Policy 4 of 6
Complaints and Feedback
To give anyone a clear way to raise a concern, and to make sure we hear it, act on it, and learn from it.
ADOPTED
This policy was adopted by the board of The Schaffa Foundation, recorded as adopted on 22 September 2026. It is reviewed at least every two years, and sooner if the law changes or an incident shows a gap.
Who can complain, and about what
Anyone may complain: a guest at a service, a volunteer, a donor, a partner organisation, a neighbour, or a member of the public. A complaint may be about the conduct of a person representing us, the way a service was run, a decision we made, or how we handled someone’s information.
Complaints may be made in person to a site leader, by email to admin@streetbuffet.org.au, or by post. Anyone may complain anonymously, and we will act on an anonymous complaint as far as we are able.
NO DISADVANTAGE
Nobody is refused a meal, stood down from volunteering, or treated differently because they made a complaint. If a guest raises a concern, they are served as normal that day and every day after.
What happens next
- We acknowledge the complaint within five working days.
- A director who is not involved in the matter looks into it. If every director is involved, the board appoints an independent person.
- We speak to the person complaining and to anyone else involved, and we keep a written record.
- We respond within 21 days with what we found and what we are doing about it. If it will take longer, we say so and give a date.
- If the person is not satisfied, they may ask the board to review the outcome. The board’s decision is final within the organisation.
Matters that go outside the organisation
Some complaints are not ours alone to resolve. Any concern about the safety of a child is dealt with under the Child Safety policy and reported to the relevant authority regardless of what the person complaining wants. Suspected criminal conduct is reported to police. Complaints about the handling of personal information may be taken to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, and complaints about the organisation itself to the ACNC.
Learning from complaints
All complaints and their outcomes are recorded in a register and reported to the board at each meeting, in a form that does not identify the complainant unless necessary. The board reviews the register annually to look for patterns, because a complaint that keeps recurring is telling us something about the way we work rather than about the person raising it.
Feedback that is not a complaint — a suggestion, an observation, a thank-you — is welcome through the same channels and is passed on to the people it concerns.