TVG Safeguarding Children & Young People –
Child Safe Complaints Handling Procedure

1. Purpose

This procedure sets out how Phillips Group manages complaints that relate specifically to the safety and
well-being of children and young people. It ensures that all safeguarding-related complaints are taken
seriously, handled fairly and promptly, and resolved in a way that protects children while respecting the
rights of all parties. The procedure for handling complaints, allegations and feedback, is aimed at
providing a fair and transparent process for the resolution of these concerns and to provide
opportunities for continuous improvement through feedback.

This procedure does not apply to staff grievances relating to the work environment, employment
conditions, or interpersonal disputes between employees. Those matters are covered separately under
the Grievance Policy.

This procedure supports and should be read alongside the Safeguarding Children & Young People Policy
and the Incident Management Procedure.

2. When to Use This Procedure

A child safe complaint is any concern or expression of dissatisfaction relating to the safety, protection, or
treatment of a child or young person in connection with Phillips Group programs, services, or people.
Complaints may come from children, parents, carers, Phillips Group workers, volunteers, or members of
the public.
Examples include:

suspected or alleged abuse, grooming, or neglect;
breaches of the Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy and the Code of Conduct;
unsafe practices or program environments;
concerns about how a child safety complaint or incident has previously been managed.

All such complaints must be taken seriously and managed in accordance with this procedure.

3. Definitions

Child / young person – Any person under the age of 18 years.
Child abuse – Includes physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological abuse, as well as neglect
and exposure to family violence.
Grooming – Behaviour aimed at establishing a relationship of trust with a child or their family to
facilitate sexual abuse.
Child safety concern – Any issue that affects, or has the potential to affect, the safety or
wellbeing of a child or young person.
Incident – An event that has caused or could cause harm to a child or young person, including
near misses.
Complaint – An expression of dissatisfaction or concern, whether verbal or written, about
services, conduct, or treatment of children and young people.
General Manager – The senior operational leader in Phillips Group, accountable for ensuring
child safe practices are implemented.
Child Safety Officer – The nominated staff member responsible for receiving and managing child
safety concerns and supporting compliance with this policy.
Worker – Includes employees, contractors, consultants, volunteers, and any person engaged by
Phillips Group to provide services.
Third-party provider / hirer – An external organisation or individual delivering programs,
services, or events on Phillips Group premises or on its behalf.

4. Guiding Principles

Phillips Group is committed to:

Child safety first – any complaint relating to harm or risk of harm to a child is prioritised and
escalated immediately.
Fairness and transparency – all parties are treated respectfully, without bias or retaliation.
Timeliness – complaints are acknowledged promptly and managed as quickly as possible.
Confidentiality – information is only shared with those directly involved in resolving the
complaint.
Continuous improvement – lessons from complaints are used to strengthen child safeguarding
practices.

5. How to make a Complaint and/or Allegation

A Complaint to Phillips Group may be made using various means, such as:

Email: you may email us:
- The Village Green – info@villagegreen.com.au
- Phillips Coaching – phillipscoaching.com.au/contact/
- The Phillips Foundation – thephillipsfoundation/contact
Write: you may write to us at 3/19 Howard St Richmond VIC 3121: please write “Confidential” on
the envelope for your privacy.
Website: please visit the websites:
- The Village Green – https://www.villagegreen.com.au/contact/
- Phillips Coaching – https://phillipscoaching.com.au/contact/
- The Phillips Foundation – https://thephillipsfoundation.org.au
In person: you may attend the Phillips Group office or discuss your concerns directly with a Phillips
Group staff member at 3/19 Howard St Richmond VIC 3121. Addresses for the businesses and
group entities are:
- Phillips Coaching 3/19 Howard St Richmond VIC 3121
- The Village Green 26 Hannas Rd Strath Creek VIC 3658
- The Phillips Foundation 3/19 Howard St Richmond VIC 3121
Social Media: due to privacy and confidentiality, complaints should not be made on social media.
Please refer to one of our other communication mediums.

Complaints may also be made anonymously, for example by post without a name or by withholding
identifying details. Anonymous complaints will be assessed and managed as far as possible under this
procedure, though the ability to investigate or provide feedback may be limited if further information
cannot be obtained.

Phillips Group is committed to ensuring the complaints process is accessible to all children, families, and
community members. This means:

complaints can be made in different ways, including verbally, in writing, by email, or by post
(with or without a name);
support will be provided for people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically
diverse backgrounds, and others who may need assistance; and
interpreters or communication aids will be arranged where required.

Assessing and Classifying Complaints

Once a complaint is received, the Child Safety Officer or General Manager will review it to determine its
nature and level of seriousness. This assessment helps ensure the response is proportionate and
appropriate.

Complaints are generally classified as:

Child safety-related complaints – Concerns or allegations about abuse, grooming, neglect, or
breaches of the Code of Conduct. These are treated as critical matters and managed under this
procedure and the Incident Management Procedure. They must be escalated to the GM and,
where appropriate, external authorities.
Service complaints – Issues such as dissatisfaction with program delivery, communication, or
customer service that do not raise child safety concerns. These may be resolved informally or
escalated for further review if unresolved.
Workplace grievances – Concerns between staff or relating to employment conditions. These
are not covered by this procedure and must be managed under the Grievance Policy.

The outcome of this assessment determines the response:

Minor or straightforward complaints may be resolved quickly and informally.
Serious, complex, or unresolved complaints progress to a formal review or investigation (see
Section 6).

