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.
