Feedback & Complaints
Feedback and Complaints Policy
We welcome feedback, suggestions, and complaints as opportunities to improve our service delivery.
1. Our Commitment
We welcome feedback, suggestions, and complaints as opportunities to improve our service delivery. We are committed to resolving issues fairly, efficiently, and confidentially. Making a complaint will never negatively impact the quality of care or support you receive from us.
2. How to Make a Complaint
Clients, family members, carers, or advocates can lodge a complaint. In the first instance, if you are unhappy with something in our therapy, please talk it through with the person involved if you are comfortable to do so in your next session. If this is too difficult, you can consider asking someone else you trust to come along with you. If this is too long to wait, or feels impossible, please email your concern to Therapie either at the admin email or the clinician name email.
These are options for contacting Therapie about a complaint:
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Verbal: Speak directly with your treating clinician.
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Email: Send your concerns to admin@therapie.com.au.
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Mail: Write to us at C/C Southcare Sheidow Park, 5 Commercial Road, Sheidow Park SA.
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Personal delivery: A letter can be passed on to the clinician from the front desk of Southcare Sheidow Park during office hours for the clinician to collect later.
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Anonymously: You may submit a written complaint without providing your name. Please note that anonymity may limit our ability to fully investigate or update you on the outcome.
3. Our 4-Step Resolution Process
We follow a clear, natural justice procedure to ensure all parties are treated fairly:
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Acknowledge: We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 5 business days if you provide a means and a preference for getting back in touch with you.
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Review & Assess: The Practice Manager or Supervisor will review the facts, documentation, and relevant clinical notes.
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Investigate: We aim to investigate all internal complaints within 5 to 15 business days (three weeks). If a delay occurs due to complexity, we will notify you immediately with an updated timeframe.
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Respond & Resolve: We will contact you to discuss our findings, offer an explanation or apology if appropriate, and outline what actions are being taken.
4. External Escalation Pathways
If you are unsatisfied with our internal review, or feel uncomfortable raising the issue directly with us, you have the right to contact external regulatory bodies:
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For professional conduct or clinical concerns: Contact the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) or the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia at 1300 419 495.
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For NDIS participants: Contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission at 1800 035 544.
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For State-Based Health Complaints: You can escalate the matter to the South Australian Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner (HCSCC) on 1800 232 007.
Complaints in a Medico-Legal Setting
If you have a complaint about a medico-legal occupational therapy (OT) assessment for court in Australia or are unhappy with the resulting report, handling the complaint requires navigating a specific set of rules. This is different to the usual requirements for dealing with complaints in a clinical setting in the general complaints process.
In Australia, medico-legal experts owe their primary duty to the court, not to the person being assessed. This means their reports must be entirely objective, unbiased, and independent. The pathways and general framework for handling these complaints in Australia depend on the exact nature of the issue.
1. Speak with the Legal Representative First
Before lodging any formal complaints, the client must speak directly to their instructing solicitor or lawyer.
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Correcting factual errors: If the report contains objective factual inaccuracies (e.g., wrong birth date, incorrect date of accident, misquoted medical history), the lawyer can request an amendment or an addendum from the provider.
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Challenging the opinion: If the client simply disagrees with the expert's medical/functional opinion, the lawyer can decide how to address this in court (e.g., through cross-examination, requesting a supplementary report, or seeking a second independent opinion from another provider).
2. Internal Provider Complaints Policy
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The Process: The client's lawyer can submit a formal internal complaint directly to the clinician at Therapie involved.
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Timeline: The complaint will be acknowledged within 2 to 5 business days. An internal review or investigation is then conducted by a clinical director or manager. De-identified Supervision may be sought by the clinician.
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Outcome: The clinician will issue a written response outlining their findings. Please note that a provider will rarely alter a clinical opinion unless it is shown to violate their code of conduct or scientific methodology.
3. Escalating to Statutory Authorities
If the issue involves unprofessional conduct, breach of privacy, or unethical behavior, the client can escalate the complaint externally.
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AHPRA & The Occupational Therapy Board of Australia: If the client believes the occupational therapist acted unprofessionally, lacked the required competency, or breached ethical guidelines, they can lodge a "notification" through the AHPRA Concerns Portal. Note that AHPRA does not have the power to change the contents of a court report or force a provider to change their opinion.
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State Health Care Complaints Body: The matter can be escalated to the South Australian Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner (HCSCC) on 1800 232 007.
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The NDIS Commission (If applicable): If the court matter relates to an Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) appeal for NDIS funding and the provider is NDIS-registered, the complaint can be lodged directly via the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.