Speak up and make a complaint
The Speak up and make a complaint resources support children and young people to understand their right to speak up when they feel unsafe, unhappy or unfairly treated. The resources also help adults and organisations respond appropriately and supportive children and young people when they raise concerns.
The Commissioner for Children and Young People Western Australia developed these resources to help build child‑safe cultures and promote children's voices.
Resources for children and young people
The Speak up resources for children and young people include a poster and leaflet that explain the complaint process in 3 simple steps.
The resources help children and young people understand:
- their right to speak up
- how to find someone they trust to support them
- what to expect when they make a complaint
- where to get further help.
The poster and leaflet are available in English and have been translated into 11 languages.
Resources for adults supporting children and young people
Adults play an important role in helping children and young people understand their rights and feel supported to speak up.
The guide for adults provides practical guidance about how to support children and young people to raise concerns and make complaints. It includes 10 steps covering the role of adults, actions they can take and ways they can support children and young people through the complaints process.
The resource is accompanied by 2 scenario videos that show how adults can respond when a child or young person raises a concern.
The importance of supporting children and young people to speak up
A child-focused approach to complaints helps children and young people feel comfortable, heard and empowered to raise concerns.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse found that appropriate complaint handling and response is an essential element of a child safe institution. Its findings highlighted the importance of complaint‑handling approaches that are child‑focused, accessible and supportive.
Principle 2 of the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations states that children and young people should:
- be informed about their rights
- participate in decisions that affect them
- be taken seriously.
These rights apply whenever organisations engage with children and young people, including when complaints and concerns are raised. Children and young people are more likely to speak up when they know their views are welcomed and valued.
Making a complaint can be difficult, particularly for children and young people. They may be unsure about their right to speak up, feel worried about what will happen or be concerned that they will not be believed or taken seriously.
Providing clear, age-appropriate information and creating accessible, child-focused complaints processes can help reduce these barriers.
Information for organisations
Every organisation that works with children and young people has an important role in ensuring children and young people can safely raise concerns and make complaints.
Making the Speak up resources readily available is one practical step organisations can take to support children and young people. The resources can be displayed on noticeboards, bathroom doors, in registration packs or online.
Organisations should also consider the following.
Make your complaints processes child friendly
Organisations should have an accessible, child-focused complaints process that prioritises child safety and promotes the rights of children and young people.
The Complaint Handling Guide provides practical advice about developing, implementing and maintaining a complaint-handling system that puts child safety first.
Ensure staff and volunteers receive training
Staff and volunteers should always:
- understand the different ways children and young people express concerns or distress, such as changes in behaviours or demeanour
- be proactive in checking in with children and young people and making sure they feel confident and supported to raise issues at any time
- discuss and invite feedback or complaints from children and young people
- feel confident to respond to all types of concerns from children and young people, including disclosures of harm
- understand how different types of complaints and concerns link together. What may seem small to an adult might not be to a child, or it could be the start of a bigger conversation
- understand their own obligations. For example, under mandatory reporting schemes.
Have regular conversations with children and young people
You should regularly talk to children, young people and their parents and support people about the different ways they can give feedback or make complaints.
You can:
- Ask children and young people what would help them to speak up in your organisation, support them to develop skills in speaking up and seek their feedback on the complaints process when they do use it.
- Let them know how your organisation uses complaints and feedback to continually improve your services and ensure the safety of children and young people. You should keep them informed of the process and outcomes.
It is important that children and young people have a contact point for complaints within your organisation. There is space on the Speak up resources for you to add these details.
Continue to improve your approach
Organisations should regularly review their complaints processes and consider whether they are accessible, responsive and appropriate for children and young people.
When reviewing your approach, seek the views and experiences of children and young people and consider whether your policies, practices and staff training support them to speak up safely.
Further information and support
The following organisations provide information, advocacy or support that may help organisations develop and review child-friendly complaints processes, or support children and young people to speak up.
Information and advocacy organisations
- Children's Commissioners, Guardians and Ombudsmen – different in each state and territory
- CREATE Foundation for children and young people with an out‑of‑home care experience
- Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC)
- LGBTIQ+ Health Australia
- Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA)
- Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network