The Social Services Regulator is committed to listening to you and responding to your concerns.
How to get help if you feel unsafe
If there is an emergency, or you or someone else is in danger, then call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
For mental health or wellbeing support, you can contact Headspace(opens in a new window) or Beyond Blue.
Get help or raise a concern about a social service provider
The Social Services Regulator regulates the Social Services Standards and the Victorian Child Safe Standards (for the social services sector). That means we accept feedback and concerns for the purpose of monitoring and enforcing compliance with these standards.
If you receive social services in Victoria, you have the right to raise concerns that an organisation may not be complying with the Social Services or Child Safe standards.
It is important that service users are protected from harm and receive safe social services.
For more information on your right to raise concerns about the safety of a social service, please contact us via:
- Email: enquiries@ssr.vic.gov.au
- Mail: Social Services Regulator, PO Box 1106, Collingwood, 3066
How to provide feedback or make a complaint about the Social Services Regulator
If you want to make a complaint about the Social Services Regulator – not about another agency or organisation – you can provide feedback by:
- Email: feedback@ssr.vic.gov.au
- Mail: Social Services Regulator, PO Box 1106, Collingwood, 3066
What can you make a complaint about?
You can make a complaint about any service provided directly by the Social Services Regulator. We can always do better and we listen to people, their advocates and representatives.
We want to know if:
- You feel a service is unsatisfactory
- You did not receive enough information or choice
- You were denied respect, dignity or privacy.
When handling your complaint we will:
- Provide information that is helpful, accurate, and easy to understand
- Be courteous and considerate in our communication
- Promptly refer requests to the appropriate person
- Respond to your matter within a reasonable time
- Keep you informed of progress or delays.
If you need assistance
There are a number of advocacy organisations in Victoria that provide advocacy services. They can be contacted by anyone who needs assistance when communicating with the Social Services Regulator.
If you prefer or need another person or organisation to assist or represent you in making and/or resolving your complaint with the Social Services Regulator, we will communicate with you through your representative. Anyone can represent a person who would like to make a complaint, with their consent.
We will ask for your permission before we communicate with your advocate. You can give your permission in writing or over the phone.
Anonymous complaints
There are a couple of ways to make an anonymous complaint.
- You can make a complaint without disclosing who you are.
- You can provide your name and contact details but ask to have your complaint marked anonymous. We will not pass your information on to anyone if you do this.
If you make an anonymous complaint, we will not be able to:
- contact you if we need more information
- let you know the outcome of your complaint.
Please let us know if disclosing your name or us passing on your information worries you.
Other organisations you can contact
You may also wish to take your complaint to another organisation.
The Victorian Ombudsman has the power to investigate complaints about state and local government authorities. The Ombudsman investigates complaints made about decisions, actions or inaction by these bodies. Information is available on the Victorian Ombudsman website(opens in a new window).
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