Feedback, complaints and ‘whistleblowing’

Here is some important information on what you need to know as a resident, family member or other concerned person, supplied by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing –

For older people, their families and carers

The new Aged Care Act puts you at the centre of your aged care and introduces new laws to protect your rights.

The Statement of Rights outlines your explicit rights when accessing aged care services.

Your rights are protected through provider regulations enforced by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.

Giving feedback if you have concerns

Under the new Act, you will be encouraged to share feedback and make a complaint if you feel your provider has not upheld your rights.

If you’re not happy with the quality of your services, you have the right to give honest, upfront feedback to your provider without fear of being punished or treated unfairly.

Whether it’s a concern about your care, a breach of your rights or something that just doesn’t feel right, you will be protected.

Your feedback is an important way for your provider to understand what is working well and to identify areas that can be improved.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, including an independent Complaints Commissioner, will support all providers to have a process in place to manage complaints and feedback quickly and effectively.

Workers can help you to make a complaint. They can also connect you with advocacy and support services, like the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN).

If you don’t feel comfortable raising an issue with your provider, or if you’re unsatisfied with the way they’ve handled it, you can make a complaint directly to the Complaints Commissioner. (The phone number for the Commissioner is 1800 951 822.)

Identifying issues and calling out misconduct

The new Act also contains whistleblower protections. You play an important role in identifying issues and calling out misconduct.

We understand making a disclosure can be an unsettling experience.

If you make a report that someone hasn’t followed aged care laws, you will have access to protections if you experience unfair treatment, threats and victimisation.

Your identity will also be protected.

You can make a complaint to your aged care provider or the Complaints Commissioner.

You can make a whistleblower disclosure to:

• the Complaints Commissioner or a staff member of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
• the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
• an aged care provider or worker
• a responsible person of an aged care provider – such as a CEO or Board Member
• a police officer
• an independent aged care advocate.

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Below is the full Whistleblower Protection Policy of Shepparton Villages, as at March 2026.

Please feel free to contact us at any time if you wish to know more, or want assistance from Shepparton Villages in exercising your rights under this policy. You can also approach any of the other contacts listed above by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Shepparton Villages’ Whistleblower Protection Commitment

Shepparton Villages is committed to supporting whistleblowers to report any misconduct or wrongdoing-and protecting them from any adverse consequences following disclosure by:

• ensuring workers, older people and all stakeholders feel safe and supported to raise concerns by actively promoting a “speak up” culture, emphasising protections and the organisation’s commitment to addressing concerns without reprisal
• promoting at least monthly that whistleblower disclosers are welcomed and encouraged using various communication channels such as newsletters, posters, internal statements and other appropriate communication platforms
• maintaining a structured and transparent system that enables individuals to make disclosures safely and appropriately
• clearly defined policies and procedures providing multiple secure and accessible reporting channels that enable individuals to make disclosures including:
• internally and externally; face to face; over the phone; or in writing (e.g. feedback boxes, emails etc.)
• assessing disclosures to ensure it qualifies for whistleblower protections
• providing up to date information about how disclosures can be made, what disclosures qualify for protection and eligible recipients’ disclosures can be made to
• informing the individual against whom a matter has been raised as soon as practicable, to ensure they are given a fair opportunity to respond
• reporting to external bodies as required (i.e. Aged Care Quality Safety Commission)
• ensuring all disclosures will be investigated in a fair, objective, confidential and transparent manner in line with the principles of natural justice including:
• acknowledging and responding to disclosures in a timely manner; adopting a positive, blame-free approach that focuses on the process and avoids any negative repercussions for the individual providing disclosure; ensuring investigations are conducted by appropriate and impartial persons (e.g. a relevant manager or delegated investigator);and evaluating each disclosure thoroughly, with outcomes documented and communicated to relevant parties where appropriate and permissible.

Disclaimer

Shepparton Villages has used reasonable endeavours to ensure that material (defined as all data available from the Shepparton Villages website, eg. web page content, contact details, maps, photos or images, graphs or charts, weather or news data, information obtained from online services, etc.) contained on this web page (and all other websites under Shepparton Villages control) was correct and up-to-date at the time the page was created or last modified.

However,

• Shepparton Villages gives no warranty and accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or the completeness of the material;
• no reliance should be made by any user on the material, but instead the user should check for confirmation with the originating or authorising faculty, department or other body; and
• Shepparton Villages reserves the right at any time to make changes as it deems appropriate.

Shepparton Villages may provide external links as a service to users of its website.

In providing an external link Shepparton Villages does not accept responsibility for or endorse the content or condition of any linked site.

Privacy statement

Privacy issues are of paramount importance, and Shepparton Villages is committed to the protection of privacy while carrying out its duties and functions.

This privacy statement explains some of these principles and how they may apply to you.

Note that the website privacy statement does not apply to linked websites, however we do not link knowingly to sites that are privacy-invasive. When you follow a link to another site, we recommend you read the privacy statement of that site to familiarise yourself with its privacy policy.

Anonymous access to our site

You can browse the Shepparton Villages website anonymously, without disclosing your personal information.

Collection and use of personal data

The Shepparton Villages website does not collect or record personal information, other than information you choose to provide through our email contact facilities. Any information submitted will only be retained for such time as necessary to carry out the purposes for which the information is collected or as required by law.

Email addresses and any other contact details you provide will not be added to a mailing list without your consent.

Collection and use of site visit data

A cookie is a block of data that is shared between a web server and a user’s browser.  Our website may place a cookie on your computer in order for us to collect statistical data on the number of visitors to our website. The following non-personal information is automatically recorded by this site’s web server for statistical and system administration purposes only:

• your IP address;
• the date and the time of your visit to the site;
• the pages you accessed and downloaded;
• your operating system;
• the type of browser you are using.

To the extent that this data could make you identifiable, Shepparton Villages will not attempt to identify individuals from the records the server automatically generates unless that is necessary to investigate a breach of law or regulation.

Disclosure

We will not disclose your personal information to a third party without your consent, unless we are required or authorised to do so by law or other regulation. In the event of an investigation into suspected unlawful or improper activity, a law enforcement agency or government agency may exercise its legal authority to inspect the web server’s records (eg. in relation to hacking or abusive messages).

Security of your personal data

The Privacy Commissioner and all employees of Shepparton Villages have a statutory duty to deal with your personal information confidentially (Information Privacy Act, section 67).

Although every effort is made with regard to security, this web site does not guarantee secure transmission of information over the Internet. You should be aware that there are risks in transmitting information across the Internet. If you are concerned about conveying sensitive material to Shepparton Villages over the Internet, you might prefer to contact us by telephone or mail.

Copyright

This website is copyright.

You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organisation.

Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 all other rights are reserved.

Requests for further authorisation should be directed to: