Disability complaints in Victoria: choose the right pathway
Making disability-related complaints in Victoria
By Aviva Beecher Kelk · Originally published 8 June 2016
Original article and dated context
We set up Clickability because it’s really hard to know when and how to give feedback about disability services. And you can ALWAYS use our Quick Review link to give positive or critical feedback about any service provider.
I don’t know about you, but I get confused about the Ombudsman, Commissioner, Human Rights, Consumer Rights, lawyers… and now there’s the National Disability Insurance Agency out there too! How on earth do you sort things out?
Well, I’ve done some research, and I’m going to try to make it really simple. Let’s see how we go! This is information about Victoria. Not all of it will be relevant in other Australian states.
____1. I want to complain about a disability service provider. ____
You need the Disability Services Commissioner. They resolve complaints made by or on behalf of people who receive disability services about disability service providers who are registered with the Department of Health and Human Services. Start by giving them a a call on 1800 677 342 or have a look at their website: http://www.odsc.vic.gov.au/
[Clickability update, October 2026: This is not the universal route for every disability service. The current Victorian complaints directory separates disability workers, specified state-funded services and NDIS-funded supports.]
____2. I want to complain about a mental health service provider. ____
You need the Mental Health Complaints Commissioner. They deal with complaints about Victorian public mental health services. Here’s their website: http://www.mhcc.vic.gov.au/
____3. I want to complain about being discriminated against out there in the world. ____
You need the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC). Their job is to eliminate discrimination in Victoria. They offer information, education, consultancy services, and legal and policy advice. Here’s their website: http://www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au/
____4. I want to complain about something that happened at the NDIA. ____
b. If you can’t resolve it with the NDIA, then you need the Commonwealth Ombudsman. They deal with complaints about Commonwealth Government departments and agencies. Here’s their website: http://www.ombudsman.gov.au/making-a-complaint
____5. I want to complain about not getting the NDIS funding that I deserve. ____
b. If you can’t resolve it with the NDIA, you can lodge your complaint with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. They conduct independent reviews of decisions made by the Australian Government. Here is their website: http://www.aat.gov.au/
[Clickability update, October 2026: The AAT has been replaced by the ART. For a reviewable NDIA decision, follow the current internal and external review process and deadlines. An ordinary complaint does not automatically start that process.]
6, I want to complain about a medical issue.
a. Most hospitals have a patient representative whose role is to assist people to resolve problems with hospital services.
b. If your complaint is about a health practitioner you could talk to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Their website is https://www.ahpra.gov.au/
c. The Health Services Commissioner (HSC) helps people get their health information and to receive and resolve complaints about health service providers including public and private hospitals, medical practitioners, and nurses. Their website is http://www.health.vic.gov.au/hsc
[Clickability update, October 2026: The current Victorian body is the Health Complaints Commissioner. Check its scope and complaint process rather than using the old agency name and link.]
So that’s the first bit. But I still had a few more questions!
____1. What does an Ombudsman do? ____
You can complain to an Ombudsman when you’re unhappy about the way you’ve been treated by a government department, for example Centrelink. When you make a complaint__ __to an Ombudsman about a government action or decision, the Ombudsman can look into whether or not the government department properly followed the law or their own policies, tell you what occurred, and whether it was reasonable or unreasonable.
____2. Why would I go to an Ombudsman instead of the Disability Services Commissioner? ____
The Disability Services Commissioner works with people to resolve complaints about registered disability service providers, but the Ombudsman investigates complaints and makes recommendations about government departments and agencies. The Ombudsman asks questions like, did the department follow the process they were supposed to? The Commissioner tends to deal in a much broader range of issues in terms of what took place or who did what.
3. When would I go to the state rather than the C____ommonwealth Ombudsman?____
a. The Commonwealth Ombudsman can investigate complaints about Commonwealth Government bodies and agencies. These Centrelink, Department of Human Services, and the NDIA. They can’t override decisions made by those agencies. They try to resolve disputes by consultation and negotiation, and by making formal recommendations to the government if necessary.
b. The State Ombudsman can investigate Victorian government departments, agencies, and local government. These include local or area councils, DHHS, public schools and State Trustees. They don’t have the power to investigate administrative action taken by Police, the Courts or Tribunals or government legal advisors.
