Welcome to QLife! We want to hear from you about your experience with QLife. Hearing back from people who use QLife helps us keep QLife safe and supportive. This information is about the ways you can share your thoughts, concerns, or complaints with us. It also explains what will happen once you share your feedback or complaint with us. Click HERE to see this information as a flow chart.
1. Who is this for?
This information is for anyone who has used the QLife service.
2. Why is it important?
We believe in your right to provide feedback or make a complaint about your experience with us. This information explains how you can do that and how we'll handle your feedback or complaints.
3. Definitions
Service User: This term refers to anyone using our services through telephone, webchat, or email.
Complaint: When you formally express dissatisfaction about our staff, volunteers, services, or products, which needs a response.
Complainant: The person expressing dissatisfaction with QLife to us or an external body.
Escalation: This is when we report complaints to relevant people in authority if needed.
Feedback: It's information that can be positive or constructively critical, helping us improve without requiring a formal investigation.
4. Our Commitment
- We encourage open communication
- We will inform you about our service standards,
- We will protect your right to provide feedback or complain, and make it easy to share your thoughts
- We will maintain your confidentiality
- We will support those making complaints.
- We take accountability and apologise when we get it wrong.
- We learn from feedback and complaints so we can be better.
5. Making a Complaint
You can complain verbally via a peer supporter, in writing, or through our online complaint or feedback forms. If you prefer anonymity, that's okay too. We take all complaints seriously, whether anonymous or not. If you’re making a complaint via a peer supporter, make sure to tell them you want it documented and sent to the national office.
Written complaints can also be posted to QLife c/ LGBTIQ+ Health Australia, Level 21, 233 Castlereagh Street Sydney NSW 20000, or emailed to ask@qlife.org.au
6. Receiving and Recording Complaints
We'll record all complaints, whether received via phone, webchat, email, or forms, and keep the details confidential. QLife is responsible for managing complaints.
7. Acknowledging Complaints
We acknowledge complaints within one week of receiving them. If you’ve sent your complaint after 3pm, or on a weekend, it will count as being sent the next business day. We'll determine who should handle the complaint and how they’ll do it.
If you’ve given us contact details, we’ll give you a reference number so you can follow up if you want to.
We’ll also give you a timeline and we aim to resolve complaints within one month. If it’s looking like we might need more time, we will explain the reasons why to you.
8. Assessing Complaints
We assess complaints to decide the appropriate response, considering factors like complexity and impact.
9. Investigating Complaints
Complaints may require investigation, either internally or externally, depending on their nature. We will try and keep you informed throughout the process. We might need to ask you some questions to get some more information to help us investigate. It’s okay if you don’t have all those answers.
10. Providing a Response and Resolution
Once the investigation is complete, we'll provide you with a written response, including the outcome and any actions taken. We aim to resolve complaints to your satisfaction.
11. Appeals and Reviews
If you're not satisfied, you can request a review by our Executive team. This could take an additional month. We'll notify you of the outcome. If still unsatisfied, you can seek external help.
12. Continuous Improvement
We regularly review our complaints process, seeking ways to improve and ensuring transparency.
13. Summary of Responsibilities
It's our responsibility to handle complaints effectively and fairly. QLife service delivery partner sites need to follow QLife’s national procedures and support investigations.
We are here to serve you better, and your feedback is crucial in helping us achieve that goal. Thank you for being a part of QLife!
