Independent Internal Review Officer
If a customer complaint has not been resolved through Council’s complaints process the Chief Executive Officer may refer it to Council’s Independent Internal Review Officer for investigation.
The Independent Internal Review Officer will only investigate a complaint at the Chief Executive Officer’s request.
At the commencement of an investigation, the Independent Internal Review Officer will advise the customer that their complaint has been referred for investigation, and provide an estimated time frame for conclusion of the investigation.
When investigating a referred complaint, the Independent Internal Review Officer will:
- Identify the issue/s in dispute
- Identify any relevant legislation or Council policies
- Review relevant Council documents and records, and the steps that have been taken in Council’s management of the matter
- Communicate with Council officers, the customer, and other people who have been involved in the matter, if appropriate
- Request clarification or further information, if required
- Identify any issues or errors in Council’s management of the matter
- Make recommendations as to any improvements that could be made to Council’s systems or processes, for the Chief Executive Officer to consider
- Make recommendations as to the outcome of the complaint, for the Chief Executive Officer to consider.
At the conclusion of the investigation, the Chief Executive Officer will consider the Independent Internal Review Officer’s findings and recommendations, determine the final outcome, and communicate this to the customer.
If the customer is not satisfied with the outcome of their complaint following review by the Independent Internal Review Officer and communication from the Chief Executive Officer, the complaint may be referred to an external complaint handling body for further review – in most cases, this will be the Victorian Ombudsman.
For more information please visit the Victorian Ombudsman website.