NDIS Complaints Management: Turning Feedback Into Better Practice
- Joanne Devine
- Jul 7
- 9 min read
Information current as at 7 July 2026
A complaint is not fully handled simply because a register has been marked “resolved.”
Effective NDIS complaints management should show what concern was raised, how the person was supported, what information was considered, what action was taken, how the outcome was communicated and whether the provider learned anything that should improve future service delivery.
All NDIS providers are expected to have effective complaint-handling practices. Registered providers must maintain a complaints management and resolution system that is appropriate to the size of their organisation and the complexity of the supports they deliver.
This guide explains how providers can create a complaint process that is accessible, fair, clearly documented and useful for continuous improvement.
What Effective NDIS Complaints Management Should Achieve
A complaints process should do more than protect the provider administratively.
It should help people with disability feel safe to raise concerns, understand what will happen next and remain informed and involved while the matter is considered.
The NDIS Commission states that complaint processes should support people with disability to make complaints safely. They should include accessible ways to submit concerns, allow anonymous complaints and explain how complaints will be managed, recorded, resolved or referred elsewhere when required.
A practical system should help the provider:
Receive complaints through accessible channels
Respond promptly to immediate safety concerns
Acknowledge the person’s experience
Understand the concern and desired outcome
Apply procedural fairness
Record decisions and actions
Communicate outcomes clearly
Identify recurring issues
Improve policies, training and service delivery
The process should also explain how a participant can complain directly to the provider, contact the NDIS Commission or seek assistance from an advocate. Registered providers are expected to give participants information about internal and external complaint options.
A Complaint Is Not the Same as Negative Feedback
Feedback can include compliments, suggestions, concerns and complaints.
A participant may say:
“I would prefer workers to send me a text before arriving.”
This may be feedback about communication preferences rather than a formal complaint.
Another participant may say:
“My worker repeatedly arrives without warning, even though I have asked the service to contact me first.”
This may require a more formal response, particularly if the concern has continued after being raised.
Providers should avoid forcing people to use formal or legal language before taking their concern seriously. The important question is not whether the person used the word complaint. It is whether they have expressed dissatisfaction, raised a concern about support quality or safety, or asked the provider to take action.
Complaint information can help providers understand what matters to participants and identify ways to improve the quality of supports.
Complaints and Incidents May Overlap
A complaint may reveal an incident, safeguarding concern or risk that requires action beyond the complaints process.
For example, a participant may complain that:
A worker handled them roughly
Medication support was missed
Personal information was shared without permission
They were left without an essential support
A worker used threatening or degrading language
An injury or near miss was not reported
Where an event has caused—or could have caused—harm during NDIS support delivery, the provider may also need to activate its incident-management, escalation or reportable-incident processes.
NDIS incidents must be identified, assessed, recorded, managed and resolved while ensuring the participant feels safe, respected and informed.
A complaints record should not be used as a substitute for:
An incident report
Immediate safeguarding action
Mandatory external notification
Contacting emergency services
Referral to police or another authority
A worker performance or disciplinary process
Sometimes several records and processes will be required for the same matter.
A Practical Seven-Step Complaint Process
1. Receive the concern safely
The first response can influence whether the person feels comfortable continuing with the complaint.
Workers receiving a concern should:
Listen without becoming defensive
Thank the person for raising it
Avoid arguing or dismissing the concern
Check whether immediate safety action is required
Ask how the person would prefer to communicate
Explain what will happen next
Record the concern accurately
A person should not be threatened, discouraged or treated unfavourably because they raised a complaint. The NDIS Commission states that providers need to create an environment where people can share concerns without fear.
2. Acknowledge the complaint
Acknowledgement does not mean admitting fault before the matter has been reviewed.
It means confirming that:
The complaint has been received
The provider understands the main concern
The matter will be considered
The person knows who is responsible for responding
Any expected timeframe has been explained
The acknowledgement should use the person’s preferred communication method wherever practical.
For some participants, this may require:
Plain English
Easy Read information
An interpreter
Augmentative or alternative communication
Assistance from a nominee, advocate or trusted person
Additional time to understand and respond
3. Clarify what the person wants
Do not assume that every complainant wants the same outcome.
