• Section 1 - Purpose
• Section 2 - Authority
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Procedure
• Lodging and Receipt of Complaints
• Managing Complaints
• Resolution
• Privacy and Record Keeping
• Reporting
• Section 5 - Compliance

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This procedure details how someone who is not an employee or student of the RMIT Group may make a complaint or raise a concern regarding any institution or person within the RMIT Group.

Section 2 - Authority

(2) Authority for this document is established by the Complaints Governance Policy.

Section 3 - Scope

(3) This procedure applies to any member of the public wishing to raise a complaint or concern about the RMIT Group.

(4) A member of the public for the purposes of this procedure is any person not eligible to raise a complaint under the various staff and student policies and procedures outlined in the Complaints Governance Policy Schedule 1 – Complaint Types.

(5) A member of the public may be located anywhere and can include, but is not limited to:

1. the parent or guardian of a prospective, former or current student of RMIT or its controlled entities or partner institutions
2. an industry or work integrated learning partner
3. non-RMIT staff from a partner institution
4. staff or students from another university
5. contractors, including agency staff engaged as contingent labour, associated with the RMIT Group

(6) This procedure does not apply where there is an existing contract or agreement in place between a third party and the RMIT Group that prescribes an alternative complaint resolution process.

Section 4 - Procedure

(7) The Central Complaints and Investigations function manages public complaints.

(8) The Associate Director, Central Complaints and Investigations is responsible for the receipt, assessment, investigation and resolution of public complaints. All business areas must cooperate with Central Complaints and Investigations in the investigation and resolution of a public complaint.

Lodging and Receipt of Complaints

(9) Complaints can be lodged in writing via the Complaints Portal, or sent to thirdpartycomplaints@rmit.edu.au or investigations@rmit.edu.au.

(10) Complainants are personally responsible and liable for the content of their complaints. Complainants must not provide information that they know to be inaccurate or misleading.

(11) RMIT may restrict access to its complaints service for complainants who act unreasonably. Decisions to restrict access, for example limiting contact methods and times, are made by the Associate Director, Central Complaints and Investigations.

(12) Complaints may be referred to Central Complaints and Investigations from other business units or areas within RMIT.

(13) Complaint managers must acknowledge the receipt of a complaint within two business days of receiving it and provide information to the complainant about:

1. the complaints process and how to contact their case manager
2. the importance of confidentiality
3. the anticipated timeframe for the investigation in as much as it can be predicted
4. possible outcomes of the investigation
5. the records that will be kept, for how long and where
6. if their complaint may involve a mandatory notification to an external body

Managing Complaints

(14) Any actual, perceived or potential conflict of interest of the complaint handler must be declared and the complaint reassigned.

(15) If the public complaint involves or implicates the Associate Director, Central Complaints and Investigations, it will be managed by the General Counsel or their delegate.

(16) If the General Counsel is the subject of the complaint, an appropriate alternative officer will be appointed.

Resolution

(17) The nature of the complaint and the parties involved will be assessed before determining the most appropriate method of resolution.

(18) Any or all parts of the complaint may be transferred for resolution under other processes as deemed necessary.

(19) Complaints may be closed at the discretion of the General Counsel if there are reasonable grounds to believe the complaint is frivolous, misguided, or vexatious or where there is insufficient information to proceed, or the matter has been sufficiently dealt with by another area or mechanism.

(20) Complainants usually receive a written outcome unless to do so would breach legislation, policy, or otherwise have a deleterious effect on any party. Details of an internal investigation are not disclosed to members of the public.

Privacy and Record Keeping

(21) The details of the complaint, evidence, investigative actions, the decision and outcome are recorded, stored in a secure manner in accordance with the Privacy Policy and the Information Governance Policy.

(22) Insights obtained from an investigation into a public complaint are used for service improvement or changes to relevant processes or procedures. 

Reporting

(23) Business owners of each of RMIT’s complaints processes provide their complaints data biannually to the Associate Director, Central Complaints and Investigations for inclusion in the RMIT Group complaints report. This report is submitted to the Audit and Risk Management Committee, Academic Board and University Executive Committee. The report is also submitted annually to Council for noting.

Section 5 - Compliance

(24) The Associate Director, Central Complaints and Investigations is dedicated to ensuring compliance with this procedure. This includes the correct collection and use of centralised complaint systems.

(25) Breaches of this procedure can be reported through the Organisational Breach Reporting Form. The disciplinary outcomes of a breach and any appropriate appeals mechanisms can be found in the Compliance Breach Management Procedure.