How to raise a concern or complaint

If something is not right, we want to hear it from you first, and we will make it easy to say.

This page is for anyone who works with Koaching the Gap: people we coach, mentor or supervise, the organisations that engage us, workshop participants, students, partners, Elders and community members, associates and suppliers. One procedure covers everyone.

What you can expect from us

No cost, no detriment. Raising a concern costs nothing and changes nothing about how we treat you or your organisation.
Your choice of setting. You choose how we talk: in writing, by phone, online or in person. You can bring a support person, a family member or an Elder, or ask someone to raise it for you.
Cultural safety. Sorry Business and cultural obligations reset any of our timeframes.
Confidentiality. Your concern is shared only with the people needed to resolve it. Session content stays confidential.
A plain answer in writing. What happened, what we are doing about it, and what you can do if that is not enough.
What we may decline. We are a small practice. We may decline to deal with a complaint that is frivolous, vexatious, not made in good faith, or about something outside our work with you. If we decline, we say so in writing, and the bodies listed below are still open to you. This does not apply to a request to see or correct your personal information, which our Privacy Policy covers and which you can make without giving a reason.

The steps

Tell us. Tell the person you are working with, or email [email protected]. You do not have to call it a complaint.

We listen without defending, confirm in writing what we heard, and ask what a good outcome looks like for you. Acknowledged within 5 business days.

If you would rather write it down, copy this into an email and fill in what you want to:
```
To: [email protected]
Subject: Something is not right

What happened:
When:
What a good outcome looks like for me:
How I would like you to contact me (email / phone / in person):
Anyone I would like with me, or to raise this for me:
```
The Principal reviews it. Every concern goes to the Principal, the person accountable for the practice. If your concern is about the Principal, say so: the review can then sit with the organisation that engaged us (step 3), or with an independent person we agree on with you.

We look at what happened, what we could have done differently, and what we will change. We put the outcome in writing, including anything we are refunding, redoing or stopping. We aim to resolve it, or give you a clear plan in writing, within 20 business days. Privacy complaints: we aim to resolve them within 30 days, which is what the regulator expects.
If we were engaged through another organisation. Where your employer, a sponsor or a funder engaged us, or we deliver as a subcontractor, you can also raise your concern with that organisation: your sponsor, or the contract contact on a funded program. Your engagement agreement names them. We cooperate with that organisation's process and respond to its findings. Its timeframes apply.
Go above us. You can go to any of the bodies below at any time, before or after steps 1 to 3. We do not treat anyone differently for doing so, and we cooperate fully with any external process.

Where to go above us

Each body below has confirmed on its own website that it takes complaints of this kind.