Complaints about family, child and relationship services

If you are unhappy about the way a family, child or relationship service has treated you, you have a right to complain. Making a complaint can feel difficult, but raising concerns also helps services improve.

You have a right to complain if you believe you were treated unfairly — for example, if you were denied respect, dignity or privacy, or if the service did not do what it should have.

When making a complaint, it helps to be clear about what the issue is and how you would like it resolved. A good first step is to try to sort it out directly with the person or organization involved.

Steps to resolving a complaint#

To get the best outcome, it usually helps to work through the issue step by step.

• Talk to the person involved. Discuss your complaint with the staff member or case worker. There may have been a simple misunderstanding or miscommunication that a quick conversation can clear up. Sometimes an apology is enough to resolve the issue.
• Raise it with their manager. Ask the person who their direct manager is and take your complaint to that person.
• Use the organization’s complaints process. If you still cannot resolve things, most organizations have a formal complaint-handling procedure. This usually involves lodging a written report about what happened, why you are dissatisfied, and what you would like done to put it right.
• Go to an external body. If you cannot resolve the complaint with the organization, you can refer it to an independent complaints body. Many places have a health complaints commissioner, an ombudsman, or a similar oversight or regulatory body that handles complaints about services and practitioners.

Tips for making a complaint#

• Keep written notes to support your complaint — who was involved, when the incident or incidents took place, and what you have already done to try to resolve it.
• Try to stay calm when discussing the issue. You will get your point across more effectively if you are not angry or frustrated.
• When taking your complaint to a complaints unit or an outside authority, it is often better to put it in writing rather than phone, especially if the matter is complex or you need to provide supporting documents.
• Stick to the main facts and include only details that are relevant to the complaint.
• Think beforehand about what you want the organization to do. You might want a policy reviewed or a written apology. Keeping your request realistic makes a satisfactory outcome more likely.

Complaints about practitioners and health services#

Complaints about a practitioner who offers a healthcare service — including counselors, psychologists and social workers — can usually be made to an independent health complaints body. Such bodies generally offer a free and confidential service and can help make your concerns known to the practitioner involved.

These bodies can often provide conciliation, both formally and informally, to help both sides reach agreement. Complaints can also cover your right to access your own health information and concerns about health privacy.

When you contact a health complaints body, an assessment officer will typically listen to your complaint, give you information, help you take it to the service provider, and refer it for further action if needed. They can also put you in touch with other people or services who can help.

Complaints about child protection or public services#

If you are unhappy about the way a public organization or government department has treated you, or how it has handled your complaint, you can usually take it to an ombudsman or equivalent oversight body. Such bodies can investigate complaints about the decisions, actions or inaction of public services.

Complaints about child protection services are typically handled by the government department responsible for them, often through a dedicated complaints unit. If you are not satisfied with how the department responds, an ombudsman may be able to review the matter. Many of these bodies accept complaints by phone, in writing, or through an online form.

Key points#

• You have a right to complain about a family, child or relationship service.
• Start by raising the issue directly with the person or organization involved.
• If that does not work, use the organization’s formal complaints process.
• Independent bodies such as a health complaints commissioner or an ombudsman can help if the complaint is not resolved.
• Keep clear notes, stay calm, and be specific about what you want to happen.

Where to get help#