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Home > Get in Touch > IRT Aged Care Centres and Home Care Feedback and Complaints Policy
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Introduction

We treat all feedback and complaints seriously, confidentially and without retribution, and we use the principles of Open Disclosure, where appropriate. Learnings from feedback and complaints will be used to drive organisation-wide continuous improvement to enhance our service delivery and improve resident and customer satisfaction.

IRT’s complaints management process ensures a consistent and timely approach to the management and resolution of complaints.

We seek to resolve complaints using an open, easily accessible, timely and effective complaints resolution process, underpinned by our values of Integrity, Respect and Trust.

Feedback: A general comment or recommendation. Information given to us in the form of feedback is appreciated as an opportunity for improvement.

Complaint: An expression of dissatisfaction that relates to a product, service or well-being of IRT residents or customers. A complaint can also relate to our internal complaints handling process itself, where a response or resolution is expected.

Feedback and complaints process

IRT follows a cascading complaints handling process, which provides effective and efficient complaints management in a manner that is fair and reasonable.

We encourage residents, participants, customers and/or their representatives to address their feedback or complaint to the Care Manager or Home Care Customer Relationship Manager in the first instance.

We will acknowledge a formal complaint within 2 business days, and endeavour to investigate and resolve complaints within 15 business days. Where an internal investigation is required, we will regularly keep the resident, participant, customer, and their representative informed of progress.

We will ensure our staff understand our commitment to resolving complaints, and that they can easily apply our processes, have been suitably trained, and receive adequate support for resolving complaints.

Managing and actioning feedback drives continuous improvement throughout IRT. We keep a consolidated register of feedback and complaints which helps to identify trends and organisation-wide improvements.

Open Disclosure

We adhere to the principle of Open Disclosure, which means we will have an open conversation with a resident, participant or customer and their representative when something goes wrong. We are committed to addressing any immediate concerns, providing support and outlining the steps we will take to ensure the problem doesn’t occur again.

At all times we will promote and protect the independence, privacy, dignity, happiness, safety and security of our residents, participants and customers and welcome continuous engagement.

Important information

When providing feedback, the following information will assist us to respond in a timely and efficient manner:

  • The name of the person providing feedback, and if not a resident, participant or customer, the details of the resident, participant or customer you are providing feedback on behalf of

Where the feedback relates to a complaint

  • The nature of the complaint
  • Any detailed history of the complaint, including time, place and location that events relating to the complaint occurred
  • What steps the person raising the complaint would consider an appropriate course of action for IRT to resolve the complaint to your satisfaction.

Residents, participants, customers and their representatives have the right to provide feedback or make a complaint anonymously. We will follow the same investigative steps when an anonymous complaint is made and learnings will be used to drive continuous improvement.

Feedback and complaints channels

Feedback can be provided through various internal channels:

  • By communicating directly with the Care Manager, Home Care Customer Relationship Manager or other IRT employee
  • At resident/relative meetings
  • Via the IRT website at org.au/get-in-touch/feedback/
  • By calling the IRT Customer Contact Centre on 134 478
  • By emailing IRT Customer Relations at feedback@irt.org.au
  • By submitting a Feedback Form/using suggestion boxes
  • Via resident/customer surveys
  • By writing to the Executive General Manager, Aged Care Centres or the Executive General Manager, Home Care (PO Box 2106, Wollongong DC NSW 2500).

Residents, participants, customers and their representatives have a right to refer a complaint to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. For NDIS participants they can refer a complaint to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.  We will cooperate with any such investigations and abide by any agreements we make as a result.

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission

National Disability Insurance Agency

Complaints about the NDIA should be directed to the Agency itself or the Commonwealth Ombudsman.

NDIA

Commonwealth Ombudsman

  • IRT recognises and respects the fundamental right to advocacy for all of our residents, participants and customers.  For residents who need support to raise a complaint, there are advocacy services available to you, some of which are listed below:

Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN)

OPAN offers a free, independent and confidential service that focus on supporting older people and their representatives to raise and address issues relating to accessing and interacting with Commonwealth-funded aged care services

OPAN is made up of nine state and territory based service delivery organisations.

For more information:  www.opan.com.au/

  • Ph:  1800 700 600

Translating and Interpreting Service National

TIS National is an interpreting service provided by the Department of Home Affairs for people who do not speak English.  If you need an interpreter call TIS National and ask them to call IRT on 134 478.

For more information:  www.tisnational.gov.au

  • Ph:  13 14 50

National Relay Service (NRS)

The National Relay Service (NRS) is a government initiative that allows people who are deaf or speech impaired to make and receive phone calls. Should you wish to use this service, you can contact NRS and ask them to call IRT on 134 478.

For more information: https://www.communications.gov.au/what-we-do/phone/services-people-disability/accesshub/national-relay-service

  • Ph:  1300 555 727
  • TTY number: 133 677
  • SMS relay number: 0423 677 767

Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA)

DANA is the national representative body for a network of advocacy organisations throughout Australia. 

To find an advocate in your state or territory, visit the website. 

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