Making complaints can be really hard, emotionally and intellectually. Sometimes family and friends can help, but sometimes it’s valuable to have help from someone who knows the system, can give advice and answer questions, and direct you to the right place.
If you can’t resolve the complaint on your own or with an advocate, you might want to get advice from a lawyer. Each person or family has to decide for themselves whether to find a lawyer, depending on the type of concern they have. Because lawyers can be very expensive, we recommend trying to resolve your concerns through the other options available first. Legal representation is usually provided full fee, “pro bono” (free or at cost), or “No Win No Fee” (you pay the costs of the lawyer at the end of the case only if you win). The best place to get legal advice will depend on the type of complaint that you have.
b. Justice Connect have a lot of online resources. They also screen requests for legal assistance and refer people to their lawyer members who offer pro bono services. Their website is http://www.justiceconnect.org.au/
c. The Law Institute of Victoria (LIV) represents people working in the law across Victoria, and has a service for people who need a referral to a lawyer ([email protected]). They also do Legal Fact sheets individual areas of law which might be useful to you: http://www.liv.asn.au/For-the-Community/Legal-Fact-Sheets)
e. If your complaint is about an injury, you might want to talk to a lawyer who works in personal injuries. Generally, these lawyers act for people on a “No Win No Fee” basis. Try googling “personal injury lawyer”.
g. There a quite a few private companies who we know have helped people with disability recently including Robinson and Gill, Morris and Blackburn, Slater and Gordon, and Clayton Utz. We are not necessarily recommending them, because we don’t know anything about their services. Please tell us if you know of more, and write them a review on Clickability.
Ok, so this is kind of clear as mud, right?!
I have used a lots of lists here, so I’m going to finish with one more: a list of three simple things I hope you can take with you:
Always start by trying to speak to the person you’ve had the problem with first. It takes up so much time, money and energy going through these channels, and if you can resolve it immediately, that’s the best option.
[Clickability update, October 2026: Direct discussion is not an absolute prerequisite when it would be unsafe or inappropriate. The NDIS Commission’s complaints pathway can help with NDIS support concerns. Do not let this historical advice delay raising a serious concern.]
You can always give anonymous feedback about any disability support service or the accessibility of any mainstream organisation through Clickability.
All of the organisations I mentioned in this blog are here to help! If they can’t help you themselves, they’ll tell you who to call.
Aviva Beecher Kelk
Aviva Beecher Kelk is co-founder and co-director of Clickability. She’s really interested in the interaction between economic and social issues. She’s been told on more than one occasion that she thinks too much.
Clickability editorial update: October 2026
Name the outcome you want before choosing the contact
Write a short account of what happened, the service involved and what you want changed. Keep relevant dates and copies of messages. A provider-quality problem, an NDIA administrative complaint and disagreement with a funding decision can need different routes.
Use the current Victorian directory to identify the service complaint route. If you want a reviewable NDIA decision changed, check decision-review guidance promptly; sending a public review or ordinary complaint is not the same as lodging the review request.
Help the person make their own concern clear
Ask what they want to say and whether they want you to assist or speak on their behalf. Use their preferred communication method and confirm what information you can share. Keep the complaint focused on their concern rather than only your interpretation of the service.
Offer help organising documents and checking a response. If the matter also involves your experience as a carer of a public mental health service user, Victoria’s current mental health complaint guidance explains that carers and supporters can complain in their own right.
Questions readers ask
Do all Victorian disability complaints go to the same commissioner?
No. The right route depends on the worker, service and funding arrangement. Official guidance
Is a service complaint the same as an NDIS decision review?
Use current NDIA guidance for the ART and the required internal review process. Official guidance
Find a provider to compare for your next arrangement
If you are considering a change, describe your service needs through Clickability. Compare reviewed and rated profiles and discuss how feedback and concerns are handled.
