Service Charter

We will provide our services to anyone who needs them. 

We will provide our services for free.

We will thoroughly consider all the information provided to us without taking sides.

We will record and analyse information gathered through our services to achieve our purpose.

We will publicly share information about our work and be accountable for our performance.
 

We cannot provide legal advice or act as an advocate.

When we receive a complaint to the Ombudsman, we cannot force Ahpra, a National Board or an accreditation organisation to change its decision order that compensation be paid.
 

We will use our statutory powers responsibly and when required.

We will respond in a fair and proportionate way to identified issues in line with our publicly available policies and the law.

We will make suggestions or recommendations for improvement to address identified systemic issues requiring remedy.

We will not compromise our independence or impartiality.

We will not let challenging subject matter prevent us from listening to and considering all perspectives.

We will clearly communicate how we can assist and what the next steps are for each matter.

We will provide regular updates about a complaint or application.

We will allow reasonable contact with the staff member managing your complaint or application.

We will answer questions and queries to the best of our abilities.

We will provide referral information wherever possible to help ensure the most appropriate body considers the concerns raised.

We will not consider matters outside our jurisdiction. We cannot accept complaints about the Health Care Complaints Commissioner or the Health Professionals Council Authority in New South Wales, or the Office of the Health Ombudsman in Queensland.

We will not restrict access to our services unless it is a necessary response to unreasonable conduct. We will not leave complainants without any means of contacting us unless there is a significant risk posed to the health or safety of our staff or another individual.
 

We will treat everyone with courtesy and respect.

We will assist people of all backgrounds, genders, sexualities, cultures, bodies and abilities.

We will carefully consider concerns and clarify whether we have understood the issues raised.

We will use our training to provide professional and empathetic services.

We will respond to unreasonable conduct reasonably and proportionately.

We will not share confidential or personal information for a reason other than the purpose it was collected for, or unless consent is given or it is required by law.

We will not tolerate any abusive, aggressive, threatening, discriminatory or offensive remarks, including about an individual’s age, gender, sexual preference, religion, race, ethnicity, nationality or disability. This conduct may result in our placing limitations or conditions on access to certain services to support staff health and safety.
 

We will make it easy to access our services and to understand our processes.

We will explain which issues we will consider and which issues are out of our scope.

We will provide clear reasons for our decisions at every stage of the complaint or FOI review process.

We will not make an unfavourable comment or decision about an agency without providing them with an opportunity to respond.

We will not finalise an investigation or final FOI review determination without providing the parties with an opportunity to respond to our proposed decision or preliminary view.