Elouera Association Ltd
Complaints Handling Policy and Procedures
1. Introduction
1.1. Purpose and scope
This policy applies to Elouera Association Ltd services, including the Elouera Special School in handling complaints made in respect of services provided by the organisation or school, or against staff members, which includes employees, contractors and volunteers.
This policy does not extend to personal grievances between parents, guardians or other members of the community.
1.2. Whistleblowing complaints
This policy does not extend to complaints which are whistleblowing disclosures. The procedure for processing whistleblowing complaints are dealt with in the organisations whistleblowing policy.
In summary a whistleblowing disclosure is a disclosure which:
- is made by a board member, staff member, a person who supplies goods or services to the organisation or school, including a volunteer, an employer of a supplier or a relative of any of these people;
- involves alleged misconduct, an improper state of affairs or circumstances, or illegal activity, and
- is made to a senior staff member, or officer of the organisation or school, the organisations auditor or a person who the school has authorised to collect such disclosures.
1.3. Related policies
Complaints about reportable conduct will be addressed in accordance with the organisations and school’s Child Protection Policy.
Complaints regarding a grievance between students will be addressed in accordance with the school’s Code of Conduct and/or Behaviour Management Policy and/or Anti-bullying Policy and/or Student Welfare.
Complaints regarding a grievance between staff members about work matters, including work relationships and decision made by other staff members which impact on their work, will be addressed in accordance with the organisations Staff Grievance and Complaints Policy.
Complaints regarding unlawful discrimination, harassment or bullying between staff are generally addressed in accordance with the school’s Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying Statement.
Complaints regarding teacher accreditation processes will be addressed in accordance with the school’s Teacher Accreditation Procedures.
1.4. Confidentiality
All parties involved in complaints handling are required to maintain appropriate confidentiality, including in relation to handling and storing records.
2. Complaints
A complaint or grievance is an expression of dissatisfaction made to the organisation or school about an educational and/or operational matter relating to services provided by the organisation or school or the behaviour or decisions of a staff member, contractor or volunteer, including misconduct.
If a parent/carer or student has a concern about the conduct of a staff member, they should raise their concern with the school in accordance with section 3.
If a complaint that concerns the behaviour of a staff member may constitute reportable conduct, the matter will be addressed by the organisations or schools Child Protection Policy in accordance with section 1.3. A complaint about a reportable conduct matter may be current or historical. Timeframes for investigation of complaints relating to reportable conduct are dependent on the individual matter and may be over an extended period of time, particularly in the case of a historical allegation. The organisation or school is bound by privacy or other confidentiality requirements when conducting investigations of reportable conduct allegations, which may limit the information that can be shared with the complainant regarding the outcome of an investigation. Please refer to the organisations or school’s Child Protection Policy for information about reportable conduct.
Complainants are not required to assess whether their concern meets the threshold of reportable conduct before making a complaint. Any concern about a child’s wellbeing or the conduct of an employee, volunteer, contractor or member of the community may be reported under this policy.
Complaints may be made by a student or parent/carer or any member of the community.
The organisation or school will seek to resolve complaints informally where possible but acknowledges that in some cases a person may wish to make a formal complaint.
3. Raising a complaint
3.1. The complainant
Complaints may be raised by a complainant directly with the person involved. However, if the complainant does not feel comfortable doing so or the matter is one where it may not be appropriate to do so a complaint can be made to the Area Supervisor, Head Teacher or any senior staff member. Any complaint about the conduct of a staff member should be raised directly with the General Manager in the first instance.
Should the matter not be resolved between the parties directly in the first instance, the complainant may raise the matter with the organisation or school. A complaint can be made in writing to the General Manager, via email shona@elouera-association.com
Where a person wishes to make a complaint concerning the General Manager, the complaint should be made in writing to the Chair of the Board, via mail to PO BOX 271, Cootamundra NSW 2590. In this situation, the references in this policy relating to the role of the General Manager should be read as references to the Chair of the Board.
3.2. The organisation or school
The General Manager or Delegate will generally acknowledge receipt of a complaint raised with the school in writing as soon as practicable.
4. Handling complaints
4.1. Assessing a complaint
The General Manager or Delegate generally will assess the complaint and determine:
- whether the complaint is one to be addressed under this policy or is a staff grievance or reportable conduct matter, or another matter identified in section 1.3 which are dealt with by the relevant policies, see section 1.3; and
- the priority of the complaint in accordance with the urgency and/or seriousness of the matter raised; and
- whether the organisation or school may be required to report the matter to the Office of the Children’s Guardian, Police, Department of Communities and Justice or other relevant authorities should the complaint relate to possible unlawful conduct or other reportable matters.
4.2. Managing a complaint
The General Manager or Delegate generally will manage a complaint by:
- advising the complainant of the likely steps that will be undertaken by the organisation or School in relation to the complaint;
- if appropriate, advising the relevant parties of the complaint at the relevant time and providing them with an opportunity to respond;
- collecting any additional information, the organisation or School considers necessary to assess the complaint;
- making a decision about how the complaint will be resolved (“resolution decision”); and
- if appropriate, advising the complainant in writing, and any other relevant parties as appropriate, of the resolution decision of the General Manager or Delegate and if appropriate, any proposed action to be taken.
There may be circumstances where some of the steps outlined above are not appropriate and the organisation or school will determine, on a case-by-case basis the most appropriate method of handling the complaint.
A complainant and the relevant parties that the complaint is about may choose to have an appropriate support person present at any meeting with representatives of the organisation or School about the complaint. However, the organisation or School maintains the right to determine whether the person’s preferred support person is appropriate and may not approve the attendance of a support person where they are determined by the organisation or School to be inappropriate.
5. Contact
If you have any queries about this policy, you should contact General Manager for advice.