NDIS templates
NDIS complaints management policy template
Written by James, creator of BluetailPublished 18 October 2026
Registered NDIS providers need a complaints management and resolution system that participants actually know how to use. This template sets that system out as a policy: how someone raises a complaint, how quickly you respond, when it goes to the NDIS Commission, and how complaints feed back into your service.
Do it yourself with Bluetail
Prepare your registration without paying thousands
The document pack
82 registration documents pre-filled with your business name and logo. Preview every page free; $65 once to unlock the editable Word files.
Also on Bluetail - free
- DIY registration guideStep-by-step, start to finish
- YouTube seriesFollow a real registration as it happens
- Compliance CRMShift notes, rosters, workers and registers
150+ providers have bought the pack · 650+ use the free guides and CRM
| Document | Complaints & Feedback Management Policy |
|---|---|
| Part of the pack | Policies & procedures |
| Format | Editable Word file, pre-filled with your business name, ABN and logo |
| Cost | Page one is free below; the editable file is in the $65 pack |
What the template covers
The policy covers your commitment and principles (complaints are free and handled sensitively, anyone can have a family member, friend or advocate help them, and no one is treated unfairly or has their supports affected for complaining), the ways a participant or anyone else can complain, and the steps you take: acknowledging a complaint within 2 business days and aiming to resolve it within 21 days, with an explanation and a new timeframe if it will take longer. It explains when a complaint must also be reported to the NDIS Commission, how privacy complaints are handled, the person's right to go to the Commission at any time (1800 035 544), worker responsibilities and training, how general feedback is collected, and the register and regular review that show the system works.
Sections in the document
- Our commitment
- Principles
- How to make a complaint
- How we handle a complaint
- Escalation and external reporting
- If a person is not satisfied
- Worker responsibilities and training
- Feedback
- Records and review
Which NDIS rules it helps you meet
- Core Module 2.5 - Feedback and Complaints Management ("a complaints management and resolution system is maintained that is relevant and proportionate")
- Verification Module - complaints management
- The NDIS Code of Conduct - promptly raising and acting on concerns about quality and safety
Who needs it
Every registered NDIS provider, whether you have a verification or a certification audit - complaints management is one of the four areas a verification audit focuses on. Unregistered providers aren't audited, but a written complaints process is still good practice and makes it easier to show you act on concerns.
Page one, free
This is the real document, filled in for an example business so you can see exactly what you get.
Example Provider Pty Ltd - Complaints and Feedback Management Policy
ABN 12 345 678 901 · Version 1.0 · Effective 1 June 2026
Our commitment
Example Provider Pty Ltd welcomes complaints and feedback. Every participant has the right to raise a concern without fear of it affecting their supports, and we treat complaints as an opportunity to improve. This policy meets our obligations under the NDIS (Complaints Management and Resolution) Rules 2018.
Principles
- Complaints are free and taken seriously, and we handle them sensitively. We share information from a complaint only where we need to look into it, keep someone safe, or meet a legal or reporting obligation.
- Participants can have a family member, friend or advocate help them at any time.
- No participant will be treated unfairly, or have their supports affected, because they made a complaint.
- We acknowledge complaints quickly, deal with them respectfully, and keep the person informed.
- Complaints are handled with procedural fairness for everyone involved - including the worker or person a complaint is about, who is told what has been raised and given a fair opportunity to respond before any decision is made.
How to make a complaint
A participant, their family, an advocate or anyone else can make a complaint in any of these ways:
- Speak to your support worker or contact Example Provider Pty Ltd directly: Sarah Mitchell, sarah@example.com.au, 0400 123 456.
- In person, by phone, by email, or in writing - whatever is easiest.
- Anonymously, if preferred (though this can limit how we respond).
If a person needs help to communicate, we will arrange an interpreter, advocate or other support.
How we handle a complaint
- Acknowledge the complaint as soon as possible - normally within 2 business days.
- Triage it. We check whether the complaint is also something more than a complaint - for example an incident or reportable incident, abuse or neglect, a privacy breach, a notifiable work health and safety incident, worker misconduct, or a matter involving a restrictive practice. Where it is, we also follow the relevant policy (for example our Incident Management Policy) and meet any separate reporting obligation alongside handling the complaint.
- Talk with the person about what they would like to happen, and keep them informed throughout.
- Look into the issue fairly, gathering the facts and any relevant records.
- Aim to resolve and respond within 21 days; if it will take longer, we explain why and give a timeframe.
- Tell the person the outcome and what we will do, and record it in the Complaints and Feedback Register.
- Use what we learned to improve our services.
The 2-business-day acknowledgement and 21-day resolution are our own internal service standards, not fixed legal deadlines. For complex matters we give the person a written update and a revised timeframe rather than leaving them waiting.
Get it with your business name on it
The Complaints & Feedback Management Policy is one of 82 documents in the Bluetail registration pack, each pre-filled with your business name, ABN and logo and editable in Word. Build your pack to preview every document free, then unlock them all for a one-off $65. The documents help you prepare - they don't register you.
See the $65 packBefore you use it
- Name the person responsible for complaints and for deciding whether one must be escalated or reported externally.
- List the external bodies that apply to your services and state or territory, with their contact details.
- Make sure the timeframes match what you can really do - and what your service agreements and participant handbook say.
- Pair it with a complaints register and acknowledgement and outcome letters, so every complaint leaves a record.
A template is a starting point. An auditor looks for a document that matches how your business really runs and evidence that you follow it, so read it through and change anything that isn't true for you.
Common questions
Do NDIS providers need a complaints policy?
Registered NDIS providers must have a complaints management and resolution system, and it is assessed at audit under both the Core Module and the Verification Module. A written policy, a complaints register and records of how complaints were handled are the usual evidence.
How quickly should an NDIS provider respond to a complaint?
The rules don't set one timeframe for every provider. This template commits to acknowledging a complaint within 2 business days and aiming to resolve it within 21 days, explaining why and giving a new timeframe if it will take longer. Choose timeframes you can keep, and use the same ones in your participant handbook.
Can a participant complain to the NDIS Commission instead?
Yes, at any stage - before, during or after raising it with the provider, and anonymously if they prefer. The Commission is on 1800 035 544. The template says this plainly, because telling people about the Commission is part of a fair complaints process.
What is the difference between a complaint and an incident?
A complaint is someone telling you they are unhappy with a support or how they were treated. An incident is something that happened, such as an injury or alleged abuse. A complaint can reveal an incident, and some incidents must be reported to the Commission, so the complaints and incident management policies work together.
Related templates
The section list and page one are read from the current version of the document, so they match what you download. This page is general information to help you prepare for NDIS registration. It isn't legal or compliance advice and isn't affiliated with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission or the NDIA.