Complaints about an Official Visitor
Easy English Complaints Policy
ACT Official Visitors supports the rights and wellbeing of people living in government and non-government institutions or facilities, and supported accommodation in the community. ACT Official Visitors covers corrective services, mental health facilities and community accommodation, supported disability accommodation, residential facilities for children and young people and accommodation for people experiencing homelessness. These are known as visitable places.
Official Visitors are appointed by the government but they act independently. Official Visitors monitor conditions in visitable places, meet the people staying there, hear their concerns and try to resolve their complaints. Official Visitors also report back to government about their work.
You should expect that Official Visitors will:
- listen to you, be helpful and treat you fairly
- do what they say they will do
- tell you if they can’t help you, and refer you to other places that might help
- respect your privacy
- respect your cultural and language needs
- demonstrate respect, collaboration, integrity, accessibility and independence.
If you have a complaint about an Official Visitor, please let ACT Official Visitors know. We will aim to resolve your complaint quickly and fairly.
All complaints are taken seriously, and feedback is used to assist Official Visitors develop and improve their work.
How to make a complaint
If you are not satisfied with the conduct of an Official Visitor or have a suggestion for improvement, please first consider raising your concerns with the Official Visitor directly.
If this does not resolve your concerns, or if you are not comfortable doing this, you can make a complaint by contacting the ACT Official Visitors Executive Officer at:
Post: ACT Official Visitors, GPO BOX 158, CANBERRA ACT 2601
Email: ovs@act.gov.au
Phone: 02 6207 0978
Alternatively, you can lodge a complaint online.
We ask that you outline your complaint as clearly and accurately as possible and provide us with any supporting documents and correspondence. You should also be clear about the outcome that you want. For example, do you want an explanation about why something happened, or would you like an apology?
What you can expect from us
We will:
- acknowledge receipt of your complaint within two business days
- consider your complaint fairly and impartially
- try to resolve your complaint within ten business days – if we think it will take longer than that we will explain the process and likely timeframes to you.
We may contact you to discuss your complaint or to request further information.
We will only use or disclose information about your complaint, to the extent necessary for us to consider and fairly investigate your complaint. However, please note that we will usually need to disclose your complaint to the Official Visitor in question. If you would like to keep your identity confidential, please let us know.
We will make every effort to provide a satisfactory outcome for you where your complaint is found to have substance.
We may also make broader changes so that the problem you have complained about, does not happen again to someone else.
What if I'm still not satisfied?
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your concerns or treated you, you may be able to ask the Official Visitors Board to review the complaint process and outcome. Otherwise, you can make a complaint about ACT Official Visitors to the ACT Ombudsman, Ph 1300 362 072. In limited circumstances, for example where the complaint relates to an allegation of discrimination, you could raise your concerns with the ACT Human Rights Commission, Ph 02 6205 2222.