7. Handling Complaints

Phillips Group manages complaints in a way that ensures fairness, accountability, and child safety. All
complaints are taken seriously, but the depth of response will depend on the nature and seriousness of
the complaint.

Where possible, minor complaints will be resolved quickly and informally. More serious or unresolved
complaints will require a formal review or investigation.

The process for handling complaints is as follows:

Acknowledgement – All complaints are acknowledged within three business days of being
received. The complainant will be informed of the next steps in the process.
Initial review – The Child Safety Officer or General Manager will assess the complaint to
determine whether it can be resolved immediately or requires a formal investigation.
Investigation (if required) – For complaints requiring further review, information will be
gathered from relevant parties. Both the complainant and the subject of the complaint will be
given the opportunity to be heard.
Conflict of interest – Where a conflict of interest exists (for example, if the complaint involves
the General Manager or Child Safety Officer), another appropriate Manager or the Advisory
Board Chair will oversee the process.
Maintaining confidentiality – Information will only be shared with those directly involved in
resolving the matter.
Resolution – Possible outcomes include corrective action, additional training, changes to
practice, disciplinary action, or referral to external authorities.
Written outcome – The complainant will receive a written explanation of the outcome, unless
the complaint was made anonymously.
Unreasonable conduct – Phillips Group may set reasonable limits where complainant behaviour
is abusive, threatening, or vexatious, while still ensuring the underlying issue is addressed.
Documentation – All complaints, investigations, and outcomes will be recorded in the
Complaints Register.

8. Escalation and External Reporting

While most complaints can be managed internally, some matters must be referred to external
authorities to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. Referral is required where
there are allegations of abuse or grooming, suspected criminal behaviour, or when a complainant seeks
further review beyond Phillips Group’s internal processes.

The General Manager is responsible for ensuring that all mandatory referrals are made promptly and
appropriately. Workers must immediately escalate such matters to the General Manager or Child Safety
Officer.

Complaints may be referred to the following external agencies:

Victoria Police – 000 in an emergency or your local station for non-urgent reports.
Child Protection (DFFH) – 1300 475 170 for concerns about significant harm where
parents/guardians cannot or will not protect a child.
Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) – 1300 78 29 78 for breaches of the Child
Safe Standards.
Victorian Ombudsman – 1300 666 444 for complaints about Victorian public organisations.
Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission – 1300 292 153 for discrimination
or human rights matters.
eSafety Commissioner – 1800 880 176 for online abuse, grooming, or exploitation.
Phillips Group does not discourage the use of external complaints processes and will assist complainants
in accessing these agencies. We will cooperate fully with lawful investigations as authorised by law.

9. Appeals and Review

Phillips Group is committed to ensuring complaints are handled fairly and transparently. Where a
complainant is not satisfied with the outcome, they may request that the decision be reviewed.
The review process is as follows:

They may request a review by the General Manager within 14 days of being notified of the
outcome.
If the General Manager is involved in the complaint, the review will be undertaken by the
Advisory Board Chair.
The review considers whether the complaint was handled in line with this procedure, whether
the outcome was reasonable, and whether further action is required.
The outcome of the review is communicated in writing.

If dissatisfaction remains after internal review, the complainant may escalate the matter to relevant
external bodies (see Section 8 for details of external agencies).

10. Confidentiality and Privacy

Personal and/or sensitive information is collected during the complaint and/or allegation information
intake process. The nature of a complaint and/or allegation will contain personal information of the
parties involved in the complaint or allegation.

Phillips Group recognises that your personal information should only be used or disclosed for the
purpose for which we collect it.

Phillips Group will protect your identity where practicable and appropriate. Personal information that
identifies an individual will only be disclosed or used by us as permitted by law and in line with our
Privacy Policy.

11.Accessibility

This policy and the associated Safeguarding Children and Young People Procedure are accessible via:

The Village Green website: www.villagegreen.com.au
The Phillips Coaching website: www.phillipscoaching.com.au
The Phillips Foundation website: www.the phillipsfoundation.com.au

These are:

publicly accessible, online and in forms that are easy to understand.
informed by stakeholder consultation; and
communicated to children, young people and their families, our employees, our partners,
volunteers and contractors and the public.

Risk Management documentation for programs and activities is accessible upon request: please contact
via website:

The Village Green – https://www.villagegreen.com.au/contact/
Phillips Coaching – https://phillipscoaching.com.au/contact/

10. Recordkeeping

All complaints must be documented, regardless of the outcome. Records include the date, nature of the
complaint, actions taken, outcome, and whether external bodies were notified. All records are stored
securely with restricted access.

11. Follow-Up and Support

Children and families who raise complaints are offered support and reassurance that their concerns
have been taken seriously. Staff involved in a complaint are treated fairly and may be provided with
additional training or support. Where systemic issues are identified, Phillips Group takes corrective
action to prevent recurrence.

12. Continuous Improvement

The Child Safety Officer reviews the Complaints Register each quarter to identify patterns and risks. An
annual summary is provided to the Advisory Board to support oversight and continuous improvement in
safeguarding practices.

13. Review

This document will be reviewed by Phillips Group at least every 3 years. Some circumstances may
trigger an early review; this includes, but is not limited to, legislative changes, organisational changes,
incident outcomes and other matters deemed appropriate by the Policy owner.

When there are any updates or changes to this Policy, they will be communicated to all workers and
stakeholders (including participants and associated families as applicable).

We retain records that document each review undertaken. Records may include minutes of meetings
and documentation of changes to policies and procedures that result from a review

TVG Safeguarding Children & Young People – Child Safe Complaints Handling Procedure