Responding to complaints from people with impaired capacity—Part 2: The Office of the Public Guardian

Tabled Report 14: 2020–21

Tabled date

2021-02-16

Report year

2020-21

Community welfare

Entities audited

Not identified in the published HTML audit scope.

Recommendations

1. QAO's text Addressed to: the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG)

   measures and monitors complaint response times and reports regularly on how many complaints are finalised within target time frames

2. QAO's text Addressed to: the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG)

   makes its complaints management system easier to use, by

   • making information clear and easy to understand with alternative language or using video, audio, or graphics
   • offering an online complaint form

3. QAO's text Addressed to: the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG)

   makes the Complaints Management Policy and Procedure easier to understand

4. QAO's text Addressed to: the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG)

   ensures all complaints received are recorded accurately and on time, including complaints received and resolved at a local level.

   To do this, OPG should

   • clearly define all data fields in the complaints management system so that staff understand their use and purpose
   • provide staff with specific guidance and training on recognising and assessing complaints, and recording them in the system
   • carry out quality assurance checks and record the results, to make sure staff manage complaints appropriately and record the complaint accurately

5. QAO's text Addressed to: the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG)

   improve complaints management training and support for staff including

   • targeted training in handling complaints from clients with impaired decision-making capacity
   • finalising and implementing its internal complaints management procedure to provide staff with better guidance and support
   • reviewing training effectiveness to ensure it meets both organisational and staff needs

6. QAO's text Addressed to: the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG)

   improves system and process effectiveness, by

   • seeking client feedback on complaints handling
   • developing better data to identify issues and to inform improvement
   • measuring and reporting on performance.

Authoritative report — Queensland Audit Office

Report PDF on QAO