About the Office
Service Charter
The services provided by the Office are available to anyone who has a question about decisions made by the Scheme or who wants to complain about the operations of the Scheme. Our services are also available for people who wish to complain about the conduct of the Agency or persons carrying out audits or making support or assessment contacts.
This Charter is a resource for people who seek the assistance of the Office. It sets the standards of service that can be expected from us, and the steps to take if those standards are not met. We are committed to providing the best service possible, and will regularly monitor and report on our performance against the Charter standards, and use them to promote further improvement.
Role and Values
We will investigate complaints and review decisions where appropriate, and seek to resolve those matters in an impartial, fair and effective way. Our services are free of charge. Our staff strive to maintain the highest standards of professionalism in their work. We value integrity, impartiality, independence and accountability for our actions and decisions. We are committed to being accessible to all sections of the community.
The Service You Can Expect From Us
We will give careful attention to your concern, appeal or complaint. If you have asked us to review an examinable decision (appeal) made by the Scheme we will do so promptly and provide recommendations to the Secretary within the legislative timeframe. If it is something we can, and should, investigate we will do so as quickly as possible, acting independently, objectively and impartially.
Regarding complaints, if your grievance is straightforward and your complaint is currently being dealt with by the Scheme or the Agency, we may be able to act as a conciliator and either recommend changes to fix the problem or act to expedite the process. If after assessment, your complaint about the Scheme or the Agency requires a formal and in depth examination, an officer will be assigned to conduct the investigation.
If we don't or can't examine your appeal or complaint, we will explain why, and advise you of any other avenues that may be available to you to resolve your concern.
We will respond to every appeal or complaint and undertake an investigation as soon as practicable. We will keep you informed of the progress of our inquiries at regular intervals. You are free to contact us at any time to check on the progress of your case. You will be treated with courtesy and respect and our staff will be helpful and professional in their dealings with you. We will tell you the reasons for any decisions we make.
Our service standards are:
- An acknowledgment letter will be sent within four days of receiving an appeal or a complaint.
- Your correspondence will be assessed by the Director of the Office within one working day.
- If it is an urgent complaint, an investigation will be initiated within one working day.
Contacting the Commissioner
You can lodge an appeal or a complaint with the Commissioner in a variety of ways and you should choose the way most convenient for you. For example, you may contact the Office by letter, email, fax, or by using the online complaints form on our website. You are also able to lodge a verbal appeal or complaint with the Commissioner by calling 1800 500 294.
If you disagree with our Decisions
The following external reviews in relation to the Commissioner's decisions are available to you:
- You can contact the Commonwealth Ombudsman and seek to have a review of our processes.
- You can ask the Administrative Appeals Tribunal to review a Freedom of Information decision by our office, about your request for documents in our possession.
Complaints and Feedback about the Office
We want to improve our services, and your views and feedback are important to us. You can telephone, fax or write to us at the contacts below. We will also invite you to complete a satisfaction survey once your case has been finalised.
You can make a complaint about our service at any time. A complaint can be about any aspect of our service or office procedures, including rudeness, unexplained delays, and unfairness of policies.
If you are not satisfied with the way we have handled your concern, it would be helpful if you first raise the matter with the staff member you have been dealing with. If you are still not satisfied, you can contact the Director, who will have the matter examined.
We will monitor our performance against the Charter standards. Information about the complaints we have received concerning our service and decisions, and how they were dealt with, will be published in our Annual Report.
Contact Details
Our Office is open from 9.00am to 5.00pm weekdays and is located on Level 4, 12-20 Flinders Lane Melbourne. You are able to contact us by calling 1800 500 294 (free call), by facsimile on (03) 9663 7369 or by email at info@agedcarecommissioner.net.au.
You may also contact us by writing to:
Locked Bag 3
Collins Street East VICTORIA 8003