You might have already received a unique link via email to a survey that the Department of Health and Ageing (the department) is conducting. The department has commissioned Roy Morgan Research to learn more about what people know and think about aged care complaints.
To get a broad range of perspectives, surveys will be sent to a random selection of residential and community care service managers, care staff, care recipients and their family and friends, peak body organisations and stakeholders.
Survey responses will be used to improve communication between the department, consumers, providers and stakeholders. For example, what we learn will help us to understand what people know about aged care complaints, and identify any information gaps. This will inform the development of communication strategies for the aged care industry and consumers.
We want to assure you that Roy Morgan Research and the department will treat all feedback with the strictest confidence. No individual’s or organisation’s information will be published or distributed. Responses provided to the department by Roy Morgan Research will not contain information that could be used to link you with the answers you have given.
Roy Morgan Research has selected care services using a random sampling approach. The sample includes residential and community care services from all states and territories, in metro and rural areas.
If you are a service manager that has been asked to participate:
- Roy Morgan Research or your approved provider should have sent you a unique link to the survey.
- The link allows you to complete the survey online in your own time. The survey will take between 15 and 20 minutes to complete, depending on which questions you are directed to answer.
- You have until 21 August to submit the survey.
- You do not have to participate in the survey if you do not want to.
How will other surveys be conducted?
- A selection of service managers will be asked to distribute surveys to their staff or care recipients.
- A paper-based survey will be available for care staff and care recipients to complete, if they choose to participate in the research.
- They will be able to return the survey to Roy Morgan Research using a sealed reply paid postage envelope.
- Roy Morgan Research will call family and friends of care recipients to complete an interview over the telephone. They have the choice of participating in the research.
- Stakeholders such as peak body representatives have been asked to complete a survey online, in much the same way as service managers.
Roy Morgan Research has developed the survey in close consultation with the department. They have consulted with representatives of community and residential care, and industry and consumer groups. The questionnaires have also been tested with care managers, staff, recipients and their family and friends in residential and community care settings.
What now?
We want to hear what you have to say, and would very much appreciate your support during this process. Thank you in advance for your help.
If you have any questions regarding the survey, please contact the Roy Morgan Research team on 1800 659 596 or email agedcarehelp@roymorgan.com
Hi Colleen
Thanks for your comment, you’ve raised an important point.
Our staff across Australia have attended a number of training courses to help them manage complaints effectively, and use the new Complaints Principles and complaints management framework that come into effect next month. We will continue to support our staff with ...
... ongoing training and development.
Our staff are required under the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct to behave at all times in a way that upholds the APS Values. Our staff are also required to ensure the principles of fairness, responsiveness, efficiency, sound judgment, accessibility and accountability are applied to every case.
Our commitment to you will be fully explained in the Aged Care Complaints Scheme service charter, ‘Our Service Commitment’, which will be available soon.
If you are not satisfied at any stage of a complaint, or have any specific feedback about the way your complaint was handled, we encourage you to contact us and ask to speak to the complaints manager in your state or territory. Please call 1800 550 552 to get in touch with your nearest office.
The Complaints Scheme process is acceptable and in line with current management of complaints, my only concern is that at times the person manageing the complaint can behave in a manner which is unacceptable. Whilst I am aware the new process may eliminate some of this angst with behaviour it ...
... still relies on people being trained to approprialely manage complaints and conflict as this is often a very charged situation.