A person may want:
An explanation
An apology
A different worker
Correction of inaccurate information
A change to their support arrangements
Assurance that the issue will not happen again
Staff training
Reimbursement or correction of an invoice
The concern referred to another organisation
The NDIS Commission describes the Four A’s commonly sought through complaint resolution:
Acknowledgement
Answers
Action
Apology
The requested outcome may not always be possible, but understanding it helps the provider respond meaningfully.
4. Assess and investigate fairly
The response should be proportionate to the nature and seriousness of the complaint.
The person handling the matter may need to:
Review service records
Speak with the participant
Seek information from relevant workers
Review rosters, messages or agreements
Consider policies and procedures
Identify immediate or ongoing risks
Obtain specialist advice
Refer the matter to an external body
Procedural fairness means the complainant has a reasonable opportunity to explain the concern and the complaint is not dismissed based on information they have not had an opportunity to address. Workers who may be adversely affected by a decision should also be informed of relevant allegations and given an appropriate opportunity to respond.
Investigations should remain factual, confidential and free from predetermined conclusions.
5. Decide what action is required
Actions may include:
Providing an explanation
Correcting a record
Apologising
Changing a support arrangement
Reviewing a risk assessment
Providing additional supervision
Updating a policy or form
Delivering staff training
Referring the matter externally
Commencing a worker-management process
Monitoring the issue for a defined period
Each action should identify:
What will be done
Who is responsible
When it is due
How completion will be confirmed
Whether the participant needs to be updated
Writing “staff reminded” may be too vague. A stronger action record would identify what instruction was provided, to whom, when it occurred and whether further follow-up is required.
6. Communicate the outcome
The outcome should be explained clearly and respectfully.
Where appropriate, communicate:
What was reviewed
The provider’s findings
The reasons for the decision
Actions already completed
Actions still outstanding
Any changes to supports
Available review or escalation options
How to contact the NDIS Commission
The person making the complaint—and the affected participant if they are different people—should be involved and updated about decisions and actions.
Avoid marking a complaint as closed before the agreed actions have been completed or responsibility for them has been formally transferred.
7. Follow up and learn
A complaint may be resolved for the individual person but still reveal a wider organisational issue.
After completing the immediate response, ask:
Has the participant received the agreed outcome?
Are any actions overdue?
Has the issue happened before?
Could other participants be affected?
Does a form, policy or procedure need updating?
Do workers need further instruction or training?
Was the complaint process accessible?
Did the participant feel safe and informed?
Has the change actually improved practice?
Registered providers are expected to regularly review complaint policies, procedures and complaint outcomes, seek participant views on accessibility and incorporate feedback across the organisation. Workers must also be aware of and trained in complaint-handling procedures.
What Should a Complaint Record Include?
The level of detail will depend on the nature and complexity of the matter. A structured complaint record may include:
Complaint details
Date received
Method received
Name and contact details, where provided
Whether the complaint is anonymous
Participant affected
Relationship of the complainant to the participant
Communication preferences
Support or advocacy requested
Description of the concern
What was reported
Dates, locations and people involved
The person’s own words where relevant
Desired outcome
Whether the matter has previously been raised
Initial assessment
Immediate safety concerns
Risk level
Urgent actions taken
Whether an incident report is required
Whether external referral or notification is required
Person assigned to manage the complaint
Review and investigation
Records examined
People consulted
Information received
Procedural-fairness steps
Relevant policies or agreements
Findings and reasons
Outcome and follow-up
Decision
Actions required
Responsible person
Due dates
Communication with the participant
Referral or review options
Date actions were completed
Whether further monitoring is required
Improvement opportunity identified
Closure date
Only information relevant to the complaint and the provider’s responsibilities should be recorded. Complaint records should be stored securely and accessed only by authorised people.
Poor and Stronger Complaint Records
Poor example
Participant complained about a worker. Manager spoke with everyone. Matter resolved.
This record does not explain:
What concern was raised
Whether anyone was at risk
What information was reviewed
How the participant was involved
What action was taken
How the decision was reached
Whether the participant received the outcome
What “resolved” means
Stronger example
On 3 July 2026, the participant reported that a worker had arrived without prior notice on three occasions despite a documented preference for text-message confirmation. The participant requested that workers provide notice before attending. The complaint was acknowledged by email on the same day. The service agreement, communication profile and roster messages were reviewed. The worker confirmed that they had not checked the participant’s communication preference before the visits. The participant was advised of the findings on 5 July 2026 and agreed to the proposed actions. The communication preference was added to the rostering alert, the worker completed a supervision discussion, and the team received a reminder about checking participant communication requirements before attendance. The coordinator will contact the participant after four weeks to confirm whether the new process is working.
