About us

What is the CRRS?

The CRRS is an independent service that helps you sort out complaints about your service funded under the Commonwealth Disability Services Act, including:

• Business services
• Advocacy services
• Targeted Support Services
• Disability Employment Network (DEN) Services
• Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS), including CRS Australia.

The CRRS is funded by the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA). For more information about disability employment and advocacy services click here - you will be taken to the FaHCSIA website.

Vision

The vision of the CRRS is to offer an innovative, independent, fair, efficient and impartial, nationally accessible complaints resolution and referral service for people accessing employment and advocacy services funded under the Commonwealth Disability Services Act.

The CRRS achieves this through:

• local resolution
• investigation
• conciliation
• referral to other organisations when a complaint, or part of a complaint, falls outside the role of the CRRS
• referral to support services, such as counselling and advocacy.

In all of the above, the CRRS will monitor progress and outcomes to ensure that a complaint is dealt with as quickly as possible.

Background to the CRRS

The CRRS is a key part of the Australian Government's plan to make sure that there are good quality services within the disability employment area. This plan is called the ‘Quality Strategy’.

The idea for a complaints service came out of a report called Assuring Quality (1997), drafted by the Disability Quality and Standards Working Party. This report highlighted the need for an independent service to look into complaints about employment services.

Organisation and staff

The CRRS is auspiced by People with Disability Australia (PWD), a disability rights and advocacy organisation. The CRRS staff are:

Director Consumer Protection

Michael Bleasdale

Acting Manager

Von Coves

Senior Complaints Resolution Officer

Chris Rodd

Complaints Resolution Officers

Fran Krix

Dominic Moore

Intake and Assessment Officers

Perihan Bozkurt

Eleanor Bland

Mel Harrison

If you are not happy with the CRRS

The CRRS believes complaints and feedback are positive as they assist in service improvement. The CRRS believes that every person has the right to make a complaint if they are not happy with the CRRS. For information about making a complaint, go to Complaints about the CRRS.

You can also read the brochure, 'Making a complaint about the CRRS'.