Compliants Policy

Evolving Care is committed to providing safe, respectful, person-centred and high-quality support. We welcome feedback and complaints because they help us understand what is working well, identify areas for improvement and strengthen the quality and safety of our services.

This Complaints Policy explains how participants, families, carers, representatives, workers and other people can provide feedback or make a complaint, and how Evolving Care will respond.

Our complaints process is designed to support the rights of people with disability and align with the requirements of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, including the NDIS Practice Standards and the NDIS Complaints Management and Resolution Rules. The NDIS Practice Standards require providers to maintain an accessible complaints system, support people who make complaints, keep appropriate records and use complaints to drive continuous improvement.

1. Our Commitment

Evolving Care aims to ensure that everyone feels safe and comfortable providing feedback or raising a concern.

We will:

• Welcome feedback and complaints.
• Treat complaints seriously and respectfully.
• Listen to the person making the complaint.
• Support people with disability to participate in the complaints process.
• Provide accessible ways to make a complaint.
• Protect people from retaliation or negative consequences for making a complaint.
• Handle complaints fairly and impartially.
• Keep people informed about the progress of their complaint.
• Take appropriate action when a complaint is substantiated.
• Use complaints and feedback to improve our services.

People with disability have the right to raise concerns about their supports without being threatened or disadvantaged for doing so. The NDIS Commission specifically requires providers to create an environment where people can raise concerns safely.

2. Who Can Make a Complaint?

Anyone can provide feedback or make a complaint about Evolving Care or our services.

This may include:

• NDIS participants
• Family members
• Carers
• Nominees
• Guardians
• Support coordinators
• Plan managers
• Advocates
• Workers
• Contractors
• Health professionals
• Other service providers
• Members of the community

A person does not need to be the participant receiving the service to raise a concern.

Where a complaint affects a person with disability, Evolving Care will seek to involve that person appropriately in the resolution process and keep them informed about relevant progress and outcomes. This is consistent with NDIS Commission guidance for provider complaints management.

3. What Can You Complain About?

You can make a complaint about any aspect of our services or interactions with Evolving Care.

Examples include:

• The quality of support provided
• The way a worker has treated you
• Communication issues
• Missed or delayed services
• Concerns about a worker's conduct
• Privacy or confidentiality concerns
• Accessibility issues
• Discrimination
• Lack of respect or dignity
• Concerns about safety
• Concerns about abuse, neglect or exploitation
• Service agreements
• Fees or billing
• Delays in responding to requests
• Concerns about our policies or processes
• Any other matter that has affected your experience with Evolving Care

You can also provide positive feedback or suggestions about how we can improve our services.

4. How to Make a Complaint

You can make a complaint in the way that is easiest and most accessible for you.

By email

admin@evolvingcare.org

By phone

1300 996 907

In person

You can speak to an Evolving Care team member directly.

In writing

You can send a written complaint to:

Evolving Care
[Insert business address]

You do not need to use formal language or know the correct terminology to make a complaint.

If you need assistance making a complaint, we will work with you to identify an accessible way for you to provide your feedback.

5. Support and Advocacy

You may choose to have another person support you when making or resolving a complaint.

This could include:

• A family member
• Carer
• Friend
• Support coordinator
• Advocate
• Nominee
• Guardian
• Another person you trust

You may also seek independent advocacy support.

Evolving Care will respect your right to involve an advocate or support person in the complaints process.

The NDIS Practice Standards require participants to be provided with information about making complaints, including external avenues and the right to access advocates.

6. Making a Complaint on Behalf of Someone Else

You may make a complaint on behalf of another person where appropriate.

Where the complaint concerns a person with disability, Evolving Care will consider that person's wishes, preferences, rights and involvement in the process.

We may need to confirm your authority to access certain personal or confidential information.

Where appropriate, we will communicate directly with the person affected by the complaint as well as the person who raised it.

7. What Happens After You Make a Complaint?

When we receive a complaint, we will:

Step 1 — Acknowledge

We will acknowledge the complaint as soon as reasonably practicable.

Step 2 — Understand the concern

We will listen to the person making the complaint and gather enough information to understand what happened.

Step 3 — Assess the complaint

We will consider:

• The nature of the complaint
• The seriousness of the concern
• Any immediate safety risks
• Whether a participant may be at risk
• Whether an incident has occurred
• Whether the matter needs to be reported to another organisation
• Whether urgent action is required

Step 4 — Investigate

Where appropriate, we will review relevant information, speak with people involved and examine relevant records.

Complaints will be handled fairly and with appropriate regard to procedural fairness and natural justice, as required by the NDIS complaints framework.

Step 5 — Resolve

Where possible, we will work with the people involved to identify an appropriate resolution.

This may include:

• Correcting an error
• Providing an explanation
• Changing a process
• Providing additional support
• Reviewing a service arrangement
• Providing an apology
• Taking corrective action
• Providing additional training
• Taking worker management action where appropriate
• Implementing improvements to prevent the issue from happening again

Step 6 — Communicate the outcome

We will explain the outcome and any relevant action taken, subject to privacy, confidentiality and legal requirements.

8. Urgent Safety Concerns

Some complaints require immediate action.

If a complaint involves an immediate or serious risk to the health, safety or wellbeing of a person with disability, Evolving Care will prioritise the matter and take appropriate protective action.

This may include:

• Separating people from an immediate risk
• Arranging alternative support
• Escalating the matter to senior management
• Contacting emergency services
• Reporting an incident to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission where required
• Contacting police or another relevant authority where required

Registered NDIS providers have obligations to notify the NDIS Commission about certain reportable incidents.

