Making a complaint about disability services

If you are unhappy with the way a disability service has treated you, you have the right to complain and to have your concerns addressed. Disability service providers should have a complaints procedure and should tell you about it. Speaking to the service provider involved is usually a good first step.

If the nature of your complaint makes that difficult, or if at any point you want further advice or assistance, there are other ways to have your complaint heard and acted upon.

Who can complain#

Anyone affected can make a complaint, including:

• The person who received the disability service.
• A carer, family member or friend.
• A professional advocate or legal representative.

What you can complain about#

You can complain about any aspect of your care or treatment. This includes a service provider, its staff or any service it provides that you believe has:

• Failed to provide satisfactory disability support.
• Not treated you with dignity and respect.
• Not given you adequate information about services so you can make an informed choice.
• Refused you access to your own information when you asked for it.
• Used your information inappropriately, such as sharing it without your consent.
• Discriminated against you.

Steps for making a complaint#

Step 1: Speak directly with the staff member#

As a first step, try to speak with the person involved. It might be a misunderstanding, or something a simple apology can resolve. It is okay to ask someone you trust to support you when you do this.

Make your complaint as soon as you can, in person or in writing. The longer you wait, the harder it can be to establish the facts and resolve the issue.

Step 2: Speak with the organization#

Service providers often welcome feedback so they can improve. Sometimes a complaint points to a bigger problem they need to address. Most disability support services have a process for hearing and dealing with complaints internally.

The service may be able to offer an immediate solution, or will try to address the issue through its complaints process. They should keep you updated on their progress.

Step 3: Take it to a regulatory body or authority#

At any point in the process you can seek assistance from, or make a formal complaint to, an independent regulatory body or authority. Depending on where you live, this might be a disability services complaints body, a health complaints body, or an equal opportunity or human rights body if your complaint involves discrimination.

It is a good idea to phone the body first to check that they are the right place for your complaint, and to have their process explained to you. Many of these bodies offer a free, confidential and supportive complaints resolution process.

Other support#

• Some regions have a confidential hotline for reporting abuse or neglect of people with a disability. Where a report concerns a government-funded service, it is usually referred to the body that funds the service to investigate.
• A health complaints body can often help with complaints about health services and practitioners, including private disability services, and can help if you have trouble resolving a complaint directly.
• Independent advocacy services may be available to protect and promote the interests, rights and dignity of people with a disability, sometimes as a last resort when all other advocacy options have been exhausted.

Key points#

• You have the right to complain about any aspect of your disability care and to have your concerns addressed.
• Anyone affected can complain, including the person, a carer, family member, friend, advocate or legal representative.
• Start with the staff member, then the organization, then an independent regulatory body or authority.
• Make your complaint as soon as possible, and ask someone you trust to support you if that helps.

Where to get help#