Complaints Policies and Procedures

Shine Early Intervention values the feedback of client families, staff members and the wider community in helping to ensure the program meets the needs of children and their families.

Our aim is to provide the best possible service to our children and families, part of this process is the appropriate management of feedback and complaints. It is the right every client family to have the ability to raise concerns and grievances in a way that is supportive and non-judgmental.

All complaints will be accepted by Shine Early Intervention on face value and investigated appropriately and fully. We will:

• Provide opportunities for consultation, evaluation and review of the program

• Develop a process for making and managing complaints

• Communicate the option and process of making a complaint

• Handle complaints diligently and confidentially.

  Each family has the right to raise and have resolved any complaints they may have regarding Shine Early Intervention (Shine). The complainants views are respected, they will be informed as the complaint is dealt with and they will have the opportunity to be involved in the resolution process.

  The objective of the Complaints policy and processes is to provide information and encourage families to access the processes for dealing with complaints when they arise in a fair, confidential and timely manner. The Complaints policy and processes will promote improved service quality and interpersonal relationship of staff and families, and/or one family and another through a fair and just conflict resolution process.

  Defining Complaints: Complaints are defined as any issue which families think is unfair, causes concern or which makes them unhappy with the quality of service delivery received from Shine.

POLICY:
Shine recognises the right of families to raise and have resolved any complaints they have regarding the service in a timely manner.

Shine encourages all families to discuss any area of concern, with an appropriate member of staff, as soon as it arises. Written information on the policy and processes for handling complaints will be available to all families and staff.

Shine encourages the resolution of complaints on an informal level as quickly as possible, but where this is not possible will endeavour to assist the family with more formal processes to ensure that all complaints are resolved to the family’s satisfaction as soon as possible.

Policy Principles:

• All staff will respect the right of families to raise issues of concern, and will endeavour to create an atmosphere of open communication, equality, respect and trust.

• All complaints will be dealt with in a fair, just and dignified manner.

• All complaints raised will be treated with the utmost confidentiality, and information

  – verbal and/or written – will be supplied only on needs to know basis and with

  written permission from the family.

• Families have the right to make a complaint without fear of repercussion, reprisal or

  victimisation.

• All complaints will be settled as quickly as possible.

• The Complaints process is seen by both staff and families as a positive means of

  improving the quality of service delivery supplied by, and interpersonal relationships

  within Shine.

• Families have the right to use an advocate and/or interpreter to assist them through

  the complaints process.

• If the complaint is not resolved a more formal complaint procedure will be initiated,

  with staff informing the family about the next level of action to be taken.

  Complaints Procedure

  Step 1: Wherever possible the family should contact the staff member concerned or most appropriate to assist with the issue causing concern, verbally or in written form, to discuss and resolve the matter as quickly as possible.

  Step 2: The family and staff member may invite the service Director, Lisa Fruhstuck, to partake in informal discussions to assist with the resolution of the complaint.

  Step 3: The staff at Shine will briefly record all meetings, decisions and actions decided upon.

  Should the issue not be satisfactorily resolved;

  Step 4: The staff member on behalf of the family, or the family will organise a formal interview with the service director, Lisa Fruhstuck.

Step 5: The staff member or Coordinator/Team Leader will ascertain whether the family wishes to involve an advocate and/or interpreter if not previously used.

Step 6: The Coordinator/Team Leader and the family will discuss and work towards a satisfactory resolution of the complaint.

A complaint form will record the nature of the complaint, possible solutions and final choice of action. This will be dated and signed by the family; the original to be kept at the service and a copy to be given to the family.

Records of all meetings and outcomes will be kept in the complaints register.

Step 7: The outcome of the resolution will be given to those who need to know, following the written permission of the consumer and a meeting will be arranged to review the outcome of complaint. If the family cannot reach a satisfactory resolution to the complaint or dispute using the internal processes listed above, then the following list of suggested external options should be given to the family.

Disability Discrimination Legal Centre PO Box 989 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012
Ph 1800 800 708

Intellectual Disability Rights Centre Suite 2C, 199 Regent Street Redfern NSW 2010 Ph 02 93180144

Ombudsman’s Office
Level 24 580 George Street Sydney NSW 2000
Ph 9286 1000 1800 451 524

NDIS Complaints and Feedback; Email: feedback@ndis.gov.au or call on 1800 800 110.

Booking and Cancellation Policy

Background and purpose

At Shine Early Intervention we:

• prepare for each of our appointments properly; and

• limit the number of clients we see each day to ensure we are providing a quality

  service to each of our clients.

  If you book an appointment with us and don't turn up - or if you contact us to cancel an appointment with less than 12 hours notice – the following happens:

1. (1)  We lose the time we have spent preparing for your appointment - time we could have spent helping another client.

2. (2)  Wemaynothaveenoughtimetorescheduleanotherclientforyourappointmenttime, which reduces the total number of clients we can help that day.

3. (3)  We lose income, which makes it more difficult for us to invest adequately in our staff and resources. In some cases, it can mean that our staff don't get paid as much for their work.

4. (4)  We have a long waiting list of children requiring services.

Therapy is most effective when we trust and value each other's work. We know that things happen - cars break down, kids get sick, important travel commitments crop up at short notice. But "no shows" and late cancellations - particularly if they happen more than once - can interfere with our trust in each other and, over time, can affect the quality of care. We take pride in our work and don't want this to happen.

Agreement

Booking an assessment, therapy, group or other appointment with us (collectively, an "Appointment") creates a legally binding contract - the “Agreement” - between you and us. The parties to this Agreement are: