St. Clair West Services for Seniors informs Client/caregivers of their rights, which includes the procedure and support available from staff or volunteers who can provide appropriate language and cultural support, to initiate complaints/concerns or dissatisfaction either verbally or in writing, about a service, a staff person, a situation, and/or a procedure that the Client received.

Clients may lodge a complaint with any program staff with whom they feel most comfortable. 

In the case of a specific incident, clients/caregivers are encouraged to lodge the compliant within 10 days of the alleged offence. The sooner the complainant lodges the complaint, the easier it will be to properly investigate the incident.

Complaints are resolved in an expeditious and appropriate manner.

Concerns can be raised without fear of interference, coercion, discrimination or reprisal.   Threats or reprisals against the complainant or witness for filing a complaint or taking part in an investigation are a violation of St. Clair West Services for Seniors' policies and the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Any staff made aware of a complaint informs the Assistant Executive Director.   If the complaint is against the Assistant Executive Director, the Executive Director is informed.  If the complaint is against the Executive Director, the President of the Board of Directors is informed.

St. Clair West Services for Seniors acknowledges within 24 hours, concerns or complaints received from Clients/Caregivers. 

All individuals launching a complaint are provided with a time-line for the expected outcome/resolution.

If the complaint is not resolved within 15 working days of being lodged, the complaint is attended to by the Executive Director.

If an informal resolution of the complaint is reached through facilitating discussion between the parties, the complaint is considered to have been resolved.

The Assistant Executive Director keeps a record of all complaints for quality management purposes and reports them to the Executive Director.

Complaints that are resolved informally are reported on without reference to the names of the parties involved.

All complaints are treated seriously, with sensitivity and the appropriate confidentiality.  All discussions aimed at resolving the disputes between individuals and any discussion of complaints by management or the President of the Board of Directors are kept confidential.

In the event that a complaint is unresolved after informal discussion, either party may request formal action by putting their concerns in writing to the Executive Director. 

The Executive Director upon receiving written notice of the complaint arranges a meeting to address the issue in an open fashion with all concerned. 

Every attempt is made to preserve the dignity and self-respect of all persons involved.

The Executive Director upon reviewing all the facts makes a decision.   If this decision is not agreeable to the Client/Caregiver, the Client/Caregiver is advised that they may bring his/her complaint forward to President of the Board of Directors.

The Client/Caregiver is informed that at any time a complaint may be made with the Health Services Appeal and Review Board as per the Long term Care Act Complaints section 39.1.  

Compliments received from the caregiver/referral sources and other outside sources that communicate exceptional service, are documented and/or filed in agency/staff records/files.