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Making a complaint

The department is committed to listening to you and responding to your concerns.

We do not manage complaints about Medicare, Centrelink, Child Support or the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). 

Please contact them directly to make a complaint:

How to make a complaint

Take the following steps to get your complaint resolved:

Step 1. Discuss your complaint with a staff member, housing officer, your case worker or from the place where you are receiving the service.

Step 2. If you have tried to resolve your concerns but you are still dissatisfied with the outcome, you can discuss your complaint with a senior manager at the local office.

Step 3. If we cannot resolve your complaint at Step 1 or Step 2, you can choose one of the following ways to make a formal complaint to the department:

  • Submit your complaint online using the Make a complaint eform
  • Telephone the department’s Feedback Service on 1300 884 706
  • Email the department’s Feedback Service via feedback@dffh.vic.gov.au
  • Mail: Complaints, GPO Box 4057, Melbourne, Victoria 3000.

Make a complaint eform

Anonymous complaints

You can make a complaint without disclosing who you are. 

You can provide your name and contact details but ask to have your complaint to be 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 having us pass on your information worries you.

Other contacts

Make a report about a child that is at risk

See our Child Protection contacts page on our Services website.

Report a housing maintenance issue

Contact the Housing Call Centre on 13 11 72.

Children and young people in care services

If you're a child or young person living in out-of-home care and you want to make a complaint, see Making a complaint for children and young people in care services.

Need help in your language?

You have a right to communicate in your preferred language.
Interpreters are provided by DFFH at no cost.

Interpreters are professionals and confidentiality is part of their code of conduct. They can assist you and the department to communicate effectively.

Contact us in your own language via phone

  • Telephone the department’s Feedback Service on 1300 884 706
  • When you call, you can ask for an interpreter or we may offer you an interpreter
  • If we cannot find an interpreter for you immediately, we can schedule a time when you and an interpreter are available to talk to us.   

Contact us via online feedback form

The Make a complaint eform will allow you to tell us what language you would like the department to contact you in.

Accessible guides to making a complaint

We also have a range of information available in community languages, plain English and easy English in the next section.

Guide to making a complaint in English, easy English and community languages
Advocacy services and other organisations you can contact

Advocacy services can also help and support throughout the process of making a complaint. 

You may also wish to take your complaint to one of the following organisations:

Disability Services Commissioner

The Disability Services Commissioner works with people with a disability, and disability services to resolve complaints.

Telephone: 1800 677 342 (free call). Web: www.odsc.vic.gov.au

Victorian Ombudsman

The 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.

Telephone: 9613 6222. Regional: 1800 806 314 Web: www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au

Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner

The Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner will investigate complaints about a Victorian Government agency or local council’s failure to comply with one or more of the Information Privacy Principles.

Telephone: 1300 006 842 Web: www.ovic.vic.gov.au 

Your privacy

We recognise that your personal and health information should only be used, or disclosed for the purpose for which we collect it, or for a related purpose that you would reasonably expect, or as otherwise permitted or required by law.

We will use the information you provide us to investigate and resolve your complaint, and in accordance with our Privacy Policy. The investigation of your complaint may involve sharing your personal or health information with other relevant areas within the department to achieve a resolution. If a third party was involved, we may also need to discuss your complaint with them.

We may seek further information from you in relation to your complaint. If you do not provide us with information regarding your complaint, this may limit our ability to assist you.

You may seek access to information we collect about you. For further details, see our Making a Freedom of Information request page.