If someone is in immediate danger, call 000.

9. Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation and Violence

Evolving Care takes allegations of abuse, neglect, exploitation, violence, discrimination and other serious misconduct seriously.

A complaint involving these matters will be assessed promptly and escalated where appropriate.

Depending on the circumstances, Evolving Care may be required to notify:

• The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
• Police
• Emergency services
• Another government agency
• A relevant professional or regulatory body

Where a complaint also meets the definition of a reportable incident, it will be managed in accordance with applicable NDIS incident management and reporting requirements.

10. Privacy and Confidentiality

We will handle information collected during the complaints process confidentially and in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable privacy laws.

Information may need to be shared with people or organisations where:

• It is necessary to investigate or resolve the complaint
• The person has provided appropriate consent
• Disclosure is required or authorised by law
• There is a serious safety or safeguarding concern
• Reporting to a regulator or authority is required

We will only provide information to people who have a legitimate reason to receive it, subject to applicable laws and obligations.

11. Complaints About Workers

If a complaint concerns an Evolving Care worker, we will assess the concern and determine the appropriate response.

Depending on the circumstances, this may involve:

• Speaking with the worker
• Reviewing relevant records
• Changing support arrangements
• Providing additional supervision
• Providing training
• Taking disciplinary action
• Removing a worker from particular duties
• Reporting the matter to a relevant authority

Where the complaint involves potential misconduct or a serious risk to a participant, the matter may be escalated immediately.

12. Complaints About Management

Complaints may be made about any member of Evolving Care's management or leadership team.

Where a complaint concerns the person who would normally handle the complaint, the matter will be referred to another appropriate person to ensure it can be considered fairly.

13. Anonymous Complaints

You may make a complaint anonymously.

Anonymous complaints can help us identify problems and improve our services.

However, if we do not know who made the complaint, we may not be able to:

• Ask follow-up questions
• Provide updates
• Provide an outcome
• Take action that requires additional information

We will still consider anonymous complaints where sufficient information is available.

14. No Retaliation

Evolving Care will not tolerate threats, intimidation or negative treatment of a person because they have:

• Made a complaint
• Provided feedback
• Supported someone else to make a complaint
• Participated in a complaint investigation
• Raised a concern about safety or quality

People should feel safe to speak up about their experiences.

This is an important part of the NDIS complaints framework, which requires providers to support a safe environment for people to raise concerns.

15. External Complaints

You do not have to complain to Evolving Care first.

You can contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission if you have concerns about the quality or safety of NDIS supports or services.

Anyone can make a complaint to the NDIS Commission, including participants, family members, carers, advocates, workers, providers and members of the community.

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission

Phone: 1800 035 544
Website: NDIS Commission — Make a complaint

You may also seek support from an independent advocate.

16. Complaints About NDIS Funding or Plans

Some concerns are outside the responsibility of Evolving Care.

For example, the NDIS Commission does not make decisions about NDIS plans or funding. Those matters may need to be raised with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) through the appropriate process.

If we receive a complaint that is outside our responsibility, we will explain this where possible and, where appropriate, help identify the relevant organisation or process.

17. Fair and Accessible Complaints Process

Evolving Care aims to make our complaints process accessible.

Depending on individual needs, we may provide reasonable assistance with:

• Understanding the complaints process
• Communicating a complaint
• Providing information in an accessible format
• Involving an advocate or support person
• Communicating with a person's representative
• Identifying alternative communication methods

We will consider individual communication needs when managing a complaint.

18. Complaint Records

Evolving Care will maintain appropriate records of complaints and their outcomes.

Records may include:

• Date the complaint was received
• Nature of the complaint
• People involved
• Actions taken
• Investigation findings
• Outcome
• Corrective actions
• Follow-up actions
• Opportunities for improvement

Records will be stored securely and managed in accordance with our privacy and information-management requirements.

The NDIS Practice Standards expect complaints systems to be documented and reviewed as part of continuous improvement.

19. Continuous Improvement

Complaints are an important source of information for improving our organisation.

We will periodically review complaints and feedback to identify:

• Recurring issues
• Service gaps
• Training needs
• Policy improvements
• Risks
• Opportunities to improve participant experience
• Opportunities to improve accessibility and communication

Where appropriate, lessons from complaints will be incorporated into our policies, procedures, training and service delivery.

The NDIS Practice Standards specifically identify continuous improvement as part of effective complaints management.

20. Staff Responsibilities

Evolving Care workers and team members are expected to:

• Listen respectfully to concerns
• Take complaints seriously
• Never discourage someone from making a complaint
• Escalate complaints where required
• Follow Evolving Care's complaints procedures
• Maintain confidentiality
• Record relevant information
• Support participants to access advocacy
• Escalate safety and safeguarding concerns promptly

The NDIS Commission expects workers to be aware of and comply with their provider's complaints-handling procedures.

21. Review of This Policy

Evolving Care will review this Complaints Policy periodically and whenever there are significant changes to:

• NDIS requirements
• Applicable legislation
• Our services
• Our complaints processes
• Regulatory guidance
• Organisational risks

The policy may be updated to reflect these changes.

22. Contact Evolving Care

If you would like to provide feedback or make a complaint, contact us:

Evolving Care
Phone: 1300 996 907
Email: admin@evolvingcare.org
Website: Evolving Care

You can make a complaint without using formal language, and you can ask a support person or advocate to assist you.