Office of Aged Care Quality and Compliance (OACQC)

Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme

The Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme is available to anyone who has a complaint or concern about an Australian Government-subsidised aged care service (residential or community care).

Working together to fix the problem

Please take the time to read the information contained on this page about the Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme (CIS) before completing and submitting a complaint/information form using the button below.

Links are also included at the bottom of this page to other important information that you should read before submitting a complaint/information form. These links allow you to access the CIS Privacy Statement and to view information contained on the web site of the Office of the Aged Care Commissioner.

Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme Service Charter
The role of the Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme is to investigate concerns about any aspects of an Australian Government subsidised aged care service.

Introduction
What is the Complaints Investigation Scheme (CIS)?
What can you complain about?
Who can complain to the CIS?
How can I complain?
How does the CIS work?
Who manages the CIS?
Aged Care Commissioner
CIS Privacy Statement

Introduction

The Complaints Investigation Scheme (CIS) is available to anyone who wishes to provide information or raise a complaint or concern about an Australian Government-subsidised aged care service, including:

• residents of aged care homes;
• people receiving community aged care packages or flexible care; or
• relatives, guardians or legal representatives of those receiving care.

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What is the Complaints Investigation Scheme (CIS)?

The CIS:

• is a free service which investigates concerns raised about the health, safety and/or well-being of people receiving aged care;
• has the power to investigate these concerns and require the service provider, where appropriate, to take action; and
• is able to refer issues that may be more appropriately dealt with by others (eg. police, nursing and medical registration boards).

You may download these documents in PDF and HTML format:

• Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme
• The Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme - Plain English Brochure
• The Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme - Information for Residential Aged Care Workers

What concerns can you raise?

The Aged Care Act 1997 (the Act) sets out the responsibilities of approved providers who receive Australian Government funding to provide care and services to care recipients. The CIS can investigate information or complaints about cases where an approved provider may not be meeting their responsibilities under the Act.

The information, complaint or concern may be about anything regarding the care and services provided to aged care recipients. For example care, catering, financial matters, hygiene, equipment, security, activities, choice, comfort and safety.

Who can contact the CIS?

Anyone can contact the CIS with a complaint or a concern - care recipient, family member, care provider, staff member, GP etc. Complaints can be made openly, anonymously or your name can be kept confidential.

You may want to talk to your aged care manager first - some issues can be resolved easily. If you're uncomfortable doing this, or aren't happy with what has happened with your complaint, you can contact the Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme directly.

If required, the CIS can provide access to:

• an interpreter service;
• a TTY (deaflink) phone service; or
• a free and confidential advocacy service.

Representatives of advocacy services may:

• inform you of your rights and entitlements;
• tell you about the help they can provide; and
• assist you to voice your concerns with the CIS.Top of page

How can I provide information, raise a concern or make a complaint?

You can you provide information or make a complaint either on free-call 1800 550 552 or in writing to:

Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme
C/- Department of Health and Ageing
GPO Box 9848
In your Capital City.

You can also submit the online form below.

How does the CIS work?

When you contact the CIS we will:

• listen to and clarify your concerns;
• explain how the CIS works; and
• inform you of your right to have the assistance of an advocacy service if you wish.

The CIS will, where appropriate:

• take detailed notes and record information in the CIS database;
• decide if the information provided relates to an approved provider's responsibilities;
• refer the matter to another agency if that is more appropriate;
• investigate the information we receive to determine whether or not a service provider is providing appropriate care and services;
• tell providers who have not met their responsibilities what they have to do to address an issue and specify the timeframe in which this must be done;
• provide feedback on the outcome of the contact.

There are however, some matters the CIS cannot deal with. For example, we cannot say who should make financial, legal or health decisions on behalf of a care recipient. We cannot comment on industrial matters such as wages or employment conditions or provide legal advice on any problems.
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Who manages the CIS?

The CIS is managed by the Office of Aged Care Quality and Compliance within the Department of Health and Ageing. If you have any concerns about the way the CIS has handled your complaint or concerns, you can raise them with the CIS Manager in your State or Territory. Alternatively, you can contact the Aged Care Commissioner.

Aged Care Commissioner

The Office of the Aged Care Commissioner has been established to independently review the way in which the CIS handles complaints. The Aged Care Commissioner can look at decisions made by the CIS in relation to the investigation of complaints and also has the power to examine, as a result of a complaint or on their own initiative, the CIS's administrative processes for investigating complaints.

The Office of the Aged Care Commissioner can be contacted during business hours on free call 1800 500 294.

Further information can be found on the Office of the Aged Care Commissioner's website at http://www.agedcarecommissioner.net.au

CIS Privacy Statement

You may download this document in PDF format:

PDF printable version of CIS Privacy Statement (PDF 146 KB)

Australian Government agencies must comply with the Information Privacy Principles (IPPs) set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). The IPPS cover the collection, storage, quality, use and disclosure of personal information about individuals.

The Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme (the Scheme) is administered by the Office of Aged Care Quality and Compliance in the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. The Scheme complies with the IPPs contained in the Privacy Act 1988.

Why might the Scheme collect personal information?

The Scheme might collect and use personal information for the purpose of performing its functions as set out in the Investigation Principles 2007 made under the Aged Care Act 1997.

Personal information may be collected by the Scheme in response to a particular concern or complaint. When a concern is raised with the Scheme, its officers may collect personal information which relates to the complaint from any of the following parties: the person raising the concern, the affected care recipient and/or their relatives or representatives, the relevant approved provider and/or their staff. This personal information may be used by the Scheme to assess whether the approved provider has met its responsibilities under the Aged Care Act 1997.

Does the Scheme disclose the personal information that it collects?

The Scheme has procedures to ensure that personal information is protected against misuse and is not unlawfully disclosed.

The Scheme must ensure that any request for confidentiality is complied with unless doing so would harm the investigation, or pose a risk to the informant or the affected care recipient. The Scheme must take all reasonable steps to notify the informant before deciding not to comply with a request for confidentiality.

Under section 16A.10 of the Investigation Principles 2007 personal information collected by the Scheme may be referred to another organisation. Referrals to another organisation are made where a concern raises issues that require, or may require, action by the other organisation.

Personal information collected by the Scheme may be disclosed to, and used by, relevant officers of the Department of Health and Ageing for the purpose of taking compliance action against an approved provider under the Aged Care Act 1997.

Personal information collected by the Scheme may also be used or disclosed in accordance with part 6.2 of the Aged Care Act 1997 or where otherwise permitted or required by law.

How can you find out what personal information the Scheme holds about you?

Individuals can obtain information regarding access to their personal information by contacting the Scheme on 1800 550 552.

What can you do if you think that the Scheme has breached its privacy obligations?

If you have any concerns about the Scheme’s handling of your personal information you are encouraged, in the first instance, to discuss these with the manager of the Scheme on 1800 550 552. If you are still dissatisfied, you can raise concerns directly with the Office of the Aged Care Commissioner or contact the Federal Privacy Commissioner.

Contact details:
Office of the Aged Care Commissioner
Telephone: 1800 500 294
Web site: www.agedcarecommissioner.net.au

Office of the Privacy Commissioner
Telephone: 1300 363 992 (cost of a local call)
Web site: www.privacy.gov.au

The Investigation Principles 2007 made under the Aged Care Act 1997 contain detailed procedures regarding the operation of the CIS.

If you would now like to forward information or make a complaint to the Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme please complete the online Complaints form.

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