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Complaints Handling and Dispute Resolution Policy

Children and Vulnerable People focus 

CBFE is committed to seeking and receiving feedback and complaints about our services, systems, practices, procedures, products and complaint handling. 

• Management will monitor the complaints process to ensure that any concerns raised in feedback or complaints will be dealt with within a reasonable time frame. 
• Children and vulnerable people and their parents/guardians making complaints will be: 
  • provided with information about our complaint handling process 
  • provided with multiple accessible ways to make complaints 
  • listened to, treated with respect by staff and actively involved in the complaint process where possible and appropriate, and 
  • provided with reasons for our decision/s and any options for redress or review. 
  • We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that people making complaints are not adversely affected because a complaint has been made by them or on their behalf. 

Anonymous complaints 

• We accept anonymous complaints and will carry out an investigation of the issues raised where there is enough information provided. 

Accessibility 

• We will ensure that information about how and where complaints may be made to or about us is well publicised. We will ensure that our systems to manage complaints are easily understood and accessible to everyone, particularly people who may require assistance. 

• If a person prefers or needs another person or organisation to assist or represent them in the making and/ or resolution of their complaint, we will communicate with them through their representative if this is their wish. Anyone may represent a person wishing to make a complaint with their consent (e.g. advocate, family member, legal or community representative, member of Parliament, another organisation).

Victims of Crime

• Where complaints include interaction with the criminal justice system, CBFE will respond to complaints in accordance with the Charter of Victims’ Rights.

Early resolution 

• Where possible, complaints will be resolved at first contact with CBFE. 

Responsiveness 

• We will promptly acknowledge receipt of complaints. We will assess and prioritise complaints in accordance with the urgency and/or seriousness of the 
• issues raised. If a matter concerns an immediate risk to safety or security the response will be immediate and will be escalated appropriately. 
• We are committed to managing people’s expectations, and will inform them as soon as possible, of the following: 
  • the complaints process 
  • the expected time frames for our actions 
  • the progress of the complaint and reasons for any delay 
  • their likely involvement in the process, and 
  • the possible or likely outcome of their complaint. 
• We will advise people as soon as possible when we are unable to deal with any part of their complaint and provide advice about where such issues and/or complaints may be directed (if known and appropriate). 
• We will also advise people as soon as possible when we are unable to meet our time frames for responding to their complaint and the reason for our delay. 

Objectivity and fairness 

• We will address each complaint with integrity and in an equitable, objective and unbiased manner. 
• We will ensure that the person handling a complaint is different from any staff member whose conduct or service is being complained about. 
• Conflicts of interests, whether actual or perceived, will be managed responsibly. In particular, internal reviews of how a complaint was managed will be conducted by a person other than the original decision maker. 

Confidentiality 

• We will protect the identity of people making complaints where this is practical and appropriate. 
• Personal information that identifies individuals will only be disclosed or used by CBFE as permitted under the relevant privacy laws. 

Empowerment of staff 

• All staff managing complaints are empowered to implement our complaint management system as relevant to their role and responsibilities. 
• Staff are encouraged to provide feedback on the effectiveness and efficiency of all aspects of our complaint management system. 

Managing unreasonable conduct by people making complaints 

• We are committed to being accessible and responsive to all people who approach us with feedback or complaints. At the same time our success depends on:
  • our ability to do our work and perform our functions in the most effective and efficient way possible the health, safety and security of our staff, and 
  • our ability to allocate our resources fairly across all the complaints we receive. 
• When people behave unreasonably in their dealings with us, their conduct can significantly affect the progress and efficiency of our work. As a result, we will take proactive and decisive action to manage any conduct that negatively and unreasonably affects us and will support our staff to do the same in accordance with this policy. 

Dispute Resolution

• If a complaint gives rise to a conflict or dispute between two or more parties, CBFE will support parties resolve the issue or dispute in an informal and courteous manner.
• Where the parties have been unable to resolve the issue or dispute themselves, or it is not appropriate, CBFE will arrange for mediation. The process is to be approached by the parties in good faith to find a resolution.
  • Mediation can be as informal as having a friend or family member helping to talk through the issues in dispute. It can also be a formal process involving a professional mediator.
• Where there are issues related to child safety, mediation may involve full family group conferencing.