1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. GENERAL | ISSUES RAISED6%
Facilities
11%
Students & Parents 2%
Fees
Staff
34%
Practices, Process, Policies
11%
36%
Service delivery
© NSW Department of Education | Document title
1 December 2018

17. GENERAL | expected outcomes1%
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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. NSW Education
Katharine Ovenden Director Feedback and Complaints E:
© NSW Department of Education | Document title
1 December 2018