The situation
You work at the Nexus Care Footscray Centre. The daughter of one of our clients calls:
“Mum said her support worker didn’t turn up yesterday and she’s upset. I want to know what happened.”
Your role
You’re taking the call. Be warm and reassuring, respect privacy obligations, and make sure the concern is followed up properly.
A good approach
- Listen and empathise. “Thank you for letting us know — I can hear you’re worried about your mum, and I want to help.”
- Check privacy. Before sharing personal details, confirm the caller is authorised to discuss the client’s care (our Privacy policy and the client’s consent decide what you can share).
- Take the details. Note the client’s name, the date, and what the family member says happened.
- Be honest about next steps. If you don’t have the answer, say so. “I’ll raise this with the Care Services Manager today and we’ll get back to you by tomorrow.”
- Reassure and record. Log the concern as feedback (see Log feedback) so it’s tracked and actioned.
Watch out for
- Don’t share personal or health information without confirming consent and authority.
- Don’t guess or make promises about what happened before it’s checked.
- Treat the concern seriously even if it turns out to be a mix-up.
Reflect
- Why does privacy matter so much in a care setting?
- What’s the difference between feedback, a complaint, and an incident here?