Complaints Policy
This policy applies to all Common Acre Board members, staff and volunteers.
What is a complaint?
A complaint is when someone tells us they are unhappy about something and would like us to investigate and respond to them about it.
This may relate to the actions, decisions or behaviour of Common Acre staff, volunteers or Board members.
Who can make a complaint?
Anyone can make a complaint.
How do I make a complaint?
You can contact Common Acre by:
Email: hello@commonacre.com.au
Website: https://www.commonacre.com.au/contact
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/common.acre/
Do I have to tell you who I am?
No. You can make a complaint without giving your name or contact details.
We will investigate all complaints made. If you do not provide your contact details, it may be harder for us to investigate or follow up your complaint.
Will my complaint be confidential?
Common Acre will keep your complaint confidential by:
Only sharing information with people who need to know.
Keeping your identity private where possible.
Storing information securely.
Requiring those involved to keep information private.
Sometimes we may need to share information, for example:
If the law requires us to share information.
If another Common Acre policy requires it.
What happens after I make a complaint?
When we receive a complaint, we will record it in our confidential Complaints Register.
We aim to handle complaints promptly. We will:
Begin investigating your complaint within three working days
Serious matters, such as financial wrongdoing, will be acted on immediately
Within five working days, we will contact you to explain what we are doing and how long it is likely to take
Most complaints are resolved within seven working days. If it takes longer, we will let you know why.
How will Common Acre investigate the complaint?
We will handle the investigation in a fair and respectful way. We may:
Talk to you to make sure we understand the issue
Review relevant documentation such as emails or reports
Speak with staff, volunteers or others involved
Record what we find.
If the complaint is about a specific person, they will not lead the investigation.
Common Acre may seek legal advice if needed and will meet any legal reporting requirements.
After the investigation, we will tell you the outcome. This may include:
The complaint was upheld – we agree something went wrong and will take action to fix it.
The issue has been resolved – we will explain how.
No further action can be taken – we will explain why.
Next steps – we will tell you about any options if you want to take it further.
What if I am not happy with the outcome?
You can ask for a review by contacting the Chairperson on: commonacreinc@gmail.com
You also have the right to take your complaint further through legal or external processes.
We encourage people to raise concerns in good faith. In some situations, we may decide not to continue with a complaint if the same issue has already been carefully considered and no new information is provided, or if the complaint appears intended to cause harm rather than resolve a concern.
What records of my complaint are kept?
A confidential Complaints Register includes the following information about the complaints we receive:
Date of the complaint
Name
Contact details
Brief outline of the complaint
The outcome of the complaint
The Complaints Register and all associated files are confidential. You can ask us to remove your name or identifying details from our records, unless we are required to keep them on file for legal reasons.