Complaint Management Policy

 

Policy Statement

 

Compliments, complaints, and other forms of feedback provide invaluable insights into client satisfaction, offering Williams Occupational Therapy an opportunity to continuously enhance our service delivery. Feedback is not only valued but also embraced as a pathway to improvement.

 

Efficiently recording and skillfully addressing feedback supplies us with essential data for pinpointing areas requiring refinement, devising effective resolution strategies, curbing the potential for future complaints, and optimizing resource allocation. A swift and respectful resolution of concerns is pivotal in reinstating clients’ trust in the services offered by Williams Occupational Therapy. Our commitment to a responsive, efficient, effective, and equitable complaint management system serves as a cornerstone in preventing the escalation of grievances.

 

Our Services

Williams Occupational Therapy specializes in delivering prompt and comprehensive assistive technology and home assessments, driving assessments and rehabilitation programs aimed at maximizing individuals’ safety and independence. Whether a client has mobility issues at home or the community, or if the client’s license has been revoked or their driving capacity has been compromised, Williams Occupational Therapy guides clients and their families through the process of reclaiming community mobility.

 

Our highly skilled team excels in the following domains:

• Conducting assessments for drivers recovering from neurological, physical, visual, and psychological injuries
• Creating tailored rehabilitation programs for drivers of cars, heavy vehicles, and work-related vehicles
• Providing recommendations for vehicle modifications and the installation of adaptive equipment
• Performing ergonomic vehicle assessments to prevent stress injuries
• Training clients in alternative community mobility options when driving is no longer feasible

 

We collaborate with the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI), referrers, clients, and their families to ensure the achievement of safe, well-justified, and clearly understood outcomes. Our occupational therapists remain dedicated to clients throughout the process of returning to driving, maintaining continuity of care and delivering a streamlined, cost-effective service.

Since 2022, Williams OT also offers assessments for assistive technology and home modifications with a focus on increasing mobility and safety. We liaise with key stakeholders to apply for funding to meet clients individual needs.

 

Definitions

Apology – A sincere acknowledgment of an offense or lapse, including an expression of regret.

 

Complainant – The party lodging a complaint.

 

Complaint – An expression of dissatisfaction directed at or about our organization, encompassing its products, services, staff, or the handling of a complaint. It implies an expectation, whether explicit or implicit, for a response or resolution. We will not register complaints about processes and requirements that our outside of our control such as the licencing requirements by the Department of Transport, and of funding agencies such as NDIS for such complaints such as time delays or report requirements.

 

Complaint management – A series of procedures implemented by the organization to address complaints and facilitate dispute resolution.

 

Compliment – An expression of commendation, encouragement, or gratitude towards a service, staff member, or the collective team.

 

Guiding Principles

The Williams Occupational Therapy Complaint Management Policy and its associated procedures are firmly grounded in these guiding principles:

• Williams Occupational Therapy’s services are committed to clients and continuous quality improvement.

 

• Clients, their families, and carers are actively encouraged and empowered to offer feedback, including lodging complaints about the services provided by Williams Occupational Therapy.
• Complaints are assessed by considering risk factors, established facts, complainants’ wishes, and the accountability of health service personnel.
• All complaints are meticulously recorded, enabling the review of individual cases, the identification of trends, and the generation of aggregated complaint reports.
• Regular evaluation of complaint management policies, procedures, and data is undertaken to drive the enhancement of services provided by Williams Occupational Therapy.

 

Client-Centric Focus

At Williams Occupational Therapy:

• We recognize and honour everyone’s entitlement to provide feedback.
• We display a commitment to addressing feedback promptly and at no cost to the client.
• We endeavour to involve the complainant in the process to the greatest extent possible and appropriate.
• We uphold the rights of all individuals to work within a respectful, safe, and inclusive environment free from all forms of violence, harassment, and discrimination.
• We handle complaints thoroughly, equitably, and effectively, ensuring just outcomes for all parties involved.

 

Resolution Approaches

Williams Occupational Therapy commits to:

• Prioritize early, informal resolution and compromise whenever feasible, aiming to resolve issues at the lowest appropriate level.
• Provide remedies that uphold fairness among all parties, with a focus on minimizing the potential for ongoing disputes.

