sec.279Process for resolving administrative action complaints— Act , s 250

sec.279 Process for resolving administrative action complaints— Act , s 250

This section provides, for section 250 (4) of the Act , the process for resolving complaints about administrative actions of the council made by affected persons. The council must adopt— a complaints management process that effectively manages complaints from their receipt to their resolution; and written policies and procedures supporting the complaints management process. A complaints management process is a process for resolving complaints about administrative actions of the council that— covers all administrative action complaints made to the council; and requires the council to quickly and efficiently respond to complaints in a fair and objective way; and includes the criteria considered when assessing whether to investigate a complaint; and requires the council to inform an affected person of the council’s decision about the complaint and the reasons for the decision, unless the complaint was made anonymously. The council must— record all administrative action complaints; and ensure the public may inspect the complaints management process (including the related policies and procedures) at the council’s public office and on its website; and ensure internal reports are occasionally provided to senior management about the operation of the complaints management process; and ensure mechanisms are in place to— identify, analyse and respond to complaint trends; and monitor the effectiveness of the complaints management process (by monitoring the time taken to resolve complaints, for example). To remove any doubt, it is declared that, in deciding if a complaint is an administrative action complaint, it is irrelevant— how quickly the complaint was resolved; or to which area of the council the complaint was made; or whether the complaint was a written or verbal complaint; or whether or not the complaint was made anonymously. Under section 179 , the council must include particular information relating to the complaints management process in the council’s annual report. (sec.279-ssec.1) This section provides, for section 250 (4) of the Act , the process for resolving complaints about administrative actions of the council made by affected persons. (sec.279-ssec.2) The council must adopt— a complaints management process that effectively manages complaints from their receipt to their resolution; and written policies and procedures supporting the complaints management process. (sec.279-ssec.3) A complaints management process is a process for resolving complaints about administrative actions of the council that— covers all administrative action complaints made to the council; and requires the council to quickly and efficiently respond to complaints in a fair and objective way; and includes the criteria considered when assessing whether to investigate a complaint; and requires the council to inform an affected person of the council’s decision about the complaint and the reasons for the decision, unless the complaint was made anonymously. (sec.279-ssec.4) The council must— record all administrative action complaints; and ensure the public may inspect the complaints management process (including the related policies and procedures) at the council’s public office and on its website; and ensure internal reports are occasionally provided to senior management about the operation of the complaints management process; and ensure mechanisms are in place to— identify, analyse and respond to complaint trends; and monitor the effectiveness of the complaints management process (by monitoring the time taken to resolve complaints, for example). (sec.279-ssec.5) To remove any doubt, it is declared that, in deciding if a complaint is an administrative action complaint, it is irrelevant— how quickly the complaint was resolved; or to which area of the council the complaint was made; or whether the complaint was a written or verbal complaint; or whether or not the complaint was made anonymously. Under section 179 , the council must include particular information relating to the complaints management process in the council’s annual report.