Best Practice in Child-Focused Complaints Handling

The Commissioner for Children and Young People Award for Best Practice in Child-Focused Complaints Handling recognises an organisation for best practice in child-focused complaints handling processes.

Recipients of this award will have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to and excellence in involving children and young people in the design, implementation, or ongoing improvement of their complaints handling systems.

The Commissioner's award is part of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) WA Achievement Awards, which aim to recognise individual and organisational excellence in public service.

Visit the IPAA WA website for more information.

2025

Child and Adolescent Health Service received the award for their Complaints Management Improvement Project.

A continued focus at CAHS has been to identify pathways to better understand the needs of children and young people, particularly those from diverse backgrounds who access its services.

CAHS identified that it receives limited feedback from children and young people, and subsequently undertook a Complaints Management Improvement Project. It worked in partnership with young people and caregivers of various backgrounds through a co-designed approach to develop engaging resources, improve complaint handling processes and access to support, and strengthen staff training and investigation procedures.

The project has led to an ongoing increase in feedback directly received from young people.