This record is stronger because it shows:
The specific concern
The participant’s requested outcome
Information considered
The provider’s findings
Actions taken
Participant involvement
Follow-up responsibility
Turning Complaints Into Continuous Improvement
One complaint may relate to an individual misunderstanding. Several similar complaints may indicate a system problem.
Providers can review complaint data by considering:
Type of complaint
Service or location
Time or shift
Worker role
Communication issue
Missed or delayed support
Privacy concern
Billing concern
Participant rights concern
Recurring cause
Resolution time
Overdue actions
The purpose is not to identify which participant “complains most.” The purpose is to identify whether the organisation’s systems are creating repeated concerns.
For example:
Complaint pattern | Possible improvement response |
Workers arriving without notice | Update communication alerts and worker instructions |
Participants unsure how to complain | Improve accessible complaint information |
Delayed responses | Assign clear responsibility and escalation timeframes |
Repeated invoice questions | Review service agreements and invoice descriptions |
Complaints about worker communication | Provide targeted training and supervision |
Missing follow-up actions | Introduce an action register and due-date reminders |
Continuous improvement should be documented. Record:
What pattern was identified
What change was approved
Who is responsible
When it will be implemented
How effectiveness will be checked
Whether participants were consulted
Training Workers to Receive Complaints
Workers do not all need to investigate complaints, but they should know how to receive and escalate them appropriately.
Training should cover:
How to respond calmly
How to avoid defensiveness
Participant rights
Confidentiality
Accessible communication
Anonymous complaints
Immediate safety concerns
Objective record keeping
Internal escalation
External complaint avenues
Advocacy options
Protection from retaliation
Scenario-based training can be more useful than asking workers only to read a policy.
For example, ask workers to practise responding to:
“I don’t want that worker coming back.”
A suitable initial response might be:
“Thank you for telling me. I’m sorry you have had this experience. Are you safe now, and would you like support to explain what happened or have someone you trust involved?”
The worker should then follow the organisation’s escalation and recording procedures.
Practical Documentation Resources
Providers developing or reviewing their systems may find the following editable resources useful as starting points.
This template provides a structure for documenting complaint responsibilities, processes, resolution steps and feedback management. It should be reviewed and customised to reflect the provider’s actual services and procedures.
The register provides a structured place to track complaints, actions, outcomes and management review. A register supports oversight but does not replace the detailed complaint record or investigation documents.
This editable form can help services collect participant feedback and identify potential improvements. Providers should ensure participants can also give feedback through other accessible formats and communication methods.
Explore further NDIS documentation resources through WorkSmart Templates
NDIS Complaints Management Checklist
Before closing a complaint, confirm:
The concern has been accurately recorded
Immediate safety issues were addressed
The complaint was acknowledged
The person’s desired outcome was discussed
Communication needs were considered
Relevant records and information were reviewed
Procedural fairness was applied
Required referrals or escalations occurred
The decision and reasons were documented
The outcome was communicated accessibly
Actions have responsible people and due dates
Outstanding actions are being monitored
The participant knows their external options
Any incident-management requirements were completed
Improvement opportunities were considered
Follow-up has been scheduled where appropriate
Final Thoughts
A good complaints system is not designed to make complaints disappear.
It is designed to help people speak safely, help providers respond fairly and turn concerns into better practice.
Clear NDIS complaints management creates an accountable record from the first concern through to the outcome and follow-up. It also gives providers useful information about whether their policies, training and everyday service delivery are working as intended.
The most important closing question is not:
“Has the complaint been marked resolved?”
It is:
“Has the concern been addressed, communicated and used to improve the service?”
Disclaimer
This article provides general administrative and operational information only. It does not constitute legal, regulatory, clinical, privacy or professional advice. Providers should review current NDIS Commission requirements, applicable legislation, registration conditions and their own professional advice when developing complaint-management systems.
