TAFE Queensland acknowledges that students, staff, and the general public have the right to make complaint about services provided by the organisation, and that addressing complaints provides the organisation with an opportunity to improve its products and services.
Provides TAFE Queensland with a policy position for the management of complaints from students, staff, and the general public.
Policy Intent:
TAFE Queensland acknowledges that students, staff, and the general public have the right to make complaint about services provided by the organisation, and that addressing complaints provides the organisation with an opportunity to improve its products and services.
Policy Principles:
TAFE Queensland is committed to maintaining high quality complaints management processes, and manage complaints according to the following principles:
Principle 1: TAFE Queensland values the feedback and complaints provided by students, employees, and the general public.
Principle 2: TAFE Queensland will manage complaints through the maintenance of rigorous and consistent processes.
Principle 3: TAFE Queensland will ensure fairness and equitable treatment for both those making and those subject to complaints, including the right of appeal.
Accountability:
The Chief Executive Officer is accountable for ensuring the management and maintenance of this policy, including ensuring its continued appropriateness to the business, compliance with legislation and external requirements, and periodic review.
TAFE Queensland Executives are responsible for administering this policy for TAFE Queensland.
3.1 This policy applies to TAFE Queensland's:
4.1 TAFE Queensland will ensure that information about its complaints management processes is made publicly available to students, staff, and the general public, to ensure that all stakeholders understand and are able to access TAFE Queensland's complaints management system.
4.2 TAFE Queensland will provide on-line facilities for students, staff, and the general public to submit complaints through the TAFE Queensland website and individual regional websites. TAFE Queensland will also provide in-person facilities for complaints, through each region and corporate office.
4.3 Upon receipt of a complaint, TAFE Queensland (including individual regions and corporate office areas) will maintain processes to register the complaint, and if necessary allocate the complaint to an appropriate officer
4.4 Complaints must be submitted within 12 months of the issue/incident/consideration to which the complaint is referring.
Complaints Management Process:
4.5 The process for managing complaints will include, but are not limited to:
Meeting Compliance Obligations:
4.6 In managing complaints, TAFE Queensland will ensure that it meets any relevant compliance requirements for the particular issue, in particular:
4.7 TAFE Queensland is required to notify the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) if it reasonably suspects that corrupt conduct has occurred. Corrupt conduct would, if proven, constitute a criminal offence or disciplinary breach providing reasonable grounds for terminating the person/s services, if the person were the holder of an appointment. All submissions to the CCC on behalf of TAFE Queensland will be undertaken by the Chief Human Resources Officer.
Fairness and Transparency:
4.8 TAFE Queensland will manage complaints in a fair and transparent manner, including ensuring:
4.9 TAFE Queensland also expects to be treated fairly during the receipt, processing, and management of complaints, including:
Notification of Complaint Outcomes:
4.10 All parties to a complaint will be notified of the general outcome of the complaint investigation (or the progress of a complaint investigation if a decision has not been reached) in writing within 10 business days of receipt of the complaint, unless otherwise agreed by all parties.
4.11 The notification of complaint decision will include the rationale and justification for the decision, and complaint outcomes.
4.12 TAFE Queensland will initially provide complainants with the opportunity for a complaint re-evaluation in cases where they are dissatisfied with the complaint outcome decision. The re-evaluation request must be made in writing to the General Manager/Executive within 5 business days of receiving the Complaint/Feedback Outcome Letter.
4.13 Complainants have the right to seek internal review of a decision made by TAFE Queensland.The complainant will be advised that they have 10 business days to request, in writing, an internal review from the date of the communication advising of the outcome of their complaint re-evaluation.
4.14 The process for internal reviews includes the following minimum standards:
4.15 All parties to an internal review of a complaint will be notified of the general outcome of the review in writing within 20 business days of the receipt of the internal review application.
4.16 After internal review, complainants have the right to seek external review of a complaint. TAFE Queensland will advise the complainant of options for external review of complaint outcomes to the Queensland Ombudsman.
4.17 TAFE Queensland corporate office (through the Office of the Chief Executive Officer) will collate complaints management information from regions and corporate office areas on a quarterly basis and at the conclusion of each financial year. At a minimum, the following information will be published on the TAFE Queensland website by September 30 after each financial year:
4.18 TAFE Queensland will undertake trend reporting of its complaints management outcomes, in order to identify business improvement opportunities in TAFE Queensland's products and services.
4.19 TAFE Queensland will undertake annual review of its complaints management systems and processes to ensure a continuous improvement approach to complaints management.
4.20 TAFE Queensland will support the maintenance and continuous improvement of its complaints management systems and processes though:
An expression of dissatisfaction with a product or service offered or provided by TAFE Queensland, expressed by a student, staff member, or member of the general public, including a complaint about any of the following:
The policy, procedures, personnel and technology used in receiving, recording, responding to and reporting about complaints.
As defined in s. 15 of the Crime and Corruption Act 2001 (Qld) is the conduct of a person, regardless of whether the person holds or held an appointment, that
Where a complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome of the initial complaint investigation they have the right to request an internal review of the initial investigation. If the complainant is also dissatisfied with the internal review they will be referred to an appropriate agency for an external review.