The Department for Education (the department) is committed to being accessible and responsive to individuals who wish to raise a complaint or provide feedback about our service delivery.

When an individual behaves unreasonably in their dealings with staff, it can compromise their ability to respond to a complaint.

The department will act to manage any conduct that negatively and unreasonably affects the ability of staff to perform their role in a safe environment. This includes all staff in schools, preschools, the Customer Feedback Unit (CFU) and the broader education department.

What is unreasonable conduct?

Unreasonable behaviour can be separated into 5 categories of conduct:

1. Unreasonable persistence
   • an unwillingness or inability to accept reasonable and logical explanations including final decisions
   • bombarding staff with phone calls, visits, letters, and emails after being asked not to do so.
2. Unreasonable demands
   • issuing instructions or making demands to staff on how the complaint should be managed, its priority or the outcome that should be achieved
   • demanding services that can't be provided, when this has already been explained. For example revenge or punishment.
3. Unreasonable lack of cooperation
   • sending a constant stream of disorganised information without clearly defining the issues
   • providing little or no detail with a complaint
   • arguing frequently and with intensity that a particular solution is the correct one.
4. Unreasonable arguments
   • failing to follow a logical sequence
   • not supported by any evidence or based on conspiracy theories
   • false, malicious or inflammatory comments.
5. Unreasonable behaviours
   • swearing, yelling or derogatory, racist, sexist or defamatory remarks
   • harassment, intimidation, threats or violence
   • rude, confronting and threatening correspondence
   • emotional manipulation and stalking (online or in person).

Outcome of unreasonable conduct

Depending on the severity of the behaviour, unreasonable conduct can:

• change or limit your access to staff, students, school or preschool sites and department offices
• result in the issue of a warning or a prohibition on a school or preschool site
• result in police involvement.

Help for making a complaint

Here are some tips on how to make a complaint.

If you need support to lodge a complaint, refer to accessibility and support to make a complaint or contact the Customer Feedback Unit on 1800 677 435.

This information is part of the complaint management policy.