Complaints Policy

One of our core values as an organisation is that we are responsive. The aim of our Complaints Policy is to ensure that our complaints handling process reflects the importance we place on listening and responding to concerns and complaints from our supporters, partners and the communities we serve.

We will address all complaints in an equitable, fair and unbiased manner using evidence submitted by both the person making the complaint and our staff and volunteers. We will observe strict confidentiality in complaint handling and ensure that the process is as accessible as possible to all complainants.

For more information, please refer to our full Complaints Policy.

 

How do I make a complaint?

You can make a complaint in the following ways:

  • Use this form.
  • Call us on 13 32 40 (within Australia). Our phones are open 9am-5pm AEDT Monday-Friday.
  • Email us at service@worldvision.com.au.
  • Chat with us online between 9am-5pm AEDT Monday-Friday.
  • Write to us at these addresses:

Postal address: GPO Box 9944, Melbourne, VIC 3001

Street address: 1 Vision Drive, Burwood East, VIC 3151

  • Speak to one of our team members at our stands in shopping centres or at public events.
  • Complaints relating to a breach of either the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) Fundraising Charter or ACFID Code of Conduct can be made to the ACFID Code of Conduct Committee.

Please note that our office hours in Australia are 9am-5pm AEDT Monday-Friday.

We are also able to receive complaints via other World Vision offices around the world. The World Vision International website includes the Ethics Point webpage and the World Vision International Integrity and Protection Hotline. This is a confidential, password enabled system for complaints and follow-up that is escalated globally to the appropriate office, including World Vision Australia. 
 
We will take special care to facilitate complaints from vulnerable people, including children and marginalised groups.
 
We aim to ensure that making a complaint is as easy as possible. We will do our very best to assist you to put your complaint in writing or to write it down ourselves as faithfully as we can.
 
Complaints can be made by a friend or advocate of the complainant on their behalf. We recognise that in some circumstances complainants may wish to remain anonymous. Because such complaints can alert us to problems that need fixing we will accept them, though clearly it may not be possible to provide a remedy to the individual concerned.

Who is responsible for handling complaints?

Anyone representing World Vision Australia, both in a paid or volunteer capacity, can receive a complaint. All complaints received will be directed to the World Vision Australia Contact Centre and referred to the appropriate team for handling.

Our Complaints Policy has been distributed to all our paid staff, volunteers, partners and all others acting on our behalf. We require all those who may be involved in any way with a complaint to formally signify their commitment to this policy.

Staff directly involved in complaint handling are fully trained in all aspects of our policy and its implementation. We take special care to train our field staff to encourage, receive and handle complaints taking account of language issues and cultural sensitivities.

How are complaints handled?

When we take a verbal complaint, we will:

  • identify ourselves, listen, record details and determine what the complainant wants;
  • confirm that we have understood and received the details; and
  • remain impartial and not attempt to take sides or lay blame.

For all complaints we will:

  • determine what outcome the complainant is expecting; 
  • make an initial assessment of the severity of the complaint and its urgency;
  • clearly explain to the complainant what will happen next; and 
  • given an estimated timeframe for a response to the complaint or, if that is not possible, a date by which we will contact them again.

We will ensure that you don’t have to make your complaint to anyone implicated in the complaint itself and that any World Vision representative implicated in your complaint is not involved in any way in its handling.

If you make a complaint we will not reveal your name or personal details without your permission to anyone inside or outside our organisation, other than to the staff involved in handling your complaint.

What happens after I make a complaint?

We will make every reasonable effort to investigate all the relevant circumstances and information surrounding your complaint. The level of investigation will be determined by the seriousness and frequency of the complaint. Serious complaints that have required investigation will be escalated, as appropriate. 

We will communicate our decision on your complaint as soon as practicable and in writing by email and/or post. However, where appropriate, such as in the case of a complaint from a community member in the field, we will also communicate our decision verbally in their local language.

We will encourage you to respond and advise whether you are satisfied with our decision. If you are not satisfied, we are prepared to consider any additional information you can provide and to review our decision.

If we are unable to address your complaint, we will refer it to the Code Committee of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), the peak body for Australian non-government organisations involved in international development, of which we are a member.

How long will it take to respond to my complaint?

We will acknowledge written complaints within three business days of receiving them and will acknowledge verbal complaints immediately.

We aim to resolve complaints as quickly as possible and within 30 business days unless there are exceptional circumstances. If a complaint is not resolved within 30 business days, we will inform the complainant of progress and keep them informed regularly.

 

How we learn from complaints

We will regularly review and use complaint information to enhance our processes as part of continuous improvement practices.

We will take all remedial action where required, including making changes to the way we operate and providing staff and volunteers with further training. Where needed, we will counsel or discipline staff or volunteers.

Where appropriate we will consult and take advice from the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) and/or other regulatory authorities.