Responsibility: Australian, state and territory governments
Joint Response: Accept in principle
Status: Further work required
What has been achieved to date
The Commonwealth Ombudsman is considering how best to advance this work within existing resources.
All governments remain committed to working together to progress this recommendation.
What the Disability Royal Commission said in the final report
The Commonwealth Ombudsman should lead a co-design process with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, state and territory ombudsmen and other bodies with complaint handling and investigation expertise, to develop guidelines for organisations on implementing complaint handling systems that are accessible and responsive to people with disability.
The guidelines should reflect the ten core components:
- creating a rights-focused complaints culture
- encouraging people with disability and others to speak up
- making adjustments to enable participation
- supporting the person with disability, their family and others in complaint processes
- respecting complexity, diversity and cultural difference
- providing clear information about how to complain and multiple pathways to complain
- working respectfully and effectively alongside police
- conducting safe and inclusive investigations that are trauma-informed
- providing tailored outcomes and redress
- using complaints data to drive continuous improvement in service provision and complaint handling.
Joint Government response July 2024
The Australian Government and state and territory governments support the development of guidelines for organisations on implementing complaint handling systems that are accessible and responsive to people with disability.
Governments are committed to supporting organisations to ensure complaints processes are accessible, culturally safe, user friendly and more streamlined to ensure instances of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation are reported and responded to.
Governments will work together to consider appropriate approaches and timeframes to implementing this recommendation and the related recommendations 10.15 and 10.16.
More recommendations
View progress on other recommendations made by the Royal Commission.