The Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) is committed to providing excellent service. We recognize that from time to time there may be concerns or complaints and we believe that our consumers and stakeholders have the right to tell us about them. We also believe that the process for resolving concerns and complaints should be timely, fair and respectful.

This policy is a mechanism for resolving concerns and complaints about service provision. A complaint can be about a program policy including eligibility criteria, a staffing issue, quantity, quality, or availability of service and privacy issues. The procedure for making a complaint is available in plain language to all members of the public. We are committed to providing an opportunity to explain the problem, prompt action and ongoing follow up until the issue is resolved. We are also committed to making this process accessible and open.

PROCEDURES:

How to Make a Complaint in Person

1. The consumer with the complaint or concern should have a discussion with the staff person at CHS who is involved in the situation. The staff person will assist the person with the process of making a complaint including completing the complaint form in English or in ASL.
The information to be provided by the consumer should include their personal information, the date, a description of the complaint, and what the consumer requests to resolve the complaint. This information should be documented on the complaint form.
2. If the discussion does not resolve the complaint or the consumer is uncomfortable discussing the issue with the staff person, the consumer should inform the supervisor of the staff person about the complaint. In most cases this would be the Regional Director, Regional Program Manager or the Provincial Program Manager. At any time the Provincial Program Manager may be used as a resource.
The Manager should attempt to resolve the complaint as soon as possible by meeting with the consumer. The consumer has the right to bring a family member, friend or other representative to any meetings or discussions.
3. If the Manager is not able to resolve the complaint to the satisfaction of all parties they should inform the consumer of this and indicate that the complaint is being referred to the Vice-President responsible for the affected department and region.
4. The Vice-President may choose to bring the complaint forward to the Senior Management Committee for review and advice. The Vice-President will then determine what the appropriate action or recommendations are and will inform the consumer in writing of this information. It is the responsibility of The Canadian Hearing Society staff to implement the recommendations.

Appeal Process

If the person is still not satisfied with the outcome, he or she can appeal the decision. The President and CEO will consider whether or not due process was followed, This will not necessarily change the decision or final outcome. The President and Chief Executive Officer may choose to designate a committee to complete this work. If due process was not followed the outcome may be changed.
If the complaint is related to a Ministry of Health funded program and not resolved the person can appeal to the Health Services Appeal and Review Board (HSARB).

Guidelines for Implementation

1. Confidentiality will be respected at all times.
2. The initial response to a complaint should occur as soon as possible and not longer then one week from receiving the complaint. Every effort will be made to review and respond to a complaint within 30 days.
3. The Canadian Hearing Society will ensure that all information is accessible.
4. Accommodations for effective communication including sign language interpreters will be made available by The Canadian Hearing Society.
5. Documentation about the complaint will be kept in a file separate from the consumer’s regular file.
6. The complaint form and progress notes will remain in the department or region. The Summary of Complaint Form will be copied to the appropriate provincial manager and vice president.
7. It is the responsibility of all staff to have a working knowledge of the complaint resolution process and to co-operate with the processing of complaints.
8. It is the responsibility of Provincial Program Managers to track and respond to any trends identified through the complain resolution process.

To Make a Complaint 

If you wish to make a complaint, you can use the following form:  Complaint Form