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Complaints & Help – Disability Services

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Complaints about the Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors

If you believe any decision made was improper, you may make a complaint. Complaints can be made in regard to:

  • A decision the department has made or not made
  • The service the department has provided or not provided
  • A service that is funded by the department
  • The behavior of the department’s employees
  • An act or practice of the department in relation to the individual’s personal information that may be a breach of the department’s obligation under the Information Privacy Act.

A complaint about a decision or action of the Department must be made no later than 12 months after the complainant was notified or made aware of the decision or action. Complaints made outside this time period will only be reviewed if the department considers that exceptional circumstances warrant consideration of the out-of-time complaint.

If you are unhappy with how they have handled your complaint, you can request that their Complaints Unit reviews the process. If following this review you are still unhappy with the outcome, you can contact the Queensland Ombudsman to request an independent review.

For more information click here

How do I make a complaint?

If you wish to make a complaint, there are some steps you can take to help the department help you:

  1. Go local first—it is important that you approach your local Disability Services Queensland office first. In most instances, local office staff will be able to quickly and directly resolve your complaint.
  2. Act promptly—please tell the department about the problem as soon as possible. The earlier you tell them the sooner they can act.
  3. Get clear about your complaint—write down everything relevant to the issue in the order in which things happened. Make sure you include a description of what happened, dates and details of phone calls, letters or meetings. State the outcome you are seeking or the action you want the department to take.
  4. Make your complaint – You can make a complaint by sending an email or letter, or by speaking to any Disability Services Queensland staff member or Complaints and Prevention Unit (CPU) staff member. If you feel that you cannot complain to an officer in your local area or region, a CPU complaints officer in the department’s central office in Brisbane is available to help. If they cannot help you with your complaint, the department will give you advice about where to get help.

Reviewing Department Decisions

You may apply for a Judicial Review of the decision by initiating proceedings in the Supreme Court of Qld. For more information click here

The Queensland Ombudsman can also help if you are unhappy with the outcome or the way your complaint was handled.

Service Provider Complaints

If you are unhappy with the service provided by your service provider, under the Department you are entitled to make a complaint under the Disability Services Act 2006. Your complaint can be made anonymously if you wish. To make a complaint you should contact your Local Disability Service Centre about the issue or:

When they receive a complaint relating to a funded non-government service provider, the matter is usually dealt with in cooperation with the service provider and the complainant. In some cases, a complaint issue may also mean a possible breach of the Act. Where this is the case, authorised officers may continue the investigation.

Help for Lodging Complaints

There are a range of advocacy options for support if you have issues with your disability service provider.

  • PWDA (People with Disability Australia) offers Individual & Group Advocacy Services to provide support to people with disability living in five regions in Queensland with locally based Advocates in Logan, the Fraser Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Bundaberg, Mount Isa and Lower Gulf Communities.
  • Disability Abuse Hotline exists to provide support to you or someone you may care for to report abuse and neglect of people with disability.
    • Phone: 1800 880 052
  • QAI – Queensland Advocacy Incorporated offer advocacy for people with a cognitive disability or mental illness
Discalimer: Every effort is made to ensure that the information provided in this guide is correct. ADA Australia and Legal Aid Queensland accept no responsibility for any liability that may arise from the use of the information provided in this guide.