AUSTRALIA | Commonwealth Ombudsman publishes guidance for complaint handlers on dealing with risks of harm

The Commonwealth Ombudsman of Australia published internal guidance for dealing with complainants who are considering harming themselves or others. Many organisations do not have their own internal policies and procedures for handling these situations.

The Guidance for complaint handlers on dealing with risks of harm is a short, practical guide with step-by-step instructions, suggested wording for questions and responses, templates for recording calls, and advice on caring for staff involved in speaking with distressed or threatening complainants. The guide deals face-to-face complaint handling as well as phone-based complaint handling.

This better practice guide is suitable for any organisation to use and is publicly available via the Commonwealth Ombudsman website here.

Source: Commonwealth Ombudsman of Australia