Complaints Policy
Complaints from
Non-collective Members Policy:
(revised September 1999 Core)
Non-members include primarily women receiving counselling or other services from SASC, but can also include other non-members such as community contacts, contract workers or Friends of SASC (e.g. members of SASC's Fundraising Committee).
Sharing our complaint policy with non-members receiving in-person services: Any women receiving in-person services, such as individual and/or group counselling or advocacy, will be given a copy of this policy of rights, which includes women’s complaint options, early on in her contact with SASC. A copy will also be posted in the waiting room. Since we cannot assume equal access to written English, the Collective member handing it to her will explain what it is, what it is for, and what it says. The reason for handing out this information is to give the women as much control, information and power as possible to speak out and to protect herself. This will give SASC the opportunity to make changes, when needed, to the support work we provide, as well as other aspects of the organization.
Sharing our complaint policy with all other non-members: All Collective members are encouraged whenever it seems appropriate to share our complaint procedures and options with any non-member who may not necessarily have access to the sheet of paper that explains it in writing -- for example any women receiving services primarily over the phone, community contacts, or any other non-member who even hints that she may have a complaint, suggestion or feedback. The reason for this is to increase our accountability to the women we serve and to our community.
Rights of the non-member making a complaint:
1. Right to confidentiality. This means that we will keep any information about her and the complaint confidential within SASC. Her name will not be recorded in writing anywhere. Information about the complaint will probably be shared among Collective members.
2. Right to make her complaint either in writing, on tape or in-person. We will document all complaints and our own responses for the purpose of information-sharing and learning within SASC only.
3. Right to an advocate or advocates of her own choosing at all times. Advocates must be women to respect our women-only space at SASC.
4. Right to bring female witnesses, to bring signed statements from witnesses, and to bring up any other information if it has to do with the complaint.
5. Right to suggest behaviour changes or actions that SASC or SASC members could make in response to the complaint.
6. Right to challenge the presence of any SASC member based on her possible bias or conflict of interest.
7. Right to accessibility. This means that SASC will pay for wheelchair accessible space, interpreters, attendants, child care or transportation costs as necessary, or take any other steps that would allow the women the chance to participate fully.
8. Right to full information about our complaint policies and procedures, as well as how SASC makes decisions as a collective around complaints.
9. Right to be treated with respect and to be listened to. This includes no name-calling, no insults, and honest and clear communication.
10. Right to receive in writing or on tape in plain language what action or behaviour change that SASC or SASC members will take in response to her complaint with reasons. Right to have the outcome explained to her in-person, in addition to a written or taped response.
Rights of the SASC member(s) receiving the complaint:
1. Right to knowledge of the complaint and how it will be handled. This means that she/they will be able to read the written version of the complaint as soon as it is available and that she/they can ask for verbal information about the complaint from other Collective members.
2. Right to give her side of the story -- in writing, on tape or in-person to the Collective member(s) or committee handling the complaint.
3. Right to one advocate of her choice at all times. She may have more than one advocate, however she may not have more advocates than the non-member giving the complaint as this may create an unnecessary power imbalance. We recognize that many non-members have less power than SASC members in any proceeding that SASC is sponsoring. The only exception to this could be in the case where the non-member does not want an advocate, in which case the Collective member may have only one. The Collective members handling the complaint have the final say in whether or not the number of her advocates will be limited.
4. Right to bring female witnesses, to bring signed statements from witnesses, and to bring up any other information if it has to do with the complaint to the Collective members handling the complaint.
5. Right to challenge the presence of any SASC member based on her possible bias or conflict of interest.
6. Right to accessibility. This means that SASC will pay for wheelchair accessible space, interpreters, attendants, child care or transportation costs as necessary, or take any other steps that would allow the women the chance to participate fully.
7. Right to be treated with respect and to be listened to. This includes no name-calling, no insults, and honest and clear communication.
8. Right to receive in writing or on tape in plain language what action or behaviour change that will be required of them or that SASC or other SASC members will take in response to the complaint, with reasons. Right to have the outcome explained in-person, in addition to a written or taped response.
Responsibilities of SASC when dealing with a complaint:
1. Responsible for dealing with complaints within a reasonable time-frame.
2. SASC members are responsible for letting SASC know of their own conflicts of interest or bias, and to withdraw from any proceedings to handle the complaint, unless they are directly involved.
