Purpose
The purpose of this policy and procedure is to set out how anyone in receipt of services from ABLE2: Support for People with Disabilities (ABLE2) can provide feedback and/or make a complaint about our services and the process for complaint resolution.
Scope
It applies to anyone who receives service(s) from ABLE2.
Definitions
Compliment – an expression of praise, encouragement, or gratitude about an individual staff member, a team, or a service.
Complainant – a person who makes a complaint or has made a complaint on their behalf.
Complaint – an expression of dissatisfaction made to, or about an individual, team or staff as it relates to the provision of ABLE2’s services.
Policy
Compliments, complaints, and other feedback provides ABLE2 with valuable information. It is an opportunity to improve our services.
Feedback is taken seriously by ABLE2. ABLE2’s complaints management process and resolution procedures ensure that people can easily provide feedback and/or make a complaint and that the complaint is dealt with fairly and quickly.
ABLE2 makes information available to all about how to make a complaint and keeps records of complaints received and their resolution.
Procedure
General
ABLE2’s staff promotes the use of best practices, continuous improvement and an open and respectful culture that encourages and supports participants to make complaints without consequence.
Staff must provide participants (people using our services) with information about ABLE2’s feedback and complaints resolution process when they first access ABLE2’s services, providing participants with an ABLE2 brochure outlining the Feedback and Complaints Policy and Process. Throughout service delivery, staff must remind participants of their right to make a confidential complaint without fear that it will impact their service. Any participants wishing to submit feedback or a complaint must be provided with this information.
To ensure participants understand their right to make a complaint and how to make a complaint, staff
must provide information to them in ways that suit their individual communication needs. This could include, but is not limited to, the provision of:
• The material in larger print formats
• The process was outlined verbally
• The process outlined via sign language or other alternative communication forms
• The process in either of the official languages, whichever is preferred by the individual
The Executive Director, or Executive Assistant, will track and review feedback and complaints to identify ongoing issues using the ABLE2 Feedback and Complaint Tracking System. Feedback and complaints will be reported to the management team as part of their regular meetings. In addition, feedback and complaints will be part of the Executive Director’s regular reports to ABLE2’s Board of Directors.
Feedback
Providing feedback to ABLE2 is voluntary.
Feedback can be provided at any time, in any way, by any stakeholder, through:
• A staff member.
• Email, mail, or phone.
• Satisfaction surveys.
• On ABLE2’s website or social media platforms.
Where feedback is provided verbally, the receiving staff member will document it repeat it back to the individual to ensure accuracy and ask the individual to provide consent to share the feedback. Once completed, the documented feedback would be sent to the Executive Director or Executive Assistant for input in the ABLE2 Feedback and Complaint Tracking System. In addition, all written feedback (emails, surveys, social media or through the website) will be recorded in the ABLE2 Feedback and Complaint Tracking System. Feedback and Complaints will be held in the database for 18 months, at which time the documentation will be deleted. All information in the database will be held in confidence as outlined under the Privacy and Information section of this policy and process.
Complaints
Participants can make a complaint about any aspects of ABLE2’s services, including breaches of policy and procedures, or Codes of Conduct. It should be noted that the complaints process is not for issues that arise about other recipients of ABLE2’s services. If an issue should arise within a meeting or event held by ABLE2 related to a participant, the complaint will be received and processed as per the process laid out below.
If a person has a complaint, ABLE2 encourages them to first speak directly to the staff member to try to resolve the matter.
When speaking with staff about an issue or complaint, ABLE2 expects that staff will:
• Listen openly to the complaint raised by the complainant.
• Ask the complainant what outcome they are seeking.
• Inform the complainant of the full complaint process.
• Be empathetic towards the person and action all commitments made.
• Action situations that pose an immediate threat or danger or require a specialized response. This would include, but is not limited to:
✓ If there are concerns that an individual would harm themselves or someone else.
✓ If there is a concern that a child/ren are in immediate danger and may need protection.
✓ A serious/life-threatening medical situation arises.
However, ABLE2 recognizes that addressing the complaint directly to the staff may not always be possible so participants can make a complaint:
• In writing directly to ABLE2, 1554 Carling Ave., PO Box M015, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7M4
• By email to info@able2.org.
• By phone: 613-761-9522 ext: 226.
*Please note: Receipt of the complaint and confirming of the process will be provided within two working days of the receipt of the complaint. As well, complaints can be made on behalf of a participant by a third party if needed.
If the complaint cannot be resolved by the staff involved, within five working days, it must be referred to the respective program manager. The Manager will immediately contact the complainant to set up a meeting with them to resolve the complaint. If the complaint cannot be resolved within five working days, the complaint is forwarded to the Executive Director for resolution.
The Executive will immediately contact the complainant to set up a meeting with them to resolve the complaint. If the complaint cannot be resolved within five working days, the complaint is forwarded to the Board Chair for resolution.
The Board Chair will immediately contact the complainant to set up a meeting with them to resolve the complaint. If the complaint cannot be resolved within five working days, ABLE2 will bring in an outside consultant to investigate the complaint and work with the parties to resolve the issue.
Throughout the process, it is expected that all related discussions, and commitments will be documented accurately and shared with the complainant. When a resolution has been reached it must be documented in a letter or communication format that the individual is comfortable with and tracked in the ABLE2 Feedback and Complaint Tracking System.
In addition, the complainant should be told at the onset of the complaint process and regularly thereafter that at any and/or all points in the complaint resolution process they may ask for a supporter or advocate to assist them.
Reporting to the Board
A report on the number and nature of the feedback and complaints received by ABLE2 will be presented to the Board on an annual basis.
Privacy and Information Management
All personal information collected by ABLE2 to manage feedback or complaints will be kept confidential and will only be accessible to the Executive Director or Executive Assistant. Disclosure can only be made if required by law or if not disclosing is likely to place the health, safety, or wellbeing of any person at risk. ABLE2 staff must take all reasonable steps to notify the complainant before deciding not to keep personal information confidential.
Complaints will be registered and tracked in the ABLE2 Complaint Tracking System, which will consist of:
• Details of the feedback or complaint.
• Any action taken to resolve the complaint.
• The outcome of the action taken.
• All relevant notes/documentation.
All information regarding feedback and complaints will be treated as private and confidential and will only be released where:
• The law requires or a court had ordered the release of certain information.
• Where the individual, families or caregivers have given their consent.
Please note: For any staff of ABLE2 that may have a complaint please refer to the process outlined in the ABLE2 Human Resource Handbook Section 14.
