In his second report on how the Queensland guardianship and administration system responds to complaints made by adults with impaired decision-making capacity, Auditor-General, Brendon Worrall has focused on the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG).
The Auditor-General’s report found that neither the Office of the Public Guardian nor the Public Trustee of Queensland had properly designed their complaints management systems for people with impaired capacity.
“Their systems are not easy enough to understand or navigate,” Mr Worrall said.
“This could limit people’s ability to make a complaint,” he said.
“Neither entity has evaluated their complaints management systems to see if they meet client needs and expectations.”
He said it should be easy for people to understand how and where to make a complaint “but it is not”.
“The various systems and points of access to Government services make it confusing, unclear, and complex to navigate” the Auditor-General said.
He said that among his recommendations was that the OPG measure and monitor complaint response times and report regularly on how many complaints were finalised within target time frames.
Mr Worrall said the OPG should make its complaints management system easier to use by making information clear and easy to understand with alternative language or using video, audio, or graphics.
He said it should also ensure all complaints received were recorded accurately and on time, including complaints received and resolved at a local level.
The OPG should also improve complaints management training and support for staff, including targeted training in handling complaints from clients with impaired decision-making capacity, he said.
The Auditor-General’s 32-page report can be accessed at this PS News link.
