It’s human nature to avoid discomfort. Engaging in conversations centred on the expression of dissatisfaction from one party or both can be confronting for many people. In the aged care sector, conversations around perceived or actual failure to deliver to expectations are often directed at those ill-equipped to navigate heightened emotions. Knowing how to effectively address concerns and manage emotional circumstances is vital.
Effective handling of feedback and complaints from individuals receiving care is more than a regulatory requirement; it is the cornerstone of person-centred care. The Aged Care Act 2024 reinforces these principles through a values-driven rights-based framework, giving older Australians clearer legal entitlements and embedding the concept of supported decision-making. Complaints are no longer viewed as administrative issues but as vital opportunities to improve care and demonstrate respect for the voices of older people. As a result, providers must elevate their responsiveness, transparency and accountability in managing concerns.
The strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, released as part of the broader aged care reform agenda in November 2024, place new emphasis on consumer dignity, autonomy and involvement. Under these revised standards, particularly ‘Standard 2 The Organisation’, providers are required to ensure individuals in their care feel safe, supported and empowered to raise concerns – and to take those concerns seriously, address them promptly and use them to create meaningful improvements.
Handling feedback and complaints is not the sole responsibility of one person but rather a collective organisational approach, which ensures employees are equipped with specific skills and understand organisational policies, procedures and compliance reporting. With the new legislation introducing stronger protections for whistleblowers, including staff, volunteers and contractors, it is essential that providers adopt clear procedures for handling protected disclosures and use feedback systems that offer clear, inclusive processes that support everyone (including those with limited communication or literacy). It is also critical to provide training for all employees on the organisational polices and expected reporting procedures, empowering teams with core human skills, such as emotional intelligence and effective communication.
Navigating these heightened expectations can be complex, especially in environments already stretched by workforce pressures and evolving compliance demands. That is where curated training on handling feedback and complaints in aged care provides invaluable support. Ageing Australia offers two new training products to provide support in this area, commencing with a targeted masterclass, ‘Advanced Feedback and Complaints Handling for Aged Care Team Leaders and Managers’. A second workshop ‘Empowering the Front-Line Workforce to Handle Feedback and Complaints with Confidence and Compassion’, offers a more practical approach, where case studies are unpacked to support all frontline aged care employees, including those whose first language is not English.
Both products are delivered by Petra Jankulovski, a seasoned expert with over 20 years’ experience in dispute resolution. Petra specialises in formal and informal conciliation spanning many industries, and she is dedicated to empowering the aged care sector with effective feedback and complaints frameworks that prevent escalations, reduce complaint fatigue and foster a culture of continuous improvement. “I focus on solutions that yield tangible outcomes which are crucial in business, as it directly impacts the company’s growth, employee satisfaction and customer relations,” says Petra. “The role of a dispute resolution specialist is multifaceted, requiring not just a thorough understanding of business laws and regulations but also a creative and practical mindset to navigate complex situations.”
Partnering with specialists like Petra is one way Ageing Australia helps providers maximise the return on their training investment. ”At Ageing Australia, we’re committed to supporting the aged care sector with targeted professional development opportunities, using the most experienced facilitators,” said Tegan Roberts, Ageing Australia’s Manager Learning & Professional Development. ”At this time, when dispute resolution skills are more valuable than ever, we are proud to support aged care teams to ensure sectorwide organisational culture is psychologically safe for all employees, where feedback is viewed as a growth opportunity and actions to address concerns are swift, just and meaningful.” For those interested in widespread learning for their leadership teams or all-staff training, Ageing Australia also offers an exclusive customised training program.
Ageing Australia