![]() The definition of complaint does not take into account: ![]() that relates to Council staff, including the CEO, a Council contractor, or the Council as a decision-making body (not individual Councillors, who are subject to different processes).about an action, decision, policy or service.In simple terms, a complaint to a Council is any communication which involves the following: This definition aligns with the Australian/New Zealand Standard definition. (c) a policy or decision made by a Council or a member of Council staff or a contractor. (b) the delay by a member of Council staff or a contractor engaged by the Council in taking an action, making a decision or providing a service or (a) the quality of an action taken, decision made or service provided by a member of Council staff or a contractor engaged by the Council or The 2020 Act defines ‘complaint’ (section 107(3)):įor the purposes of the complaints policy, complaint includes the communication, whether orally or in writing, to the Council by a person of their dissatisfaction with – Appendix D: Model wording for written outcomes to investigations.Appendix C: Self-assessment tool for Councils.Appendix B: Model complaints policy for Councils.They are:Īt the end of the Guide, we include the following resources for Councils to use and adapt: The three concepts are recognised under Australia/ New Zealand standards 3, and are implicit in International standards 4. This 2021 Guide is structured around three basic concepts of good complaint handling. The Ombudsman’s recommendation for public reporting of Councils’ operations and performance will be introduced through subordinate Regulations.Īt the same time, the Ombudsman undertook to update the 2015 Guide. The Ombudsman made recommendations to the Minister for Local Government and Local Government Victoria to improve the sector’s approach to complaints. We also found there were still some areas of complaint handling that could benefit from attention. But we identified inconsistencies between Councils, including how they define and record a ‘complaint’. We noted that Councils had, by and large, improved their complaint handling processes. This accompanied Councils and complaints – A report on current practices and issues which looked at complaint handling practices across all 79 Councils.įive years later, the Ombudsman re-examined Councils’ complaint handling practices in the 2019 Revisiting Councils and complaints report. The Ombudsman first published a ‘good practice guide’ for Councils in February 2015. We use symbols in the Guide to show: History of the Guide Other service sectors can also benefit from the Guide. The Guide looks at the elements of a good complaint handling system, and uses real examples so that Councils can learn from one another. This Guide aims to provide practical advice for building a positive culture around complaints and good complaint handling practices and systems that can be adapted to suit local contexts. Different combinations of these parts will work better in different contexts. There is no single effective approach to managing complaints.Ī complaint handling system is the sum of many parts – legislative requirements executive leadership and organisational culture case and data management systems and training and support for staff. We have a developed this standalone guide to help Victorian Councils to deal with complaints.Ĭomplaint handling is core business for Councils. The new Local Government Act 2020 (Vic) (‘the 2020 Act’) now requires Councils to have a complaints policy and process 2. Complaints are ‘free feedback’ for Councils about their services and can highlight needs for improvement 1. ![]() ![]() It is unsurprising that Councils deal with high numbers of complaints. Of the three tiers of government, Councils often have the most direct contact with the public. They provide community services manage recreation facilities construct and maintain local roads and essential infrastructure support business and economic development regulate planning and land use and enforce various State and Federal laws. Councils are an integral part of Victorians’ lives.
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