 

Accessibility and Transparency

Williams Occupational Therapy pledges to:

• Make clear and comprehensive information available on its website (www.williamsot.com) outlining the process of submitting complaints and the subsequent management of complaints.
• Offer reasonable assistance to complainants with unique needs, ensuring they can confidently voice their concerns.
• Treat complaints submitted anonymously or via an authorized third party, such as an NDIS case manager, with the same diligence and attention as any other complaint.

 

Responsiveness

At Williams Occupational Therapy:

• We record, track, acknowledge, and process complaints in a timely manner, adhering to the internally established complaint procedure of Williams Occupational Therapy.
• We ensure that complainants are well-informed about the process, expected timeframes, their role in the process, potential outcomes, and any other pertinent details.

 

Objectivity and Fairness

Williams Occupational Therapy maintains a commitment to:

• Objectively manage complaints, handling them with respect, fairness, and consistency, in alignment with the principles of natural justice, and without any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest.
• Adopt all reasonable measures to prevent any adverse consequences for complainants.
• Safeguard the confidentiality of complaints to the extent feasible and manage personal information in accordance with the provisions of the Information Privacy Act 2009.
• Decline to investigate complaints that are deemed abusive, trivial, outside of our control related to outside agencies, or vexatious.

 

Feedback Provision

Williams Occupational Therapy commits to:

• Offering adequate and timely feedback to all parties involved in the complaint process.

 

Monitoring and Reporting

Williams Occupational Therapy is dedicated to:

• Thoroughly documenting and reporting complaints in accordance with pertinent legislative and regulatory requirements.
• Utilizing complaints as an invaluable tool for driving continuous improvement in our services.

 

Resources and Training

Williams Occupational Therapy ensures that:

• Adequate resources, including necessary training, are readily available to support the effective implementation of the Williams Occupational Therapy Complaint Management procedure by staff members.

 

Complaint Handling Considerations

 

Anonymous Complaints

• Anonymous complainants shall be informed that the complexity of an investigation is amplified when identities are withheld, potentially limiting the organization’s ability to gather pertinent information.
• Anonymous complainants should be educated about the confidentiality measures in place, encouraging them to consider disclosing their own and/or the subject’s identity.
• Anonymous complainants need to be apprised of:

–        The potential disclosure of information to any respondents identified in the complaint.

–        The inapplicability of the “off the record” concept to information shared with Williams Occupational Therapy.

–        The manner in which the provided information will be handled concerning the raised issue.

• While Williams Occupational Therapy respects the preferences of complainants, absolute confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.
• Anonymous written complaints may inadvertently reveal the identity of the complainant. An inquiry may be initiated, especially if the complaint raises concerns regarding public health and safety or necessitates notifying external agencies like the NDIS Commission.

 

Old Complaints

• Williams Occupational Therapy can investigate and strive to achieve resolution for complaints made within 12 months of the incident or issue occurring.
• Significant passage of time may impact Williams Occupational Therapy’s capacity to conduct a comprehensive investigation. In such cases, constraints should be openly discussed with the complainant.
• Even if factual investigation is not feasible, earnest efforts should be undertaken to reach a resolution in consultation with the complainant.

 

Declining to Deal with a Complaint

• Williams Occupational Therapy may decide to refrain from addressing a complaint in instances where it is:

–         Vexatious or frivolous in nature.

 

NDIS Clients – Making a complaint to the Commissioner

(1)  A person may make a complaint to the Commissioner in relation to an issue arising out of, or in connection with, the provision of supports or services provided by an NDIS provider.

(2)  A complaint:

(a)  may be made orally, in writing or by any other means which is appropriate in the circumstances; and

(b)  may be made anonymously.

(3)  The complainant may ask the Commissioner to keep any of the following information confidential:

(a)  the identity of the complainant;

(b)  the identity of a person identified in the complaint;

(c)  any other details included in the complaint.

(4)  The Commissioner must take reasonable steps to ensure that:

(a)  appropriate support and assistance is provided to any person who wishes to make a complaint; and

(b)  a person making a complaint, and persons with disability affected by a complaint, are provided with information about accessing an independent advocate.

Williams OT will refer to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Complaints Management and Resolution) Rules 2018 for further clarification regarding NDIS participants and complaints. These can be found at https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2018L00634

Access to the full Williams OT Complaint procedure policy can be made available upon written request.