Purpose

The BEST Network is committed to recognising and acknowledging the owner and contributor of all deposits, as well as promoting and complying with the highest ethical and legal standards. The BEST Network was created by members of the Biomedical Education, Skills and Training (BEST) Network and operational responsibilities of the BEST Network will be overseen by the BEST Network Management Committee. The BEST Network is overseen by the administering organisation, UNSW Sydney (ABN: 57 195 873 179), who have primary responsibility for the management of all aspects of the BEST Network, including Slice.

From time to time, issues may arise with the treatment of content or descriptive data or other material or conduct on the BEST Network Portal that may cause a person to feel aggrieved. The purpose of this policy and procedure is to establish a process for resolving complaints. This procedure is modelled on the UNSW Sydney complaint procedure and complies with the guidelines set by the NSW Ombudsmen. If you have a complaint about any matter related to the operations of the BEST Network, a Complaints Officer appointed by the BEST Network Management Committee will take all reasonable steps to properly investigate your complaint about the content, services or conduct of the BEST Network.

Roles and Responsibilities

During investigations, the BEST Network and the BEST Network Management Committee endeavour to:

• Maintain confidentiality;
• Maintain procedural fairness;
• Make all reasonable efforts to ensure that individuals investigating the complaint are impartial and free from any conflict of interest or bias;
• Comply with timeframes outlined in the procedure;
• Communicate regularly with the Complainant to ensure they are aware about the anticipated timeframes, any delays in the process and the outcome of the process;
• Keep accurate and detailed records in relation to each step of the investigation and;
• Provide the Complainant with reasons for the decisions of the Complaint Officer and the BMC.

Submitting a Complaint

Complaints should be made to the BEST Network Complaints Officer, who is appointed by the BEST Network Management Committee, and who can be contacted at support@best.edu.au. (Timeframe: complaints should be made as soon as possible)

Complaints can be made in writing and should include the following information:

• The Complainant’s name and contact details;
• The date;
• Details of the specific incident or issue being complained about, including any relevant dates and times;
• If the complaint is about a person(s), the identity of the person(s) being complained about and their relationship to the Complainant;
• Any evidence there is to support your complaint;
• The remedy/outcome the Complainant is seeking; and
• Any action already taken seeking to resolve the issue.

Procedure

Upon receipt of the complaint:

1. The BEST Network Complaints Officer will respond to the Complainant by email to advise them that their complaint is being considered and to seek further information (if required). Timeframe: five (5) working days
2. The BEST Network Complaints Officer may take temporary action while the complaint is being considered, including removal of an image or content from the BEST Network website.
3. The BEST Network Complaints Officer will investigate the information and determine the facts, and provide a written response to the Complainant and to the Chair of the BEST Network Management Committee. The investigation of the complaint will follow the guidelines set by the NSW Ombudsmen (Section 10 Part B: Good Conduct and Administrative Practice). Timeframe: ten (10) working days
4. The report of the Complaints Officer, and other relevant matters, will be considered by the BEST Network Management Committee at or before their next scheduled meeting, and the BEST Network Management Committee will determine the outcome of the complaint. Timeframe: by next scheduled meeting of BEST Network Management Committee
5. The decision of the BEST Network Management Committee will be forwarded to the BEST Network Complaints Officer who will provide a written response to the Complainant, and where necessary an apology. The BEST Network Complaints Officer will put the decision of the BEST Network Management Committee into action by contacting the relevant Slice personnel and members. Timeframe: five (5) working days
6. Where the Complainant is not satisfied with the outcome determined by the BEST Network Management Committee, the Complainant has the right to appeal the decision to UNSW Sydney. Complaints against the BEST Network regarding allegations of breaches of the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW) can be addressed in writing to the University. Complaints are to be lodged with the University Privacy Officer within six months from when the Complainant first became aware of the conduct to be the subject of the review. Complaints regarding the Public Interest Disclosures Act 1994 No 92 can be addressed in writing as per the guidelines set out here.
7. After registering this complaint with the BEST Network, and after giving the BEST Network reasonable time to remedy the complaint, the Complainant has the right to take their complaint to the NSW Ombudsman (www.ombo.nsw.gov.au).