We strive to foster a caring, transparent, and responsive environment for our clients, staff, volunteers, and guests. We also seek to provide a fair and secure process to answer questions, address issues of concern, and resolve complaints in a satisfactory manner.
If you have a concern or would like to provide input on how we can improve, we want to hear from you! Click on the sections below to learn about providing feedback or making a complaint. If you would like a copy of our full policy, please email [email protected].
What can I provide feedback or make a complaint about?
We are open to questions, feedback, and complaints regarding the management and operations of our organization. This is the case regardless of whether you are a client, family member, volunteer, employee, donor, or community member.
Informal or General Feedback
We recommend, in many cases, that you begin by discussing the matter with the staff member with whom you have a disagreement or complaint. Our employee should strive to ensure they have a full understanding of the nature of your concern and acknowledge within three (3) business days upon receipt. They should also make every effort to schedule a meeting/discussion with you within ten (10) business days.
Complaints relating to client support needs should always be directed to the supervisor or executive director.
Serious, Formal, or Unresolved Concerns
STEP 1:
Any questions, concerns, or complaints that have not been dealt with to your satisfaction, cannot be dealt with at the front-line staff level, and/or are more serious in nature may be taken to the relevant program supervisor as appropriate.
The supervisor will connect directly with you (the individual making the complaint) and listen fully and respectfully. They will ensure that they have a full understanding of the nature of your concern.
When able to adequately do so, the supervisor will provide a response. This could be done in person, by phone, by video, or in writing to the person who raised the issue, having due regard for the privacy and confidentiality rights of individuals and staff.
The supervisor should provide you a response within ten (10) business days from the time you made a complaint.
If you have a complaint about a supervisor, the complaint should be forwarded to our executive director.
If the complaint is about our executive director, the complaint should be forwarded to our board chair.
STEP 2:
If you are not satisfied with the response of the supervisor, or the complaint is about the supervisor, you may bring the issue to the attention of our executive director.
Our executive director should respond to you within ten (10) business days from the time you brought the matter to their attention.
If you are not satisfied with our executive director’s response and ask to speak to someone else, our executive director can initiate a third-party mediator to help resolve the situation or connect you with our board of directors.
How can I provide feedback or make a complaint?
Complaints may be submitted through several avenues including, but not limited to: a physical format (e.g., letter, comment card), an electronic format (e.g., email), or verbally.
If you wish to remain anonymous in making a complaint, please send a letter without contact information to the mailing address below. Alternatively, a voice message may be left at 519-744-0904 ext. 212 in confidence.
Child Witness Centre
ATTN: Kim Rodrigues
111 Duke Street East
Kitchener, ON N2H 1A4
Will my identity be kept private if I provide feedback or make a complaint?
We commit to ensuring any information that could be used to identify you is kept confidential unless there is a legislative duty to disclose, a court order or any other legal requirement, or you otherwise consent to disclosure of your information.
Will my complaint be handled in a fair and reasonable manner?
All parties will be afforded procedural fairness in the handling of complaints, including:
- No service disruption for a client who offers feedback or makes a complaint
- Responding to all feedback/complaints in a timely manner
- Ensuring that all parties to a complaint know what to expect during the complaint handling process
- Carrying out the complaint handling process in a transparent manner
- Providing all parties with equal opportunity to participate in the process
- Treating all parties in a respectful manner; and
- Providing reasons for decision(s) made
We may decline to deal with a complaint if the complaint is:
- Unrelated to our agency
- Frivolous
- Vexatious or malicious
- Not made in good faith
- Lacking in substance
How long will documentation about my complaint be kept on file?
Clear documentation will be retained for all complaints we receive. Records will detail the concern, anyone involved in the matter, and our response.
We will retain records in relation to complaints for seven (7) years from the expiry of the Transfer Payment Agreement with the Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG), under which the complaint was made.