03 9705 8739
Making a complaint
Younique ELC is committed to listening to you and responding to your concerns.
Feedback from families, educators, staff and the wider community is fundamental in creating an evolving Childcare Service working towards the highest standard of care and education. Please refer to our Code of conducts (staff and families)
It is foreseeable that feedback will include divergent views, which may result in complaints. Families, educators, staff and the wide community can lodge a grievance or complaint with management in the understanding that it will be managed conscientiously and confidentially.
To understand our process of handling complaints, please refer to our
Complaints about child safety: Please refer to our policies
Child Safe Policy NQF VIC.docx
Child Protection Policy NQF VIC.docx
EarlyChildhood_ReportingTemplate.pdf (Report form)
Last reviewed Aug 2022
Dealing with Complaints/Grievance Procedure
Discuss with our educators
Families are encouraged to contact their children's educator directly to make an appointment to discuss the complaint or grievance and raise your concerns. Complaints should be discussed privately and at an appropriate time. If families feel uncomfortable approaching the educator directly, we encourage you to fill making a complaint form to arrange a meeting.
Discuss with the Service Management
If families/staff/volunteers/students or others feel uncomfortable approaching the educator directly, we encourage you to fill making a complaint form to arrange a meeting or any method that suits your preferences. You will be contacted within 24 hours of receiving the grievance or complaint.
Complaint handling person: Yaya Bonggotgetsakul
Email: info@youniqueelc.com.au Tel: 03 9705 8739
Upon receipt of a complaint/feedback and reporting system
Management and educators will adhere to our Privacy and Confidentiality Policy n conducting an investigation into complaints and grievances. However, if a complaint or grievance involves a staff member or a child protection issue, we will notify the regulatory authority of any incident where there is a reasonable belief that physical and/ or sexual abuse of a child has occurred or is occurring at the service, or any allegation that sexual or physical abuse of a child has occurred or is occurring at the service. More information, please refer to our Child protection policy and responding to incidents, disclosures and suspicions of child abuse or harm in Victoria). We also record disclosure of harm or suspicious of harm.
Child Care Subsidy (CCS) complaints
Families who wish to raise concerns regarding the management of Child Care Subsidy (CCS) should speak with the Director (Yaya Bonggotgetsakul) in the first instance. Families can raise concerns regarding management of the CCS to the dedicated Child Care Tip-Off Line either via phone or email: Phone: 1800 664 231 Email: tipoffline@education.gov.au
Investigating the complaint
We will begin an investigation of the complaint/grievance/feedback by:
1) reviewing the circumstances and facts of the compliant (or breach) and inviting all affected parties to provide information where appropriate and pertinent
2) discussing the nature of the complaint (or breach) and giving the accused educator, staff member, volunteer, or visitor an opportunity to respond
3) permitting the accused person to have a support person present during the consultation (for example: Union Representative or family member)
4) providing the employee with a clear written statement outlining the outcome of the investigation
Note: Record in complaint/grievance investigation guide and form and Code of Conduct will be adhered at all time.
Evaluation of the investigation
Management (we) will advise the complainant and all affected parties of the outcome within 7 working days of receiving the verbal or written complaint or grievance. We will provide a written response outlining the outcome and provide a copy to all parties involved. All parties will ensure the outcomes accurately reflects the resolution and sign in agreeance. We will monitor ongoing behaviour and provide support as required, and ensure the parties are protected from victimisation and bullying.
Keeping records of complaints and feedback
Management (we) will keep appropriate records of the investigation and outcome and store these records in accordance with out Privacy and Confidentiality Policy and Record Keeping and Retention Policy. We will request feedback on the compliant or grievance process using a feedback form and review the effectiveness of the service policy and procedures to ensure all complaints and grievances have been handled fairly and professionally. We will track complaints to identify recurring issues within the Service through the Complaints Register.
Complaints that must be notified to Regulatory Authority
The Approved Provider or Nominated Supervisor will notify the regulatory authority through the online NQA ITS and ACECQA
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within 24 hours of any complaints alleging that a serious incident has occurred or is occurring while a child was or is at the service
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within 24 hours of any complaints that the National Law has been breached
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within 7 days of any allegation that physical or sexual abuse of a child has occurred or is occurring while the child is at the service.
Note: Serious incidents include:
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the death of a child at the service or following an incident at the Service
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any incident involving a serious injury or trauma to a child at the service which a reasonable person would say required urgent attention from a medical practitioner, or the child attended or should have attended a hospital eg broken limb
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any incident involving serious illness of a child at the service where the child attended, or should have attended, a hospital eg severe asthma attack, seizure or anaphylaxis.
This does not include treatment at a hospital for non-serious injury, illness or trauma in cases where a General Practitioner consults from a hospital eg in rural and remote areas
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any emergency where emergency services attended ie there was an imminent or severe risk to the health, safety or wellbeing of a person at the service. It does not include incidents where emergency services attended as a precaution
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a child is missing or cannot be accounted for at the service
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a child has been taken from the service by someone not authorised to do this
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a child is mistakenly locked in or locked out of the service.
A serious injury, illness or trauma includes:
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amputation
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epileptic seizures
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anaphylactic reaction requiring urgent
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head injuries
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asthma requiring urgent hospitalisation
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measles
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Broken bone/fractures
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meningococcal infection
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bronchiolitis
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sexual assault
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burns
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witnessing violence or a frightening event
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diarrhoea requiring urgent hospitalisation