A complaint
What is a complaint?
A complaint includes a concern, grievance or statement that something is unsatisfactory or unacceptable. Complaints may be made verbally or in writing (letter, email, SMS, social media platforms or digital applications used by the provider, etc) by a staff member, parent, child, or member of the public. A complaint may be made to the Approved Provider using a formal complaints process or a complaint may be made to the Approved Provider informally.
Complaints can be made about an Approved Provider, education and care service, any of its staff or management. These complaints may be about their behaviour, an incident at the service, or other aspects of the service’s operations where it is alleged that a breach of the National Law is occurring or has occurred.
For more information about complaints, click below.
You need to notify the Regulatory Authority of a complaint by any person (including an educator) alleging that a serious incident has occurred or is occurring at the service.
Regulation 12 defines a serious incident.
You need to notify the Regulatory Authority of a complaint made by any person (including an educator) that the National Law has been breached.
A complaint alleging that the National Law has been breached may include:
- the physical environment;
- the adequacy of education and care and programming;
- interactions between staff and children, including inappropriate behaviour or inappropriate discipline;
- educator qualifications;
- staffing arrangements and educator-to-child ratios;
- children’s supervision;
- matters that impact the health, safety and wellbeing of children at the service;
- how interactions between children are managed and supported; or
- how behavioural challenges or medical needs of a child are managed and supported.
An actual breach of the law does not have to be proven before a notification is made. Once an allegation is made of a breach of the National Law, you must notify the Regulatory Authority.
A breach of a law other than the National Law does not need to be notified to the Regulatory Authority but may need to be notified to other bodies.
Please contact your Regulatory Authority.
Contact details are available here: https://www.acecqa.gov.au/help/contact-your-regulatory-authority