Complaints policy

30 October 2019

NCVER Complaints Policy

REVISION DATES: Policy created October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to outline how NCVER manages complaints.

Objectives

  • NCVER seeks to maintain and enhance our reputation of providing you with high quality products and services.  We value complaints as they assist us to improve our products, services and customer service.
  • NCVER is committed to being responsive to your needs and concerns and to resolving your complaint as quickly as possible.
  • This policy has been designed to provide guidance to both you and our staff, on the manner in which NCVER receives and manages your complaint.  We are committed to being consistent, fair and impartial when handling your complaint.  Your complaint will be considered on its merits, taking into account individual circumstances and needs.

Definition of a complaint

  • In this policy, a complaint means an expression of dissatisfaction by an external party relating to NCVER services.

How a complaint can be made

If you are dissatisfied with a service provided by us, you should in the first instance consider speaking directly with the staff member/s you have been dealing with.  If you are uncomfortable with this or consider the relevant staff member is unable to address your concerns, you can lodge a complaint with us, in one of the following ways:

  • By telephoning our Complaints Officer on (08)8230 8414, on Monday to Friday, between the hours of 9.00am and 5.00pm (Adelaide time)
  • By completing our online Complaints form
  • By emailing us at complaints@ncver.edu.au
  • By writing to us at Complaints Officer, NCVER, PO Box 8288, Station Arcade, SA, 5000
  • If we receive your complaint verbally and we consider it appropriate, we may ask you to put your complaint in writing.

The information you will need to tell us

  • When we are investigating your complaint, we will be relying on information provided by you and information we may already be holding.  We may need to contact you to clarify details or request additional information where necessary.  To help us investigate your complaint quickly and efficiently, we will ask you for the following information:
    • Your name and contact details
    • The name of the person you have been dealing with about your NCVER service
    • The nature of the complaint
    • Details of any steps you have already taken to resolve the complaint
    • Details of conversations you may have had with us that may be relevant to your complaint
    • Copies of any documentation which supports your complaint
  • If you choose to leave an anonymous complaint, we will continue to handle the complaint using our complaints process, noting that we may be unable to provide you with a response following our investigation, dependent on the way in which your complaint was submitted.
  • As part of our on-going improvement plan, complaints will be monitored for any identifiable trends by management and rectification/remedial action taken to mitigate any identified issues.
  • If you lodge a complaint, we will record your personal information solely for the purposes of addressing your complaint.  Your personal details will actively be protected from disclosure, unless you expressly consent to its disclosure.  NCVER complies with the Australian Privacy Principles.  Further details are available in NCVER's Privacy Policy
  • Where a third party was involved, we may be required to speak with them to fully investigate your complaint.
  • If your complaint is currently being investigated by a relevant federal, state or territory consumer protection regulator or law enforcement agency, we may cease to take further action in relation to your complaint pending finalisation of their investigation.  We will assist any agency with their investigations.

Responding to your complaint

  • NCVER is committed to resolving your complaint at the first point of contact, however, where this is not possible, a more formal complaints process will be followed.
  • We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within three business days.  Once your complaint has been received, we will undertake an initial review of your complaint.
  • There may be circumstances during the initial review or investigation of your complaint where we may need to clarify certain aspects of your complaint or request additional documentation from you.  In such circumstances, we will explain the purpose of seeking clarification or additional documentation and provide you with feedback on the status of your complaint at that time.
  • We are committed to resolving your complaint within 14 business days of you lodging your complaint, however, this may not always be possible on every occasion.  Where we have been unable to resolve your complaint within 14 business days, we will inform you of the reason for the delay and specify a date when we will be able to finalise your complaint.
  • If we have sought clarification or additional documentation from you and we are waiting on you to provide this information, we may not be able to meet our 14 business day finalisation commitment.  In such circumstances, upon receipt of your clarification or additional documentation, we will indicate to you when we expect to be able to finalise your complaint.
  • If we assess that your conduct throughout the complaint process is unreasonable (for example, unreasonable persistence, demands, arguments, behaviour and lack of cooperation), we will continue to address your complaint, however we reserve the right to put in place appropriate strategies for managing such conduct fairly, ethically and reasonably.
  • Once we have finalised your complaint, we will advise you of our findings and any action we have taken.  We will do this in writing, unless it has been mutually agreed that we can provide it to you verbally.  Unless we hear from you, we will also contact you to ascertain if you are satisfied with our response.
  • If you are not satisfied with how your complaint has been handled, or the resolution provided by us, you can escalate your complaint to the Managing Director or an appropriate external agency.
  • You have the right to make enquiries about the current status of your complaint at any time by contacting us.

Complaining about a staff member

  • If you complain about a member of our staff, we will treat your complaint confidentially and impartially.  We will investigate your complaint thoroughly by finding out the relevant facts, speaking with the relevant people and verifying explanations where possible.
  • We will also treat our staff member objectively by:
    • Informing them of any complaint about their performance
    • Providing them with an opportunity to explain the circumstances
    • Providing them with appropriate support, including additional training if required
    • Updating them on the complaint investigation and the result

Our six point complaint process

  1. We acknowledge

    Within three business days of receiving your complaint we will acknowledge receipt of your complaint.

  2. We review

    We undertake an initial review of your complaint and determine if any additional information or documentation may be required to complete an investigation.  We may need to contact you to clarify details or request additional information.

  3. We investigate

    Within 14 business days of receiving your complaint, we will investigate your complaint objectively and impartially, by considering the information you have provided us, our actions in relation to your dealings with us and any other information which may be available, that could assist us in investigating your complaint.

  4. We respond

    Following our investigation, we will notify you of our findings and any actions we may have taken, in regard to your complaint.  We will also follow up with you to ascertain if you are satisfied with our response.

  5. We take action

    Where appropriate, we amend our staff training, business practices or policies.

  6. We record

We will record your complaint for continuous improvement, and your personal information will be recorded in accordance with relevant privacy legislation.