2018-06-12 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA   12 JUNE 2018




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SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                    12 JUNE 2018

           ORGANISATIONAL PROCEDURE - ADMINISTRATION ACTION COMPLAINTS PROCESS

           Required item                        Guidance
           Notification of decision to the      Once the investigation has been completed, the reviewing
           complainant                          officer must:
                                                ¢  Notify the complainant in writing of the decision;
                                                ¢  Consider whether a courtesy telephone call is appropriate to
                                                   explain the decision to the complainant;
                                                e  Notify the Governance Team as to the outcome; and
                                                e  Provide notice to the complainant that if they are unsatisfied
                                                   with Council’s internal response, they can request for an
                                                   external  review  by   the  Office  of  the  Queensland
                                                   Ombudsman

           Request for review by an external agency

           Where a complainant remains dissatisfied with the outcome of a second level (internal review),
           they may wish to lodge a complaint with an external agency such as the Office of the Queensland
           Ombudsman.

           Generally, the Office of the Queensland Ombudsman will not review a complaint until it has been
           reviewed at the internal review level by Council.

           General Guidance for managing and resolving complaints

           Record keeping
           When reviewing a complaint the reviewing officer must_keep detailed and accurate records to be
           stored and retained in Council’s.ECM record, management system under the relevant complaint
           file. Records include:

           e   File notes of discussions regarding the complaint;
           e   Material relating to investigation;
           e   All correspondence relating to the matter;and
           e   Any documents relating to a review, including recommendations and outcomes.
           Confidentiality and privacy
           A complainant’s details should remain confidential. However, Council may be obliged to disclose a
           person’s details to an.external body for investigation or under a legal or statutory process.
           Council officers should bear insmind that under Information Privacy Principle (IPP) (11), personal
           information must not be disclosed to an entity other than the person the subject of the personal
           information, relevant exclusions may include the following:
           1. The person has expressly or impliedly agreed to the disclosure; or
           2. Council officers are satisfied, on reasonable grounds, that the disclosure is necessary to lesson
               or prevent a serious threat to the life, health, safety or welfare of an individual, or to public
               health, safety or welfare; or
           3. The disclosure is authorised or required under law.

           Guidance for investigations
           The reviewing officer who is investigating the complaint shall do so as expeditiously as possible
           and where a complex investigation is required, update the complainant on the progress of the
           response.

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