Feedback and complaints
If there’s something you want to tell us, we want to hear it.
It’s important to us that your experience with Plan International Australia is a positive one. Whether it’s praise for a job well done or a suggestion on how we can do better, your feedback will help us guarantee high levels of customer service.
You can contact us in the way that is most convenient for you, and we will respond to you via the same method unless you specify otherwise.
Complaints and Compliments Handling Policy (PDF 2MB).
Photo: Nesly, in Guatemala, has a better understanding of her rights.
© Plan International
Share your feedback
We love hearing about your positive experiences and any suggestions you have. Whether you’ve received a thank you note, visited your sponsored child or have donated recently, we want to know about it. We’ll pass your feedback on to the relevant team or person, whenever we can. We’ll aim to get back to you within 48 business hours.
How to make a complaint
Policies
Anonymous complaints are accepted and will only be considered if sufficient information is provided. Unfortunately we cannot respond to anonymous complaints. Due to privacy regulations, we can’t handle complaints if you’re acting on someone’s behalf.
If you have a question about the work we do in country we will be happy to communicate with our international colleagues and partners.
We welcome feedback from the communities in which we work. All of our offices have clear and transparent processes to receive and respond to your complaints.
Read our Complaints and Compliments Handling Policy (PDF 2MB).
Have a safeguarding concern?
What happens when I make a complaint?
Every complaint is taken seriously, and investigated in an honest and fair manner. We remain objective, and keep your personal details confidential. We expect that you keep details confidential too.
We will be discrete and diligent in addressing your complaint. Our staff and volunteers are trained and experienced in managing enquiries, privacy and child protection to ensure we can provide you with the best support.
If a complaint can’t be resolved immediately, we aim to acknowledge phone and email complaints within two business days, and complaints made by letter within three business days. If you have contacted us via Facebook, we aim to respond within one business day.
A response to the complaint will then be communicated to you within 10 business days, or 30 business days if it needs to be referred to a country where we work. If this deadline cannot be met, we’ll contact you and provide an update. You will be given details of a contact person that you can communicate with at any time.
When can a complaint not be progressed?
Photo: Meron, 10, enjoys playing with the building blocks. © Plan International
Not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint?
You may appeal by requesting the matter to be reviewed by the Departmental Director. To appeal, please contact us and specify the recipient as Departmental Director.
A full review and response to the complaint will be provided within 10 business days. In the unlikely event that you are not completely satisfied, the matter will be referred to the CEO for a full review and response within a further 10 business days.
In the most unusual circumstance when you are not satisfied with the response from the CEO you may have the matter referred to the Australian Council for International Development or other relevant industry bodies. These organisations will be able to provide a third party voice and opinion on the matter.
We are signatory to several industry codes and take our compliance seriously. Here are some industry bodies you might choose to approach to report a breach of their Codes of Conduct:
- Australian Council for International Development
- Fundraising Institute of Australia
- Public Fundraising Regulatory Organisation
Photo: Girl, 9, learning in class at primary school. © Plan International
How do I request a refund?
We acknowledge that there may be exceptional circumstances where a refund may be granted however once you have made a donation, we don’t normally give refunds if you change your mind.
Please submit your request in writing and include the reason for your request, the refund payment requested, and any relevant information (ie. police report in the case of fraud). We’ll notify you within 10 working days of receiving your written request.
Once your refund has been approved, it’ll be processed within seven working days in the same way it was made (e.g. credit card payments will be refunded to the same credit card). In the case of fraud, please also notify the Police and your bank.
When will a refund be issued?
- An error was caused by Plan International staff,
- An error as caused by Plan International’s system,
- The requestor accidentally submitted a payment more than once via the website, resulting in multiple credit card payments being received,
- Payment is received from a supporter who is under the age of 18 upon entering their supporter agreement, even if their age was originally misrepresented to Plan International,
- A supporter’s identity and/or financial details have been verified by Police as fraudulently obtained and used to make payments to Plan International,
- A sponsored child is cancelled from the sponsorship program and automatically replaced by Plan International, but the sponsor has paid support up-front for the cancelled sponsorship and doesn’t wish to continue sponsoring a new sponsor child,
- Under exceptional circumstances, in the case of hardship and for a donation within the previous three months, an application will be considered.
When will a refund be declined?
- A supporter simply changes their mind,
- The refund request is made in a financial year other than that of which the payment has occurred,
- A supporter has ignored the terms and conditions outlined in their authorised agreement to support Plan International (pledge form or equivalent),
- A supporter claims to have entered into a verbal agreement with an advocate and the terms of the verbal agreement are not verifiable in writing via the authorisation form,
- If a refund request relates to a payment that Plan International has not yet received.
Safeguarding
In everything that we do, safeguarding people is our number one priority.
Violence against any child or programme participant is against, not only the values and principles we uphold as described in this Policy, but also in direct opposition to the aims of our work. It is therefore imperative to our mandate to ensure that children and programme participants do not experience harm, abuse, exploitation, or any other form of violence because of their engagement with us or our programmes/projects, events, and processes.
Read more about our commitments and policies:
- Safeguarding Policy
- Preventing Sexual Harassment, Exploitation, and Abuse Policy
- Whistleblowing Policy
If you have a concern, suspicion or know of/have witnessed an incident of abuse or harm to a child, young person or anyone in the community that is perpetrated by anyone associated with Plan International Australia (PIA), please let us know.
Concerns can be raised through the following channels:
- inform a Plan International Australia representative,
- contact the Safeguarding Focal Point directly: [email protected]
- contact Plan International’s anonymous third party whistleblowing mechanism: www.safecall.co.uk or make a report online.
Photo: Girl with exercise book provided by Plan International. © Plan International
Environmental and social concerns
If you are a community member, project participant, or any other stakeholder affected by our work, and you have a concern about the environmental or social impacts of a Plan International Australia project or program, we want to hear from you.
This includes, but is not limited to, concerns about:
- How environmental and social risks and impacts are identified, assessed, and managed across our projects and programs,
- Labor and working conditions, including the fair and equitable treatment of workers,
- Resource efficiency and the prevention of pollution, including impacts on air, water, and soil quality,
- Community health, safety, and security, including any risks arising from project activities or security arrangements,
- Land acquisition, restrictions on land use, displacement, or involuntary resettlement, and the impacts these may have on livelihoods and wellbeing,
- Biodiversity conservation and the sustainable management of living natural resources, including impacts on ecosystems, habitats, and species,
- The rights, interests, culture, and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples, including matters of free, prior, and informed consent,
- The protection of cultural heritage, including tangible and intangible cultural resources, sacred sites, and practices of significance to communities.