The full answer
Participant complaints are inevitable and managed properly they're learning opportunities. Process: 1) Acknowledge receipt within 24 hours (phone + email), 2) Assign an impartial investigator (senior staff, not the accused worker), 3) Interview the participant, worker and any witnesses, 4) Collect evidence (notes, communication records, incident details), 5) Respond to the participant in writing within 21 days with findings and any actions taken, 6) Log the complaint in your complaints register, 7) Analyse trends quarterly and feed insights into continuous improvement, 8) Inform the participant they can escalate to the NDIS Commission if they're unhappy. Auditors carefully review your complaints register and quality of investigations — a register with zero complaints is a red flag. Best providers have 2-3 complaints per 20 participants annually, resolved quickly and fairly.