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Our Service Charter - Open Place

OUR SERVICE CHARTER


What is a Service Charter?

We are working constantly to improve our services for Forgotten Australians. This Service Charter outlines what Open Place does, the principles we work to, what Forgotten Australians can expect from us, how they can provide feedback or make a complaint and how they can assist us with improvements.

For further information contact:

Manager
Open Place
Suite 1, 8 Bromham Place
Richmond VIC 3121
Tel: 03 9421 6162 or 1800 779 379 (toll free)info@openplace.org.au


Principles

Showing humility and courage
  • Open Place wants Forgotten Australians to express their views.
  • We will not shy away from criticisms or concerns of others nor ignore the lessons of history (including the recent past).
  • We will represent the interests of Forgotten Australians and their immediate families, in the wider service sector and the community.
  • We will advocate for changes to the delivery of services to which Forgotten Australians are entitled where those services are seen as inaccessible, discriminatory or otherwise not meeting their needs.

Being respectful and strength oriented
  • We will celebrate achievements, resilience and survival.
  • Services, including individualised planning, recognise and work with the strengths and capacities of each individual.

Committing to flexibility and integration
  • Every effort will be made to ensure Open Place is accessible to Victorian Forgotten Australians regardless of their place of residence, their abilities or their financial circumstances.
  • We will provide information and assistance to help Forgotten Australians to access support from other services they need.

Demonstrating accountability
  • Our staff and volunteers will be skilled and have the knowledge and values required to perform their duties to the highest possible standard.
  • Action learning and review will focus on outcomes and we will build knowledge to inform service development, policy and practice change.

Working together and being inclusive
  • We will promote a sense of ‘place’ by providing the space and resources to enable Forgotten Australians and their families to feel safe, welcome and acknowledged.

Honouring diversity and being culturally sensitive
  • We will value the beliefs, traditions and heritage of everyone and will make every effort to provide a service which honours culture.


Privacy

Open Place collects information from Forgotten Australians in order to provide appropriate services. The information provided may also be used to assist with referring them to other services, for reporting to funders (de-identified information only) and for quality assurance and internal service monitoring. If Forgotten Australians choose not to supply this information we may not be able to provide the most appropriate service to them.

We may disclose personal information of a Forgotten Australian to other service providers (such as a counsellor, health services, etc) if this is required to provide them with the service they require. They may ask their worker who has been given their information.

We will respect the confidentiality of personal information & use it only in accordance with the law. Consent may be sought for gathering and/or using personal information in other ways.

If an individual considers that we have breached their privacy, the law gives them the right to complain to the Privacy Commissioner on 1300 363 992.


Access to information

Personal information kept by Open Place can be accessed by the individual in line with the Information Privacy Act. Requests for access to documents should be directed to:

Manager, Open Place
Suite 1, 8 Bromham Place Richmond VIC 3121
P: (03) 9421 6162 or 1800 779 379 (toll free)
info@openplace.org.au
OR
Privacy Officer
Berry Street
1 Salisbury Street Richmond VIC 3121
P: (03) 9429 9266
F: (03) 9429 5160
info@berrystreet.org.au


Feedback

We value compliments, complaints and suggestions. We seek feedback in a number of ways, including through surveys, direct feedback from service users and workshops.

We value the opportunity to respond about the feedback provided, but feedback may be provided anonymously.

Compliments help us know where we are performing well. Feedback on issues and problems help us to improve the quality of our information, support and services.

We will manage complaints in a timely and professional manner. We will endeavour to contact the complainant within 48 hours to discuss a timeframe to deal with their complaint.

So, service users who are not satisfied with the service they have received, feel they have not been treated fairly and reasonably by us or wish to complain about a specific aspect of our services, we ask them to please tell us.

In most cases, complaints are managed locally in the first instance. If the complainant has exhausted the local process and is still not satisfied with the response to their complaint, you can have the complaint reviewed through contacting Berry Street’s Director of Services.

The feedback provided about the quality of the service they have received will not affect the services they or their family receives.


How to provide feedback

  • Complete the Feedback Form and submit online
  • Complete a Feedback Form at Open Place and leave it in the FEEDBACK BOX at reception
  • Call and ask to speak to the Manager of Open Place
  • Email us on info@openplace.org.au


Download a printable version of the Service Charter