DE International Customer Complaints Management Procedure for DEi students and customers

​​​​​Responsibilities (Including Flowchart):

1. Early resolution

Complainant

  • Submits complaint to the Department of Education International (DEi), providing a clear idea of the problem and the desired solution.

  • Complaints may be received by the Executive Director, DEi or direct to a DEi branch. If received directly by a DEi branch, please work with​​ Manager - Policy, Projects and Administration, DEi to accurately acknowledge and record the request. 

Manager - Policy, Project and Administration, DEi

Receive complaint and record in register

  • Determine whether the enquiry received is a compliant complaint in accordance with the Department’s Customer Complaints Management Framework.

  • Assess the level of risk and any other relevant factors to determine the action to take. 

  • Acknowledge receipt of a compliant complaint or refer back to the applicant advising it is not considered a complaint under the Customer Complaints Management Framework. 

  • If compliant, list on the DEi Complaints and Appeals Register in HP Records Manager at 16/178717.

DE​i

Attempt to assess and resolve complaint

  • The Manager - Policy, Projects and Administration, DEi assesses and resolves complaint or refers to business unit director to follow relevant complaints process.

  • Business unit drafts recommendation/response. Consideration of applications can be between 20–90 working days, depending on level of investigation required.

  • If applicable, Director considers proposed recommendations/response and submits to the Manager - Policy, Projects and Administration​, DEi.

  • Manager, Policy, Projects and Administration​, DE​i reviews proposed recommendations/response for Executive Director, DEi consideration.

  • Executive Director, DEi reviews and considers proposed recommendations/response or refers it to the Assistant Director-General —State Schools Rural, Remote and International for final decision.  

Communicate outcome

  • Executive Director DEi (or final approver) communicates progress and/or outcomes of the complaint, including providing a clear explanation of the final decision, any recommendations, review options and any external review mechanisms, to the complainant:

    • No Breach substantiated: Complainant advised. 
    • Breach Substantiated: Compliance Action Process/System Improvement implemented and complainant advised. 

Close complaint

  • The Manager, Policy, Projects and Administration​, DE​i closes complaint in the DEi Complaints and Appeals Register in HP Records Manager at 16/178717, notifies the relevant business unit and advises the DoE Complaints Manager. 



2. Internal Review

Complainant

  • If the complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome of their complaint they may submit a request for internal review. If received directly by a DEi branch, please work with the Manager, Policy, Projects and Administration​, DE​i to accurately acknowledge and record the request.

Manager, Policy, Projects and Administration​

Receive complaint 

  • Determine whether the appeal received is compliant with the department’s Customer Complaints Management Framework.

  • Assess the level of risk and any other relevant factors to determine the action to take. 

  • Acknowledge receipt of a compliant request or refer back to applicant advising it is not considered a compliant request for appeal under the Customer Complaints Management Framework. 

  • If compliant, list on the DEi Complaints and Appeals Register in HP Records Manager at 16/178717.

DEi

Attempt to assess and resolve complaints

  • The Manager, Policy, Projects and Administration​, DEi or relevant business unit director to follow their complaints process.

  • An appropriately trained independent staff member must undertake a comprehensive review of the complaint, assessing both the process to investigate and resolve the complaint and/or the merits of the original decision or action.

  • The Manager, Policy, Projects and Administration​, DEi or relevant business unit director will recommend an independent staff member to the Executive Director, DEi for approval.

  • Independent staff member drafts recommendations/response. Consideration of internal review applications can be between 20–90 working days, depending on level of investigation required.

  • If applicable, business unit director considers proposed recommendations/ response, and then submits to the Executive Director, DEi.

  • Manager, Policy, Projects and Administration​, DEi​ reviews proposed recommendations/ response for Executive Director, DEi approval.

  • Executive Director, DEi reviews and considers proposed recommendations/ response or refers to Assistant Director-General —State Schools Rural, Remote and International for final decision.

Communicate outcome

  • Executive Director, DEi (or final approver) communicates outcomes of the review process, including providing a clear explanation of the final decision, any recommendations, and any external review mechanisms, to the complainant.

    • No Breach substantiated: Complainant advised. 
    • Breach Substantiated: Compliance Action Process implemented and complainant advised. 

Close complaint

  • Manager, Policy, Projects and Administration​, DEi closes complaint in the DEi Complaints and Appeals Register in HP Records Manager at 16/178717, notifies the relevant business unit and advises the DoE Complaints Manager. 

  • Manager, Policy, Projects and Administration​, DEi​ assesses the effectiveness of the review processes and identifies and documents lessons that may inform improvements to the complaints management process, risk assessment and operational planning.​


3. External Appeal

  • Where a customer remains dissatisfied with the outcome after an internal review decision, details of external appeal authorities should be provided to enable the customer to submit an external review directly with the Queensland Ombudsman, Public Service Commission, Information Commissioner or other relevant authority. 

    • DEi will work with the external reviewer to support and provide all relevant information to support the appeals process.  

    • DEi will immediately take any action required to comply with the decision of the External Review. 

​
​​​Customer Complaints Management Framework​Outlines the department’s framework for managing complaints in a consistent way by describing standards and principles to guide complaints management processes in the department.
​Complaints Register​A tool for recording receipt of a complaint (including complainant details) and outcomes. Registers must be maintained in the department’s document management system Records Manager. 
​Complainant​Person, organisation or their representative (including clients, consumers, service users, customers, etc.) making a complaint.
​Customer complaint​​Complaints managed in line with the Customer Complaints Management Framework are those where the customer expresses dissatisfaction about the service or action of the department, or its staff, and the customer is directly affected by the service or action of the department. Examples include:
  • a decision made, or a failure to make a decision, by a public service
  • employee of the department;
  • an act, or failure to act, of the department;
  • the formulation of a proposal or intention by the department;
  • the making of a recommendation by the department;
  • the customer service provided by a public service employee of the department.​
​External review​A formal process conducted by an external review body to ensure that the department’s decision-making is fair and reasonable and that proper procedures are followed in making decisions including those from internal reviews.
​Internal review​A formal process conducted by appropriately trained departmental staff which seeks to establish whether the complaint management process in response to the original complaint was appropriate and/or the outcome reached was reasonable.

Related policies

Contact

For further information about this process, please contact: 

Manager, Policy, Projects and Administration​, Department of Education International


StateSchools - Rural, Remote and International Branch​

Phone: (07)35135754

Fax: (07) 3513 5783​

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Last reviewed 22 June 2017
Last updated 02 May 2018