one to one basis.
Where this is not possible or where it is not desired by the client the following more formal process will be adopted:
If the client wishes to lodge a
complaint, it should be referred in the first instance, to the
following relevant program staff:
- Shopfront Coordinator
For complaints relating to any aspect of service or personnel of the General Information Shopfront.
- Information Officer
For complaints relating to any aspect of service or personnel of CABs Electronic Information Services program.
- Manager CABACT
For complaints relating to any aspect of service or personnel of the Access City Hotline project.
Where a formal complaint is lodged, the relevant staff member will
notify the Director in writing by no later than the next working day.
Where a complaint involves any of the above staff, then the complaint should be referred to the Director.
Where a complaint is of a serious nature* then the relevant program staff listed above will notify the Director immediately. * Complaints of a Serious Nature include:
- Criminal behaviour
- A breach of the Code of Conduct
- A breach of Organisational Guidelines
- An action which intentionally puts a client a t risk
- An action which intentionally intimidates a client.
All complaints are kept in a central Complaints File, readily accessible only to Senior Staff and Management where necessary.
Step 1: Where a complaint is lodge against a particular person, that person will be
notified and given the opportunity to review the complaint and respond
accordingly. The relevant program staff may decide that directly
addressing the complaint together with the subject of the complaint
concerned is sufficient to resolve the situation. Written complaints
determined by the Director to require no further action/information
will be destroyed after a period of six months.
The
complainant will be notified in writing within twenty-one days of
lodging their complaint, of the steps taken to address their complaint
and of any outcomes of the complaint procedure.
Step 2:
If the relevant program staff and the Director deem a complaint
requires further action, they will discuss the matter with the person
who is the subject of the complaint and inform them of what action is
to be taken. The program staff person, the Director and the person who
is the subject of the complaint (with an external advocate if desired)
would then meet to resolve the issue. Minutes of this meeting will be
taken and agreed to by all parties.
Again, the complainant
will be notified in writing within twenty-one days of lodging their
complaint, of the steps taken to address their complaint and of any
outcomes of the complaint procedure.
Step 3:
If the complainant is not satisfied with the outcomes of the Complaint
Procedure to this stage, they will be informed of their right to take
their complaint to the CABACT Management Council and of their right to
have an advocate support them in this process.
Step 4:
If a satisfactory resolution cannot be reached using CABACT's Internal
Complaints Procedure, then the complainant will be informed of their
right to take their complaint to the relevant external authority.
Such external authorities include, but are not limited to:
- ACT Community and Health Services Complaints Commissioner;
- Disability Discrimination Commissioner;
- ACT Ombudsman.
Other relevant external authorities can be found in the 1997 - 98 Directory of Consumer Dispute Resolution Schemes and Complaint Handling Organisations as produced by the Commonwealth Department of Industry Science and Tourism.
