CHIPS for schools NSW Education Complaint Handling Improvement Program Katharine Ovenden Director Feedback and Complaints © NSW Department of Education | Feedback and Complaints 1 December 2018

Chips for schools: Achieving lasting change in a large organisation The Complaints Handling Improvement Program in NSW Challenges Strategy Learnings Roadmap for the future © NSW Department of Education | Document title 1 December 2018

The complaints handling improvement program (CHIP) NSW Premier’s Priority to improve government services Stage 1: adoption of the NSW Commitments to Effective Complaint Handling through policy, procedures and practice Stage 2: implementation of a system to provide customers with a consistent way to lodge feedback and allow whole of government reporting on complaint data PP12: Improve customer satisfaction with key government services every year, this term of government to 2019 © NSW Department of Education | Document title 1 December 2018

NSW commitments to effective complaint handling Respectful treatment Information and accessibility Good communication Taking ownership Timeliness Transparency © NSW Department of Education | Complaints Handling 2017 Our policy and procedures are underpinned by the NSW Government Agencies’ Commitments to Effective Complaint Handling which have been signed off by all the heads of agency in NSW during 2016. It’s part of a whole-of-government project on improving complaint handling and there are more changes in the pipeline. 1 December 2018

What the chip means for NSW education High engagement from all parts of the community Long relationships Education cluster as a whole: it’s not just about schools 1 December 2018 © NSW Department of Education | Document title

Public schools 2,200 schools 86,000 staff 772,000 students © NSW Department of Education | Document title Comparison with other juridictions 1 December 2018

Size of organisation and consumer group Who is the customer? challenges Size of organisation and consumer group Who is the customer? Organisational culture Confidence and engagement with technology Short timeframe to deliver results © NSW Department of Education | Document title Size of the organisation and our consumer group – how to achieve change in a large scale Who is the consumer? Students? Parents or carers? Community members? Culture of education: highly relational, decentralised, history of change being poorly managed (particularly with IT implementation) Confidence and engagement with technology, and specifically CRM systems Low confidence in handling complaints Confusion about processes for handling complaints from consumers vs workplace issues Fear of getting it wrong: implications for record keeping and reviews Short timeframe to deliver results Where to start in a large organisation? 1 December 2018

What does poor practice mean for educational services? For parents and carers: Reduced trust in the education system – strained relationships over a long period For staff: Over-reliance on policy & procedures and specialist supports in complaints handling For students: Poor educational outcomes © NSW Department of Education | Document title Poor practice example 1 December 2018

Establishment of small team to support change strategy Establishment of small team to support change Focus on schools in the first stage Three project streams: Accessibility Capacity building Governance © NSW Department of Education | Document title 1 December 2018

Accessibility: MAKING IT EASIER TO RAISE ISSUES © NSW Department of Education | Document title 1 December 2018

Capacity building: increasing skills & knowledge Key messages We want to hear from our communities Local handling where possible Focus on the issue, not the channel Control the process One review © NSW Department of Education | Document title 1 December 2018

Governance: data driven practice Centralised data capture through the introduction of a CRM system The importance of reliable data The value of reporting and dashboards Challenging the myths through data © NSW Department of Education | Document title Feedback Assist provides consumers with a consistent and easy way to provide feedback about government services. However, it does not allow consistent data capture with regard to complaint issues or location. To support more consistent and detailed reporting on complaints data, the department has introduced a CRM system to capture data about consumer complaints. This system is integrated with Feedback Assist. This will allow the Department to report on the outcomes of complaints in future years. 1 December 2018

SNAPSHOT | FEEDBACK ASSIST Suggestion 9% Compliments 7% 722 Complaints 84% FEEDBACK RECEIVED Period to 30 June 2018 © NSW Department of Education | Document title Feedback Assist was implemented in October 2017. The Feedback Assist widget, which appears on customer-facing websites, allows consumers to provide feedback, make a complaint or provide a compliment through a short online form. In the period to 30 June 2018, the department received 722 pieces of feedback through Feedback Assist.  Of  these, 597 (84%) were complaints, 65 (9%) were suggestions or requestions for information, and 50 (7%) were compliments. As most complaints are best resolved locally, they were referred to the relevant school or business unit for action. Excluding cases that could legitimately be considered to be ‘spam’ – that is, containing incomplete or irrelevant information   1 December 2018

COMPLAINANTS | WHO ARE THEY? Staff 18% Students 9% Community 25% 33 % OF THAT… Parents & Carers 48% ANONYMOUS © NSW Department of Education | Document title Challenging the myth of complainants ‘shopping’ for advice or action Review of sample of Feedback Assist cases: Root cause for feedback: 88% new event 7% lack of action/ communication 2% not satisfied with decision Activities to resolve the issue prior to providing feedback: 54% - no prior activity 14% - spoke to teacher/ staff 14% - spoke to senior staff (eg Principal, Director Educational Leadership) 10 % raised the issue previously through various feedback channels 2% - attempted to make contact – no response 1% - had formal meeting with school/ business unit to resolve the issue 1 December 2018

ANONYMOUS | ENOUGH CONTENT TO IDENTIFY OF THE 33% ANONYMOUS … 84 % CONTAIN SUFFICIENT CONTENT TO PROCEED © NSW Department of Education | Document title Challenging the myths about Anonymous complaints Sample of anonymous cases submitted through Feedback Assist Reasons for anonymity 63% - no need for response 28% - fear of retribution/ impact on child 9% - other 1 December 2018

GENERAL | ISSUES RAISED 6% Facilities 11% Students & Parents 2% Fees Staff 34% Practices, Process, Policies 11% 36% Service delivery © NSW Department of Education | Document title 1 December 2018

GENERAL | expected outcomes 1% Action against student 44% Apology & Action 11% Action against staff 30% Education & Awareness 14% Change to policy Financial 0% © NSW Department of Education | Document title 1 December 2018

LEARNINGS: the importance of preparation Know your stakeholders Map current processes Clarify reporting requirements and define business processes Define the future state © NSW Department of Education | CHIP Reference Group Learnings Preparation: Know your stakeholders – target the right group (influences) Map current processes Clarify reporting requirements and define business processes Define the future state Challenge the myths Complaints and complainants are scary Anonymous complaints don’t need to be followed up If we make it easier for people to complain, they will! Communication Change management – target the right Support 1 December 2018

Learnings: change management Communication & Engagement strategy Challenge the myths Make reporting real Quick thinking – Slow thinking Clarity of purpose © NSW Department of Education | Document title 1 December 2018

ROADMAP | Feedback & COMPLAINTS Feedback Assist Training for Directors Training for Principals CRM system launch   Feedback Assist Jan 17 Oct 17 April 18 June18 Updated Policy & Procedures Resources for staff and consumers CRM system enhancements & user adoption © NSW Department of Education | CHIP Reference Group 1 December 2018

The most important learning Know your stakeholders and what you’re trying to achieve (and be prepared for surprises) © NSW Department of Education | Document title 1 December 2018

Feedback assist: Word cloud © NSW Department of Education | Document title Finally – an insight into our consumer group. This is a word cloud, which shows the most commonly raised issues in the first few days of implementing Feedback Assist. 1 December 2018

Summary The Complaints Handling Improvement Program in NSW and what it means for Education Focus: Accessibility Capacity building Governance End result – improved outcomes © NSW Department of Education | Document title CHIP as an opportunity – focus on consumer experience and Vital that action is taken in all three streams – projects are intertwined 1 December 2018

NSW Education Katharine Ovenden Director Feedback and Complaints E: Katharine.Ovenden@det.nsw.edu.au © NSW Department of Education | Document title 1 December 2018