Client Concern / Complaint Policy

Compass’ goal is to provide families with quality, respectful services; however, from time to time, situations occur where families feel they need to express their concerns/complaints. Should this happen, the following procedures have been developed to help families resolve conflicts or difficult situations and provide Compass with opportunities to improve service delivery.

Informal Process

If you have a concern or complaint, you have two options:

• You can try to discuss your concern/complaint directly with the staff member. If a solution to your concern/complaint is not satisfactorily resolved at this stage, you can ask to speak to the Clinical Manager who will move your complaint to Step 1 in the more formal process.

And/or

• You can fill in a Client Concern/Complaint Form (on the reverse of this pamphlet) and drop it in the box in the waiting room. If you sign the form, someone from the Centre will contact you and attempt to resolve your issue.

Formal Process

The appropriate Clinical Manager will try to find a solution to your complaint. The Manager will conduct a review of the complaint within 5 working days. If the complaint is still not resolved to your satisfaction, you can ask to speak to a Director, moving the complaint to Step 2.

• The appropriate Director will conduct a review within 5 days of receiving the complaint. If the complaint remains unresolved, you can ask to speak to the Executive Director, moving the complaint to Step 3.
• The Executive Director will conduct a review within 10 days of receiving the complaint. If the Executive Director is unable to find a resolution, the complaint will be sent to the President of the Board, moving the complaint to Step 4.
• The President of the Board along with select Board members and Centre staff will meet with you within 2 weeks to attempt to resolve the issue. Within 30 days of this meeting, the Board’s decision will be communicated with to you in writing. If this final step does not bring about a satisfactory resolution to your complaint, the President of the Board will advise you in writing the steps to an external complaint process.

At any time, you may choose to have your complaint reviewed outside of the Centre. You may direct your complaint in writing to:

Ministry of Children and Youth Services Regional Director
199 Larch Street, Sudbury ON P3E 5P9 Tel: 705-564-8153
or
The Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth
401 Bay Street, Suite 2200
Toronto ON M7A 0A6
Tel: 1-800-263-2841
or
Office of the Ombudsman of Ontario Bell Trinity Square
483 Bay Street, 10th Floor, South Tower
Toronto, ON M5G 2C9
Tel: 1-800-263-1830
E-mail: info@ombudsman.on.ca
or
Office of the French Language Services Commissioner
700 Bay Street, Suite 2401
Toronto, ON M7A 2H8
Tel : 1-866-246-5262
TTY : 416-314-0706
Fax : 416-314-8331
E-mail : flsc-csf@ontario.ca

You may suspect that the subject of your complaint is a violation of the Codes of Ethics and Standards of Practice of a professional college. You can lodge a complaint with the appropriate body. Information is available from the office of the Director of Systems Management and Quality.