COMPLAINTS MANAGEMENT POLICY

1. Therapists Role

The role of the ‘Bright Minds Therapy’ therapist is to provide:

  • Holistic assessment of a child’s development from an Occupational Therapy/Speech Pathology Perspective in accordance with the Occupational Therapy/Speech Pathology Code of Ethics and Best Practice Guidelines for Working with Children.

  • Family centered approach to goal setting and intervention.

  • Education and training to parents to give them the skills and knowledge to carry out program activities and strategies.

  • Therapy in a 1:1 or community setting to assist in skill development and transference of developed skills.

  • Eligible services to families with access to Department of Social Services ‘Better Start for Children with Disabilities’, ‘Helping Children with Autism’ and National Disability Insurance Scheme (WA) funding and national (NDIS) funding, to achieve planned outcomes using evidence based early interventions in accordance with guidelines.

Bright Minds Occupational Therapy is committed to providing a high quality service to all clients.

2. Purpose of this document

This document provides clients and their families with the information required in order to make complaints regarding the services they receive. If also outlines the process for the internal management of complaints and compliments received in relation to services provided by Bright Minds Occupational Therapy. This document has been made consistent with the Customer satisfaction—Guidelines for complaints handling in organizations (ISO 10002:2004, MOD).

3. Purpose of the CCMS

The complaints management policy aims to achieve the following standards as described in AS 4269-1995:

  • Increase the level of client satisfaction with the delivery of products and services and enhance the consumer/provider relationship;

  • Recognise, promote and protect consumers’ rights, including the right to comment and complain;

  • Provide an efficient, fair and accessible mechanism for dealing with consumer complaints;

  • Provide information to clients on the complaints management process for the services and products of the organisation; and

  • Monitor complaints in an endeavour to improve the quality of products and services.

4. Scope and Boundaries

The complaints management policy is intended to provide clients and their families with a means to complain or compliment us on services provided.

5. Making a complaint:

We encourage all families and individuals to make complaints directly to Bright Minds Therapy via phone, email, in person, or in writing. We endeavour to provide high quality service and if we are not doing a good job we would like to be able to have open and honest conversations with our clients and be given the opportunity to rectify the issue at hand.

Any complaints will be dealt with internally within 10 business days of receiving the complaint. All complaints will be dealt with equitably, objectively and in an unbiased manner, seeking external advice where necessary. All complaints will be kept confidential. Payment will not be sought for the time required to deal with the complaint.

Once receiving the complaint the owner/director will contact the complainant to arrange a suitable time to discuss the complaint. Management will document the complaint on a complaint management form. Management will endeavour to resolve the complaint with the client and the outcome will be documented on a complaints management form.

If you do not feel comfortable to make a complaint directly to Bright Minds Occupational Therapy OR If a suitable outcome is not sought and the client is still dissatisfied following internal complaint management process; your complaint can be directed to:

Allied Health Practitioner Registration Agency (AHPRA)

Telephone: 1300 419 495

Website: Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency - Concerned about a health practitioner? (ahpra.gov.au)

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

Telephone: 1800 035 544

Email: feedback@ndis.gov.au

Online Complaint Form: How to make a complaint about a provider | NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (ndiscommission.gov.au)