Complaint Resolution

Support for school staff in managing complaints

For operational support in managing a specific complaint, principals can contact their senior education improvement leader (SEIL) or the executive director for the area.

Regional offices

Regional offices can support principals, schools and complainants in the complaint handling process by:

• helping schools respond to complaints, including helping to identify conflict/dispute resolution supports
• providing alternative dispute resolution advice and services, which can include liaising with and making referrals to the Independent Office for School Dispute Resolution
• helping complainants seeking to make a complaint about a school.

Principals should contact their SEIL or the executive director for the area to discuss available department supports.

Central office

Complaints and Improvement Unit

The department’s Complaints and Improvement Unit can support principals, schools and complainants in the complaint handling process by:

• providing policy advice with respect to this policy
• providing advice and support on the complaints handling process
• providing alternative dispute resolution advice and services, which can include liaising with and making referrals to the Independent Office for School Dispute Resolution
• providing complaint management capability building functions to support continuous improvement
• for complainants, responding to requests for Central Office Review of complaints that were not able to be resolved at a school or regional level where the complainant believes an error has been made in relation to applying department policy.

Legal Division

The Legal Division can provide principals with advice and support in addressing complaints that raise certain legal issues by phone on 03 9637 3146 and email at legal.services@education.vic.gov.au

Conduct and Integrity Division

The Conduct and Integrity Division can provide principals with advice and support in addressing allegations about employee conduct or work performance. Conduct and Integrity can be contacted on 03 7034 6768 and email at employee.conduct@education.vic.gov.au

Employee Wellbeing Support Services

Refer to the Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Management in Schools policy.

Conflict coaching

The Independent Office for School Dispute Resolution offers ‘conflict coaching’ to principals dealing with challenging conflicts with parents, providing support and strategies. Read more about the Conflict coaching initiative.

Independent Office for School Dispute Resolution

The Independent Office for School Dispute Resolution is independent of the department. It helps to resolve escalated and complex disputes that have not been resolved at the school level.

An eligible dispute may be referred to the Independent Office by the department’s regional or central office as part of the department’s complaint escalation process. Disputes may also be referred directly by a student, parent, or carer to the Independent Office. Community member complaints are not eligible for referral to the Independent Office.

Once involved in the formal complaint process, the Independent Office supports all parties (including parents, students and principals) to work towards resolving the dispute.

If requested, the Independent Office may also provide informal advice to regions and schools on dispute resolution strategies and tools to help resolve matters that are having a significant negative impact on the school community and relationships within the school.

Further information about the Independent Office can be found on the Independent Office for School Dispute Resolution website.

Supporting Koorie students

Schools can obtain assistance with Koorie cultural inclusion, Koorie education guidance and support through their region by contacting the Koorie Education Coordinators (KEC). Refer to Contact a Koorie education coordinator.

Schools can also refer to the Koorie cultural inclusion Professional Practice note 19 (DOCX) and the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Inc. (VAEAI) Protocols for Koorie Education in Victorian primary and secondary schools (PDF).

Managing unacceptable adult behaviour in your school community

Refer to the Risk controls – parent/carer behaviours procedure in the Work-Related Violence in Schools policy.

Unreasonable, vexatious, malicious, disproportionate complaints

There are a number of supports available to schools managing difficult, unreasonable vexatious, or malicious complaints. In these circumstances, principals should connect with their SEIL to discuss strategies for managing the complaint including options for communication plans and engaging with the Independent Office, and independent third-party mediation and conflict resolution services, as appropriate.

Refer to the Guidance tab for more information about support for school staff in managing complaints.

Interpreting services

Refer to the Interpreting and Translation Services policy for more information.