3. If the complaint is directed to all of SASC, the Core Committee is responsible for making a response.
4. Responsible for making a decision, with reasons, and to put it in writing in plain language. Responsible for sharing the decision with all women involved in a way that is accessible to them.
5. Responsible for keeping a written record in plain language of all complaints, proceedings and outcomes. This written record should be available to be read by any Collective member, but should be kept confidential within SASC. Names of non-members should not be recorded to ensure confidentiality.
Complaint option 1: anonymous complaint in the Suggestion Box: Any non-member may make a written and anonymous complaint, suggestion or feedback by placing it in the Suggestion Box provided in the waiting room. On the box there will be a sign that explains our complaint policy.
Outcome: Anonymous complaints along with all other feedback from the Suggestion Box will be shared with the Collective. If it is a general counselling issue, it will go the Counselling Committee. All other issues will go to the Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints Committee. If there is a complaint about the actions of a specific Collective member(s) or committee, they will be asked for their side of the story. There will be no way of checking out any of the information with the woman making the complaint and our action or response may be limited or less powerful because of this. We will also have no way of informing the woman who made the complaint what action or non-action we took. All anonymous complaints and our response will be recorded and kept in the Accountability and Complaints Binder.
Complaint option 2: anonymous phone complaint: Any non-member may make an anonymous complaint to any Collective member on the phone. The Collective member will explain to the woman that she will write the complaint down to the best of her ability and will share it with either the Counselling or the Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints Committee.
Outcome: The Collective member who heard the complaint will bring it in writing to the Counselling Committee if it is a general counselling issue, or to the Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints Committee.
Complaint option 3: complaint in writing or on tape: A non-member may put a complaint in writing or on tape with a first name (does not have to be her real name) and some way of contacting her, such as a daytime phone number. The Collective member who receives it will ask her if she minds being contacted for further clarification or questions, and for telling her the outcome. If she does not wish to be contacted, the Collective member can make other mutually-agreeable arrangements for her to hear about the outcome.
Outcome: The Collective member who receives it has the responsibility of taking it to Counselling Committee if it is a general counselling issue or to the Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints Committee. The committee then has the responsibility for dealing with it, meaning gathering as much information as possible from all sides, making a decision with reasons in writing as to what action or behaviour change should be taken, and communicating the decision to the woman who made the complaint and to the Collective in a way that is accessible to all. The complaint and response will be recorded and kept in the Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints Committee Binder, however the name of the woman who made the complaint will not be included there for confidentiality.
Complaint option 4: verbal complaint: A non-member may make a verbal complaint either over the phone or in-person. The Collective member who hears it will write it down, inform the woman that it will be put in writing, and offer to read it back to her if necessary to clarify it. She will inform the woman that it will end up in the Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints Committee Binder along with our response, and that her name will not be recorded there. The Collective member will ask for a first name (doesn't have to be her real one) and a daytime phone number. She will be asked if she minds being contacted for further clarification or questions, and for telling her the outcome. If she does not wish to be contacted, the Collective member can make other mutually-agreeable arrangements for her to hear about the outcome.
Outcome: Same as for a complaint in writing or on tape.
Complaint option 5: full in-person complaint procedure: A non- member may request to deliver and process her complaint in- person with the Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints Committee. The Collective member(s) and/or committee who are directly involved in the complaint may be present or not present as the woman chooses. This option is open to woman only. The Collective member who receives this request will take a first name, daytime phone number, the names of SASC members or committees in question (the complaint could be about the whole Collective), a summary of what the complaint is about, what location(s) for a meeting would be OK with her, how many advocates she would like to bring, and a couple of convenient dates and times. The Collective member will take the request to the Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints Committee.
Outcome: The Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints Committee will meet with the woman with the complaint as well as the collective member in question (if appropriate) to gather all relevant information. The woman with the complaint will also be asked what she would like as an outcome to her complaint. If the collective member is asked not to be present for this meeting by the woman, she will be given the opportunity at a later date to respond to the complaint. The committee will meet to make their decision, and inform all parties as appropriate. Note: SASC has a detailed Complaints Procedure that the Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints committee will use to guide their process.
