When I'm at work: Solving complaints - Trainer's guide
Chapters
Topic 5
- Who else can help me with my complaint?
- What you will need
- What learners will need
- Learning objectives
- Delivering the session
- Jackie's story
What you will need
You will need:
- this trainer's guide
- the workplace's complaints policies and procedures
- Disability Services Standards in Easy English
- computer/data projector to play the CD-ROM
- whiteboard or butcher's paper to record responses
- whiteboard markers or felt-tipped markers.
It is vital that everyone's viewpoints are valued and comments are allowed to be made in an open discussion. You will need to focus on issues relating to the learning objectives of the topic.
Your preparation should include knowing your organisation's policies and procedures in relation to complaints. You should also be familiar with the Disability Services Standards (particularly Standard 7 that concerns complaints).
What learners will need
Learners will need:
- their learner's workbook
- something to write with.
Learning objectives
After taking part in this topic, learners should be able to describe:
- how other people or services can help with complaints.
Delivering the session
- Welcome the learners and explain what the session is about.
- Show the slides 'When I'm at work: Solving complaints', 'Topic 5', and 'Points for Topic 5'.
- Ask learners the following questions, to reinforce prior learning.
- Does your workplace have to give you information about how you make a complaint?
- Should your workplace provide training for you about how to make a complaint properly?
- Who should you talk to first if you are not sure what to do?
- Discuss with learners instances when complaints will not be able to be resolved by the workplace's complaints process, for example, if the complaint you are making is about the workplace itself or if the complaint is related to someone or something outside your workplace.
- Explain to learners that, even then, there are people who can help.
- Show the two slides 'Getting help from other people or services'.
- Talk about 'advocacy' – what it means and when it is appropriate or necessary for learners to engage an advocate in the complaint process.
- Show the slide 'Focus questions'.
Focus questions
- Should your workplace give you information about how you make a complaint?
- Should your workplace provide training for you about how to make a complaint?
- What can an advocate do to help you?
- What does the Complaints Resolution and Referral Service (CRRS) do?
- Can the CRRS tell anyone else about the information that you give to them?
- What can the Australian National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline help you with?
- What do the people at the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission look after for you?
Jackie's story
Show the slide 'Jackie's story'. Ask learners to watch and listen to Jackie's story. Replay the story if you need to.
Discussion questions
Discuss the following questions about Jackie's story with learners.
- What is the main problem leading to Jackie's complaint?
- Who should Jackie first go to for help with her problem?
- What are some questions Jackie needs to ask herself before she makes a complaint?
- If the workplace cannot help Jackie, who else can she talk to about her complaint?
Show the slide 'Workbook activities'.
Debrief questions and workbook activities
Debrief Jackie's story by discussing these questions with learners. They highlight the issues that this particular story has raised in relation to complaints. They also reinforce the focus questions of this scenario.
After you have discussed each debrief question with learners, ask learners to write their responses in their workbooks, in the spaces provided. Responses can be made in any format, for example in writing or in pictorial form. Learners are free to express themselves in whatever ways they want to.
Explain to learners that the workbooks are their own records of the information that they need in relation to complaints in the workplace. There is no compulsion for learners to provide their own responses if it is not appropriate to do so.
Here are the debrief questions for discussion.
- Where can you get help if you think you are not getting a fair go at your workplace?
- Where can you get help if you want to make a complaint about anything to someone outside your work?
- Should you always talk things over first with your supervisor or a friend or co-worker who you trust?
- How can an advocate help to fix your problem?
- What did you learn from Jackie's story?
- What would you do if this happened to you?