The iceberg does not exist according to the Department of Human Services.
Disability Services (DHS) Victoria!

The Office of the Disability Services Commissioner, in Victoria, is an independent statutory body - a pseudo government department - a ‘so called’ independent complaints body for people with a disability and their families.

The Disability Service Commissioner (DSC) says, “A positive complaints culture is one in which people feel comfortable to provide feedback, positive or negative, about the disability supports they receive. This not only empowers the people you support but can also assist in improving the overall quality of the services you provide”.

In contrast, the DSC considers the number of complaints received is just the tip of the iceberg, and the most common factor limiting complaints is fear of intimidation. This is not surprising, given the DHS is in total denial they have any service level or quality problems. They argue this to the extreme, with anyone making a complaint. And the complainant is made to feel guilty/punished/intimidated for daring to question their services.

The DSC is restricted to only being able to accept complaints in relation to ‘individual or personal issues’. They are unable to accept complaints in relation to ‘systemic issues’

As it is the systemic issues which generate the individual issues, the individual issues are “fixed today and back tomorrow” in the revolving door of public service, captive market, safe employment, staff lore - in contrast to management law (departmental care policies, standards and values).

It is the inability of DHS management to properly man-manage staff lore, which allows the generation, festering and re-festering of individual service level and quality issues.

With the DSC unable to consider complaints regarding the failure of DHS management to properly man-manage staff lore, individual issues go around and around in the issue avoidance revolving door.