Compliments and complaints

You can make a complaint about any aspect of the services or actions of the department or our staff.

If you have a complaint or a concern, there are some steps you can take to help us help you:

1. Go local first: You can solve most concerns by speaking with local staff or the person you have been working with. Contact your local Service Centre if your concerns are about them.
2. Act quickly: Tell us about the problem as soon as possible. The earlier you tell us, the sooner we can act.
3. Make your complaint clear: Provide details of the issues, dates, phone calls and other relevant information. Tell us the outcome you are seeking or the action that you want us to take.

You have the right to have a friend, advocate, community Elder, interpreter, or independent person support you when you make a complaint. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples can also ask to speak to a person of their own culture for support.

If your matter can't be resolved at a local level or you are dissatisfied with the response to your concerns, please contact your Complaints Unit.

You can make a formal complaint by:

• using the online form
• emailing Child Safety, Seniors and Disability
• phoning 1800 080 464 (Child Safety) to reach a 24/7 government customer service phoneline or phoning 1800 491 467 (Disability Services and Seniors)
• posting your feedback to:
  
  Complaints Unit
  Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services
  Locked Bag 3405
  Brisbane Qld 4001

Anonymous complaints

We can accept anonymous complaints. However, we may find it difficult to thoroughly assess or respond to the complaint if we can't contact you to obtain information.

Privacy and your personal information

In the course of investigating and taking action in response to complaints, personal information will be collected and handled in accordance with the 11 Information Privacy Principles in the Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld) .

After you have lodged a complaint

We understand the importance of listening and responding to your feedback.

Once we have received your complaint, a departmental officer will keep you informed of its progress. You will receive a written response within 30 business days and have the opportunity to provide feedback to the response.

If you are unhappy with the outcome

If you remain unhappy you can request an internal review. You need to lodge a request for an internal review within 20 business days of your complaint closing and include details of the complaint outcome or your process you disagree with.

Once the internal review is complete you can pursue an external review:

• If your concerns relate to an administrative decision of the department, you can contact the Queensland Ombudsman by phone 1800 068 908 or email.

• If you are not satisfied with our response to your human rights complaint, you can contact the Queensland Human Rights Commission (QHRC) by phoning them on 1300 130 670 or email.

NDIS participants can contact the NDIS directly about issues relating to their plan or if they are dissatisfied with the services they are receiving from the NDIS.

NDIS participants who have a concern about a NDIS service provider can make a complaint directly to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

Privacy complaint is a 'complaint about an act or practice of the department in relation to your personal information that is a breach of the department's obligations under the Information Privacy Act 2009'.

See Information privacy for more information.

Complaints under the Human Rights Act 2019 (Human Rights Act) can only be made about alleged breaches that have occurred after 1 January 2020.

The Human Rights Act requires public entities, including this department, to act in a way that is compatible with human rights obligations when delivering services and interacting with the community.

There are 23 human rights set out in the Human Rights Act.

If you believe that the department has breached your human rights, you can make a complaint directly to the department through our complaints process.

If you have been harmed by violence, you have rights.  You should be treated appropriately by government and non-government agencies in accordance with the Charter of Victims’ Rights.

You can make a complaint if you think the department has not behaved in accordance with the Charter of Victims’ Rights. A friend or family member may also make the complaint for you, with your permission.

You can make a complaint directly to the department through our complaints process or to the Office of the Victims' Commissioner.

We are required to publish a complaints management report to meet the Public Service Act 2008 mandatory requirements.

• Complaints data 2023-2024 ((PDF, 156 KB)) Complaints data 2022-2023 ((DOCX, 174 KB))
• Complaints data 2022-2023 ((PDF, 142 KB)) Complaints data 2022-2023 ((DOCX, 226 KB))

Former Department of Child Safety, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs

• Complaints data 2021-2022 ((PDF, 172 KB)) Complaints data 2021-2022 ((DOCX, 255 KB))
• Complaints data 2020-2021 ((PDF, 2 MB)) Complaints data 2020-2021 ((DOCX, 254 KB))
• Youth Justice complaints data 2020 ((PDF, 321 KB)) Youth Justice complaints data 2020 ((DOCX, 138 KB))
• Complaints data 2019-2020 ((PDF, 110 KB)) Complaints data 2019-2020 ((DOCX, 17 KB))
• Complaints data 2018-2019 ((PDF, 101 KB)) Complaints data 2018-2019 ((DOCX, 12 KB))

Former Department of Seniors, Disability Services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships

• Complaints data 2020-21 ((PDF, 103 KB))

• Complaints management policy ((PDF, 239 KB)) Complaints management policy ((DOCX, 976 KB))
• Complaints about the Director-General policy ((PDF, 487 KB)) Complaints management policy ((DOCX, 258 KB))anagement polic
• Complaints management procedure ((PDF, 231 KB)) Complaints management procedure ((DOCX, 968 KB))
• Queensland Public Service Complaint Management Framework (PDF)
• Queensland Public Service Complaint Management Guideline  

Child Safety Factsheets

• First Attempt at Resolution (FAAR) ((PDF, 187 KB)) First Attempt at Resolution (FAAR) ((DOCX, 572 KB))
• Feedback ((PDF, 232 KB)) Feedback ((DOCX, 573 KB))
• Complaint ((PDF, 180 KB)) Complaint ((DOCX, 516 KB))
• Internal review ((PDF, 178 KB)) Internal review ((DOCX, 654 KB))
• Unreasonable Client Conduct ((PDF, 242 KB)) Unreasonable Client Conduct ((DOCX, 448 KB))
• Making a complaint (PDF)
• Making a complaint (poster) (PDF)

Disability Services and Seniors Resources

• Making a complaint fact sheet ((PDF, 162 KB)) Making a complaint fact sheet ((DOCX, 217 KB))
• Making a Human Rights complaint fact sheet ((DOCX, 266 KB))
• Internal Review fact sheet ((PDF, 171 KB)) Internal Review fact sheet ((DOCX, 280 KB))
• Complaints Information Booklet - Easy Read ((PDF, 379 KB))