Handling Complaints

We provide a high-quality service and are committed to using all feedback, including complaints, to improve our service and ensure the best care for our clients. Complaints will be handled in accordance with this policy. A copy of this policy is available on request.

Any person may make a complaint. You have the right to make a complaint and to have your concerns heard.

Your complaint will be handled with fairness and efficiency. We will maintain impartiality, confidentiality and transparency when we manage any complaints.

Efficiency

To enable the timely consideration of a complaint, specific details of the incident, conduct or behaviour giving rise to the complaint should be provided.

We are committed to respond to any complaints within two business days of receipt. We are committed to resolve any complaints within 30 days where possible. If a complaint takes longer than this to resolve, we will communicate this with you and let you know of our progress as we work to resolve the issue.

Accessibility

If you need assistance with English to lodge a complaint, you can telephone 131 450 for Translating and Interpreting Service National, which offers 24/7 support for over 120 languages and dialects.

How To Make a Complaint

Step 1: Raise the issue with your therapist where possible: In the first instance, if you are making a complaint about your therapist, consider bringing the issue up directly with your therapist. This may help to resolve your concerns and clarify any misunderstandings or to allow any grievances to be heard. If you are wanting to make a complaint about any aspect of our intake process or administration service, please see step 2 below.

Step 2: Lodge a written or telephone complaint via Reception: If you prefer not to raise the issue directly with your therapist, are not satisfied with the response you receive, or are wanting to make a complaint about our administration services, you can lodge a complaint to our Director, Miss Amelia-Rose Read. If the Director is unavailable, the Practice Manager will respond. Complaints can be made over the phone or via email. We encourage complaints, where possible, to be submitted in writing via email.

You can contact our main administration via the contact details below:

Email: info@ameliareadpsychology.com.au

Telephone: (+61) 0420 211 470

We are committed to working with you to resolve your complaint.

Step 3: External review. If you are not satisfied with our handling of your complaint internally, or our internal process presents a conflict of interest, you are entitled to pursue an external method of review. These methods include:

• Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

  • AHPRA online complaints form: www.ahpra.gov.au/About-AHPRA/Complaints.aspx

  • Telephone: 1300 419 495

  • Website: www.ahpra.gov.au

• National Health Practitioner Ombudsman and Privacy Commissioner: The Ombudsman deals with complaints about the bodies responsible for implementing Australia’s national health practitioner regulation scheme. They ask that you first raise your concerns with the body that is the subject of your complaint (for example, AHPRA) in order to provide them with an opportunity to resolve your concerns.

  • Telephone: 1300 795 265

  • Email: complaints@nhpopc.gov.au

  • Mailing Address: National Health Practitioner Ombudsman and Privacy Commissioner Level 22, 50 Lonsdale Street Melbourne, Victoria, 3000

While we are committed to resolving complaints within 30 days whenever possible, external reviews will have their own timeframes.