Complaints Policy and Procedure
November, 2013 — Approved April 28, 2014
PURPOSE:
This policy and procedure applies to complaints received by Junior Achievement of Central Ontario about our activities, programs, services, staff or volunteers.
a. Guiding Principles
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It is in the interest of all parties that complaints are dealt with promptly and resolved as quickly as possible.
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Review of complaints is fair, impartial and respectful to all parties.
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Complainants are advised of their options to escalate their complaint to a more senior staff person if they are dissatisfied with treatment or outcome.
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Complainants are provided clear and understandable reasons for decisions relating to complaints.
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Updates are provided to complainants during review processes.
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Complaints are used to assist in improving services, policies and procedures.
b. Types of Complaints
Definition: A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about the service, actions, or lack of action by Junior Achievement of Central Ontario as an organization or a staff member or volunteer acting on behalf of Junior Achievement of Central Ontario.
Examples include but are not limited to:
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Perceived failure to do something agreed upon;
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Failure to observe policy or procedures;
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Error made by a staff member/volunteer; or
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Unfair or discourteous actions/statements by staff member/volunteer.
Anyone personally affected can complain and their complaint will be reviewed in accordance with this procedure.
a. Complaint Receipt and Handling
A complaint may be received
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by phone 416-360-5252
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in person at our office at 133 Richmond St. W Toronto, ON M5H 2L3
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by mail at our office at 133 Richmond St. W Toronto, ON M5H 2L3
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by fax 416-366-5252
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via email operationsofficer@jacentralontario.org
An employee or volunteer who receives a complaint should first determine the proper person to handle it.
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All complaints in respect to employees will be directed to the Senior Director, Finance and Operations
o Complaints in respect to the Senior Director, Finance and -
Operations will be directed to the President & CEO
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All complaints in respect to program volunteers will be directed to the Senior Director, Programs
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All complaints in respect to “governance” volunteers (i.e. Board members and Governors) will be directed to the President and CEO and the Chair of the Board
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When the complaint is transferred, the recipient must acknowledge to the transferor that he/she has received it and will act on it.
The person who initially receives the complaint should acknowledge to the complainant that the complaint has been received and who it has been directed to within the organization. If a timeframe for action can be determined, that should be included in the acknowledgement. Basic contact information including name, phone number and email address should immediately be recorded.
b. Resolving the Complaint
Every effort should be made to resolve complaints received in a timely fashion. When receiving a verbal complaint, staff should listen and seek to understand the complaint, and may attempt to resolve it immediately. Complaints received in writing should be acknowledged within two business days and staff should attempt to resolve the matter within ten business days.
Where a complaint cannot be easily resolved, it should be escalated to the next appropriate level.
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Complaints received by the Senior Director, Program will be escalated to the President & CEO
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Complaints received by the Senior Director, Finance and Operations and/or the President & CEO will be escalated to the Chair of the Operations Committee.
Complainants should be kept informed of the status of their complaint. Every attempt should be made to resolve escalated complaints within an additional ten business days so that all complaints are resolved within a month of having been received.
c. Documenting the Complaint
It is necessary to keep a record of any complaint that involves a dispute over money as well as any complaint that cannot be resolved immediately (on the same day it is received). Information about such complaints must be recorded on the Complaints Tracking Worksheet. Information recorded on the worksheet includes a description of the complaint, who handled it, what was done to resolve the complaint, timeframe, and a description of the resolution.
A summary of the complaints received including number and type will be reported to the Junior Achievement of Central Ontario Board of Directors annually via the Operations Committee.
