Complaints Policy

 

We don’t always get everything right. If you’d like to reach out to us with some feedback or advice on how to improve our programs, you can find details about our Complaints Policy below.

Below is a summary of some of the key points in The Push’s Complaints Policy. You can download and view our whole policy here: The Push’s Complaints Policy (.PDF)

  • The Push is committed to the quality of our programs, governance and the safety and satisfaction of our participants. We rely on the feedback of staff, volunteers, board directors, participants and our communities to ensure that our work is of the highest standard. When expectations have not been met and is communicated to us, the Complaints Policy outlines how complaints are managed and resolved.

  • The purpose of this policy is to outline the procedure and processes when a complaint or grievance is received at The Push.

  • This policy relates to anyone wanting to make a complaint. It applies to individuals and communities who engage with The Push, including young people and their families.

  • A complaint can be defined as “‘an expression of dissatisfaction made to or about an organisation, related to its products, services, staff or the handling of a complaint, where a response or resolution is explicitly or implicitly expected” (Australian Standard Customer Satisfaction – Guidelines for complaints handling in organisations AS ISO 10002-2014), including concerns raised about the safety of children and disclosures about alleged abuse or harm of children.

  • The Push is a child safe organisation and does not tolerate incidents of child abuse. If you form a belief on reasonable grounds that a child is in need of protection from physical injury or sexual abuse, please see The Push’s Child Safety Policy.

  • If you wish to make a complaint, you can do so in the following ways:

    When making a complaint, please provide as much detail as possible, including:

    • Your name and contact details

    • The nature of your complaint

    • The date and time of the incident

    • The names of any staff or volunteers involved

    • Any other relevant information

    Complaints can be made anonymously, but providing contact details will help us respond effectively.

  • We will acknowledge receipt of complaints within five (5) business days and provide information on the next steps.

  • All complaints will be investigated by CEO and/or the Head of Operations. If needed, we may request further information to fully understand the issue. The person making the complaint will be kept informed of the progress of the investigation upon request. If a complaint is made regarding the CEO, the investigation will be undertaken by the Chairperson of the Board of Directors.

  • A resolution will be sought within twenty (20) business days, and the complainant will be updated on progress. If a resolution takes longer, we will communicate regularly until the matter is resolved. After the complaint has been investigated, we will communicate the outcome of the complaint in writing or verbally, depending on the complainant’s preference. We will consider the matter closed if the person indicates that they are satisfied with the response or we don’t hear back from the person within ten (10) business days from sending the response.

  • All complaints will be handled with the utmost confidentiality, ensuring that personal information is protected and only shared with those directly involved in the resolution process. The Push endeavours to ensure fairness, impartiality, and protection from retaliation for anyone raising concerns.

  • If the complainant is unhappy with the outcome, they may request a review by:

    • Contacting a board member. Contact details will be shared upon request.

    • Referring the complaint to an external body such as the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) or Ombudsman (where applicable)

  • If the complaint was the result of a gap in The Push’s policies, management may review and revise the relevant policies outside of the scheduled policy review cycle.

  • Only employees of The Push are responsible for receiving complaints. If a volunteer or contractor receives a complaint, the complaint must be communicated to a staff member of The Push as soon as possible.

  • Code of Conduct Policy

    Child Safety Policy