Report on AFCA's work to ensure its fairness jurisdiction is well understood, applied consistently and independently, in a way that is fair for members and complainants.
Concludes the Fairness jurisdiction project, a strategic program of work to develop resources for AFCA staff, members, and complainants, which include the following.
Resources
New fairness jurisdiction tool which ensures AFCA can discuss important issues for resolution with the parties in plain English; apprehended bias policy to ensure AFCA’s people remain impartial when working with the parties to resolve complaints.
New decision templates to clearly explain how AFCA has applied the fairness tests in its complaint handling and why decisions made are fair in all the circumstances.
Revised AFCA approach library providing members and complainants with easy-to-understand information about how we handle specific types of complaints.
AFCA engagement charter which sets expectations of how parties should engage to ensure a fair process; processes to calculate and capture outcomes once achieved.
Next Steps
Fairness jurisdiction project outcomes are consistent with AFCA independent review recommendations and will be central to AFCA’s response to recommendation two.
AFCA will be: creating a uniform framework for consultation when developing AFCA approach documents, developing a forward-looking mechanism to review approaches.
Further enhancing systems, processes and tools to drive efficiency in process and reduce complaint handling times; providing greater clarity about AFCA’s role to assist the parties during the process, including the accessibility of AFCA’s services.
Clarifying its jurisdiction in relation to sophisticated investors; and revising its approach to paid representatives and ensuring efficient management of complaints.
