National SAAP Client Satisfaction Survey
4.3 Satisfaction with timeliness
4.3.1 Satisfaction
- Overall, the vast majority (86%) of clients are satisfied with the time taken by agencies to provide services including accommodation. Just over half (57%) describe this as 'really good' (see Figure 10).
- Very few rate the timeliness of service as 'bad' (2%).
Figure 10: Overall satisfaction with timeliness of service
Question 2C: Thinking about the length of time it took for <INSERT NAME OF AGENCY> to help you with things like services or with getting accommodation, overall was the timeliness of the help ...?
Base= All respondents (n=999)
- Satisfaction with timeliness of service ranges from a high of 94% in Queensland to a low of 81% in the ACT. Seventy percent of Queensland residents describe timeliness as 'really good' compared to 35% of ACT residents (see Table 5).
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| National % (n=999) |
ACT % (n=22) |
NSW % (n=230) |
NT % (n=22) |
QLD % (n=150) |
SA % (n=99) |
TAS % (n=64) |
VIC % (n=362) |
WA % (n=51) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Really good | 57 | 35 | 55 | 47 | 70 | 55 | 64 | 53 | 55 |
| Good | 29 | 46 | 29 | 39 | 24 | 35 | 24 | 28 | 34 |
| Just Okay | 10 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 10 |
| Bad | 2 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Don't know/no opinion | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Question 2C: Thinking about the length of time it took for <INSERT NAME OF AGENCY> to help you with things like services or with getting accommodation, overall was the timeliness of the help ...?
Base: All respondents
- Satisfaction with timeliness of service is consistent across agency type (see Table 6), although multiple SA agencies are the most likely to describe this as 'really good'.
| National % (n=999) |
Crisis/Short- term % (n=297) |
Medium to long-term % (n=399) |
Other % (n=241) |
Multiple (SA only) % (n=62) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Really good | 57 | 58 | 55 | 56 | 64 |
| Good | 29 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 24 |
| Just Okay | 10 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 9 |
| Bad | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Don/t know/No opinion | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Question 2C: Thinking about the length of time it took for <INSERT NAME OF AGENCY> to help you with things like services or with getting accommodation, overall was the timeliness of the help ...?
Base: All respondents
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Demographic Differences
- Clients aged 20 years and over are more likely than younger clients to rate timeliness as 'very good' (63% on average) (see Figure 11).
- Clients with multiple needs12 are less satisfied with timeliness of service (56% say 'really good') than are other clients (62%).
- Clients arriving alone are disproportionately likely to rate the timeliness of service as 'just okay' or 'bad', although the majority found this satisfactory.
Figure 11: Satisfaction with timeliness by age
Question 2C: Thinking about the length of time it took for <INSERT NAME OF AGENCY> to help you with things like services or with getting accommodation, overall was the timeliness of the help ...?
Base: All respondents (Under 15 years = 53, 15-17 years = 100, 18-19 years = 99, 20-24 years = 117, 25-44 years = 466, 45-64 years = 152, Over 65 years = 12)
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4.3.2 Expectations met
- More than half (59%) of respondents rate the length of time it took to receive assistance positively by stating that assistance was provided faster than expected. A further one- quarter of clients (29%) state that assistance was provided about as quickly as they expected. One-in-ten felt it was slower than expected (see Figure 12).
Figure 12: Satisfaction with timeliness compared to expectations
Question 2d: And again, thinking about the length of time it took <INSERT NAME OF AGENCY> to help you with things, was it ...?
Base= All respondents (n=999)
- The proportion agreeing that service was provided faster than expected ranges from a high of 70% in Queensland to a low of 40% in the ACT, with those in the ACT most likely to say that service was slower than expected (18%) (see Table 7).
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| National % (n=999) |
ACT % (n=22) |
NSW % (n=230) |
NT % (n=22) |
QLD % (n=150) |
SA % (n=99) |
TAS % (n=64) |
VIC % (n=362) |
WA % (n=51) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faster than expected | 59 | 40 | 56 | 63 | 70 | 61 | 52 | 56 | 63 |
| About as quick as expected | 29 | 42 | 28 | 34 | 24 | 32 | 36 | 31 | 21 |
| Slower than expected | 10 | 18 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 10 |
| Don/t know/No opinion | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
Question 2D: And again, thinking about the length of time it took <INSERT NAME OF AGENCY> to help you with things, was it ...?
Base: All respondents
- There is little difference across agency type, although clients in multiple SA agencies are the most likely to say 'faster than expected' (see Table 8).
| National % (n=999) |
Crisis/Short- term % (n=297) |
Medium to long-term % (n=399) |
Other % (n=241) |
Multiple (SA only) % (n=62) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faster than expected | 59 | 60 | 59 | 55 | 63 |
| About as quick as expected | 29 | 26 | 30 | 32 | 29 |
| Slower than expected | 10 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 8 |
| Don/t know/No opinion | 3 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Question 2D: And again, thinking about the length of time it took <INSERT NAME OF AGENCY> to help you with things, was it ...?
Base: All respondents
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Demographic Differences
- Age is related to a client's level of satisfaction with the timeliness of service. Those aged less than 15 years and those aged 25 years and over are disproportionately satisfied. The age group 15 to 24 years tend to be the least satisfied (see Figure 13).
- Single parents are disproportionately likely to indicate that services were provided 'faster than expected' (68%) when compared to clients arriving with partners13 (59%) or those arriving alone (53%).
- Women are slightly more likely to rate the timeliness of service as 'faster than expected' (60%) than are men (56%).
Figure 13: Timeliness of service compared to expectations by age
Question 2D: And again, thinking about the length of time it took <INSERT NAME OF AGENCY> to help you with things, was it ...?
Base: All respondents (Under 15 years = 53, 15-17 years = 100, 18-19 years = 99, 20-24 years = 117, 25-44 years = 466, 45-64 years = 152, Over 65 years = 12).
- 'Multiple needs' were identified through use of the following question: Q13 I am now going to ask you some questions about your personal situation. You don't have to answer these if you don't want to. Do you, or have you ever .... experienced psychological problems [such as depression], had a problem with drugs or alcohol, experienced violence in the home [including physical or verbal abuse], been seriously in debt, had a problem with gambling, had a serious health condition or disability other than psychological problems. Please see page 56 for more information.
- 'Partnered' clients may be either with or without children.
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