Anyone can make a complaint about mental health and wellbeing services. You have the right to make a complaint and to have your concerns heard.

All feedback, including complaints, can help identify ways in which Homeplace Psychology and the mental health and wellbeing system can be improved.

Complaints can be made:

• directly to Homeplace Psychology. All complaints will be handled in accordance with this process for receiving, managing, and resolving complaints

• to an external method of review, including Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), National Health Practitioner Ombudsman and Privacy Commissioner, and the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission (the Commission).

To ensure efficiency:

• please provide specific details of the incident, conduct, or behaviour giving rise to the complaint.

• Homeplace Psychology will endeavour to respond to any complaints within two (2) business days of receipt. We are committed to resolve any complaints within 21 days where possible. If a complaint take longer than this to resolve, we will communicate this with you and let you know of our progress as we work to resolve the issue.

To ensure accessibility:

• You can phone 131 450 for Translating and Interpreting Service National should you need assistance with English to lodge a complaint. This service offers 24/7 support for over 120 languages and dialects.

How to make a complaint.

In the first instance, if you have a complaint about your therapist, consider talking about the issue with them directly. This may help to resolve your concerns and clarify any misunderstandings or to allow any grievances to be heard.

If you do not feel comfortable raising the issue with your therapist, are not satisfied with the response you receive, or are wanting to make a complaint about our administration services, you can lodge a complaint to our Director, Melissa Wyllie.

Complaints can be made over the phone or via email. We encourage complaints to be submitted in writing via email wherever possible.

You can contact our Director via our main administration: E: homeplacepsychology@gmail.com; Ph: 0409 759 844

If you are not satisfied with our handling of your complaint internally, or our internal process presents a conflict of interest, you are entitled to pursue an external method of review. Whist Homeplace Psychology is committed to resolving complaints within 21 days wherever possible, external reviews will have their own timelines.

External methods of review.

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)

AHPRA is the body responsible for implementing the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme, which regulates individual registered health practitioners across Australia.

AHPRA online complaints form: www.ahpra.gov.au/Notifications.aspx; Ph: 1300 419 495; www.ahpra.gov.au

National Health Practitioner Ombudsman and Privacy Commissioner

The Ombudsman handles complaints about the bodies responsible for implementing Australia’s national health practitioner regulation scheme. They ask that you first raise your concerns with the body that is the subject of your complaint (i.e., AHPRA) in order to provide them with an opportunity to resolve your concerns.

Ph: 1300 795 265; E: complaints@nhpopc.gov.au; Mailing Address: National Health Practitioner Ombudsman and Privacy Commissioner, Level 22, 50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission (the Commission)

The Commission is an independent statutory authority established to oversee the performance, quality, and safety of the mental health and wellbeing system and safeguard rights.

Ph: 1800 246 054; E: help@mhwc.vic.gov.au; www.mhwc.vic.gov.au; Mailing Address: Level 26, 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000