Two more sleeps before the jolly fat man in a red suit comes down your chimney, through your skylight or rematerialises next to your Christmas tree. I reckon Santa also employs that skinny lighty device used by Men In Black that deletes your memories so you don't know some weird bloke has been in your house. And what about the reindeer. Why isn't their deer pooh scattered anywhere outside? Footprints? Why don't the dogs bark? I just don't know - must be one of those mysteries never to be solved...
I recently asked Alex if he still believes in Father Christmas. After a lengthy pause, he responded that my question was a tad tricky. Then he grinned. Alex knows me very well. I believe in the joy, the magic, the gathering with family or friends and the chance (in our case) to stop and breathe. That includes a completely nonsensical attachment to the whole concept of a chubby chap wearing a red winter suit driving a team of reindeer across Australia when the average temperature may be up to about 480 degrees. I think Santa deserves a medal...
I am rather in need of both cheer and inactivity. We do not have to travel anywhere until 3 January next year.. If I had the energy, I'd dance the Watusi Quickstep in celebration. 2023 has been about as topsy- turvy as any year could possibly be. Somewhere in the winter months were nine weeks of unadulterated happiness as we embraced our Slow Boat To China trip to the North West and back. The rest of the year has been dominated by unsatisfactory dealings with the National Disability Insurance Agency/Scheme and latterly with the ANZ bank.
Both these organisations have commonalities of failure. They have forgotten how to listen. They are reactive rather than proactive. They treat their clients with utter contempt. They do not read documents well and will choose to misinterpret or ignore. They will withhold or deliberately mislead. They do not share information within their unwieldy structures. They will attempt to wriggle their way our of any situation. They do not think outside the square. And they certainly don't appreciate that their participants or clients are their reason for being.
This morning, en-route to Northam, I received a phone call from Kate, an External Dispute Resolution Case Manager with ANZ in Melbourne. She had actually read my case and was attempting to gather all the loose ends so she could offer us a resolution after three months of chaos, attempting to communicate with the many facets of ANZ and agencies that carried ANZ in their titles but are apparently entirely separate entities.
The ANZ Worldline kyc ("Know Your Customer") team and the ANZ Worldline Payment Solutions (!) team are not actually part of ANZ and are not under the jurisdiction of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority. In my estimation, that means these teams can get away with appalling behaviours and impossible-to-understand practices and not be restricted by any penalty. Work that one out, not to mention the implications for complainants such as me...
Kate seemed to be an empathetic and reasonable woman, listening to me, asking questions, confirming the timeline of events. She explained the process that she would follow and gave me reassurance of (hopefully) closure via a Letter of Resolution which would have specific outcomes. She also suggested I talk to ANZ's Advocacy (!) Team so that my specific grievances would be noted and prevent this chain of catastrophe happening to anybody else. I live in hope.
One question she hedged around and really did not respond. I asked her why my experiences over three months were not being taken seriously until I contacted the AFCA. She could not explain. To me anyway...Stay tuned.
I will also be facing the NDIA/S across a table (virtual or otherwise) when the External Tribunal (AAT) decides whether I should be reimbursed for Alex's CPAP machine on disability grounds and a please explain why Alex's ABI (Acquired Brain Injury) has not been included on his profile. One of the NDIA delegates has broadly challenged the severity of disability caused by his ABI and also stated we have not tried all treatments (whatever they are) to reduce his disability, Emily, my contact at the Tribunal was most discrete in her description of some of these delegates. In the meantime, I will have an appointment with a Legal aid lawyer ahead of time and can also involve an advocate if I so choose. I am still weighing that one up. That's early January's job...
Whatever happens with both these agencies is that there will be some sort of closure. I am hopeful but not naive. Wish me luck.
And we will be in the East End Gallery for one last day in 2023. Tomorrow until five o'clock. Then may the good cheer and inactivity commence!
Last day for 2023 in the Gallery - this is what I'd perform if I had some energy!
This is what every consumer based agency should ask!
Which leads to intense frustration and emotional trauma...
I feel like they just toss a coin to make decisions...
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