1. Our commitment

Disability and Nursing Solutions Pty Ltd, referred to as DANS, is committed to making it easy and safe for people to provide feedback or make a complaint.

We will aim to:

• welcome and acknowledge every complaint;
• listen respectfully and take the concern seriously;
• communicate in a way that meets the person’s accessibility and communication needs;
• assess and manage complaints fairly, efficiently and as promptly as the circumstances allow;
• provide procedural fairness to everyone affected;
• explain the actions taken, decisions made and available review options;
• protect the complainant and affected participant from adverse treatment because a complaint was made; and
• use complaints and feedback to improve our services.

2. Who can make a complaint?

Anyone may make a complaint or provide feedback, including:

• a participant or prospective participant;
• a family member, carer or friend;
• a guardian, nominee or authorised representative;
• an advocate;
• a support coordinator or plan manager;
• another service provider;
• a DANS worker or contractor; or
• another member of the community.

A complaint can be made on behalf of another person. We may need to confirm the person’s authority or obtain the participant’s consent before sharing personal information or discussing the outcome.

3. What can you raise with us?

You can tell us about anything relating to our services, workers, communication or conduct. This may include:

• the quality or safety of a support or service;
• a worker’s conduct, behaviour or communication;
• feeling disrespected, excluded or not listened to;
• delays, missed appointments or poor communication;
• an assessment, report or behaviour support process;
• privacy or confidentiality concerns;
• fees, invoices or service administration;
• a conflict of interest;
• suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation or harm;
• how an earlier complaint was handled; or
• an idea that could improve our services.

You do not need to know whether the issue is formally classified as a complaint, incident or reportable incident. Tell us what happened and we will assess the appropriate response.

4. How to make a complaint

You can make a complaint verbally, in writing or by another method that is accessible and appropriate for you.

If your complaint is about the person who would normally receive or manage complaints, tell another DANS director or worker. We will arrange for another suitable person to manage the matter.

5. What information should you give us?

You can give us as much or as little information as you feel comfortable providing. Information that may help us understand the matter includes:

• what happened;
• when and where it happened;
• who was involved;
• how the issue affected you or another person;
• whether there is an immediate safety concern;
• any documents or messages relevant to the issue;
• what has already been done about the issue; and
• what outcome you would like.

You do not need to provide evidence before raising a concern. DANS may contact you for more information if you have provided contact details.

6. What happens after a complaint?

The time needed to resolve a complaint depends on its seriousness and complexity. We will aim to manage it as promptly and informally as appropriate while ensuring proper consideration of the issues.

Where possible, you will be appropriately involved in identifying a fair and practical resolution.

7. Your rights when making a complaint

You have the right to:

• be treated with dignity and respect;
• make a complaint without being threatened, disadvantaged or treated unfairly;
• continue receiving safe and appropriate services;
• use an advocate, interpreter, support person or communication aid;
• make a complaint anonymously or request confidentiality;
• be involved in the complaint-resolution process;
• receive appropriate progress information;
• be told the outcome and reasons for decisions, subject to the privacy rights of other people;
• ask for a decision or complaint outcome to be reviewed; and
• contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission directly at any time.

8. Privacy, confidentiality and complaint records

Information about a complaint will be handled confidentially and shared only with people who need the information to assess, investigate, resolve or lawfully report the matter.

Information may need to be disclosed where required or authorised by law, where there is a serious safety concern, or where the matter must be referred to the NDIS Commission, police, a safeguarding body or another relevant authority.

DANS keeps appropriate complaint records, including:

• information about the complaint;
• actions taken to assess or resolve it; and
• the outcome of those actions.

Complaint records are retained for at least seven years from the date the record is made, subject to any longer period required by another applicable law.

Further information about how DANS handles personal and health information is available in our Privacy Policy.

9. Support, communication and advocacy

You may have another person support you to make or manage a complaint. This could be:

• a family member or friend;
• a guardian or nominee;
• a support coordinator;
• an independent disability advocate;
• an interpreter; or
• another trusted person.

Tell us if you need information in another format, more time, an interpreter, communication support or another reasonable adjustment.

You can also obtain information about independent advocacy through the NDIS Commission’s advocacy information .

10. Complaining directly to the NDIS Commission

You do not need to complain to DANS before contacting the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

The NDIS Commission receives concerns about the quality and safety of NDIS supports and services and the conduct of NDIS providers and workers. A complaint can be made verbally, in writing, online, anonymously or confidentially.

NDIA decisions and NDIS plan matters

Complaints about NDIS plan decisions, plan funding, eligibility, NDIA response times or the participant portal are generally handled by the National Disability Insurance Agency rather than the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

For these matters, contact the National Disability Insurance Agency .

11. Urgent safety concerns

A complaint may also raise an incident or reportable incident. Where this occurs, DANS will follow the applicable incident-management, safeguarding and notification requirements in addition to the complaint process.

12. How complaints help us improve

DANS reviews complaints and feedback to identify recurring concerns, service gaps, training needs, safety risks and opportunities to improve.

This may include:

• reviewing policies, procedures and service practices;
• providing additional worker training or supervision;
• improving communication and accessible information;
• addressing individual and systemic risks;
• monitoring complaint trends and outcomes; and
• seeking feedback from participants and workers about the effectiveness of our complaint process.

Complaint information may be reported to the NDIS Commission when required or requested.