(revised September 1999 Core)
Non-members include primarily women receiving counselling or other services from SASC, but can also include other non-members such as community contacts, contract workers or Friends of SASC (e.g. members of SASC's Fundraising Committee).
Sharing our complaint policy with non-members receiving in-person services: Any women receiving in-person services, such as individual and/or group counselling or advocacy, will be given a copy of this policy of rights, which includes women’s complaint options, early on in her contact with SASC. A copy will also be posted in the waiting room. Since we cannot assume equal access to written English, the Collective member handing it to her will explain what it is, what it is for, and what it says. The reason for handing out this information is to give the women as much control, information and power as possible to speak out and to protect herself. This will give SASC the opportunity to make changes, when needed, to the support work we provide, as well as other aspects of the organization.
Sharing our complaint policy with all other non-members: All Collective members are encouraged whenever it seems appropriate to share our complaint procedures and options with any non-member who may not necessarily have access to the sheet of paper that explains it in writing -- for example any women receiving services primarily over the phone, community contacts, or any other non-member who even hints that she may have a complaint, suggestion or feedback. The reason for this is to increase our accountability to the women we serve and to our community.
Rights of the non-member making a complaint:
1. Right to confidentiality. This means that we will keep any information about her and the complaint confidential within SASC. Her name will not be recorded in writing anywhere. Information about the complaint will probably be shared among Collective members.
2. Right to make her complaint either in writing, on tape or in-person. We will document all complaints and our own responses for the purpose of information-sharing and learning within SASC only.
3. Right to an advocate or advocates of her own choosing at all times. Advocates must be women to respect our women-only space at SASC.
4. Right to bring female witnesses, to bring signed statements from witnesses, and to bring up any other information if it has to do with the complaint.
5. Right to suggest behaviour changes or actions that SASC or SASC members could make in response to the complaint.
6. Right to challenge the presence of any SASC member based on her possible bias or conflict of interest.
7. Right to accessibility. This means that SASC will pay for wheelchair accessible space, interpreters, attendants, child care or transportation costs as necessary, or take any other steps that would allow the women the chance to participate fully.
8. Right to full information about our complaint policies and procedures, as well as how SASC makes decisions as a collective around complaints.
9. Right to be treated with respect and to be listened to. This includes no name-calling, no insults, and honest and clear communication.
10. Right to receive in writing or on tape in plain language what action or behaviour change that SASC or SASC members will take in response to her complaint with reasons. Right to have the outcome explained to her in-person, in addition to a written or taped response.
Rights of the SASC member(s) receiving the complaint:
1. Right to knowledge of the complaint and how it will be handled. This means that she/they will be able to read the written version of the complaint as soon as it is available and that she/they can ask for verbal information about the complaint from other Collective members.
2. Right to give her side of the story -- in writing, on tape or in-person to the Collective member(s) or committee handling the complaint.
3. Right to one advocate of her choice at all times. She may have more than one advocate, however she may not have more advocates than the non-member giving the complaint as this may create an unnecessary power imbalance. We recognize that many non-members have less power than SASC members in any proceeding that SASC is sponsoring. The only exception to this could be in the case where the non-member does not want an advocate, in which case the Collective member may have only one. The Collective members handling the complaint have the final say in whether or not the number of her advocates will be limited.
4. Right to bring female witnesses, to bring signed statements from witnesses, and to bring up any other information if it has to do with the complaint to the Collective members handling the complaint.
5. Right to challenge the presence of any SASC member based on her possible bias or conflict of interest.
6. Right to accessibility. This means that SASC will pay for wheelchair accessible space, interpreters, attendants, child care or transportation costs as necessary, or take any other steps that would allow the women the chance to participate fully.
7. Right to be treated with respect and to be listened to. This includes no name-calling, no insults, and honest and clear communication.
8. Right to receive in writing or on tape in plain language what action or behaviour change that will be required of them or that SASC or other SASC members will take in response to the complaint, with reasons. Right to have the outcome explained in-person, in addition to a written or taped response.
Responsibilities of SASC when dealing with a complaint:
1. Responsible for dealing with complaints within a reasonable time-frame.
2. SASC members are responsible for letting SASC know of their own conflicts of interest or bias, and to withdraw from any proceedings to handle the complaint, unless they are directly involved.
3. If the complaint is directed to all of SASC, the Core Committee is responsible for making a response.
4. Responsible for making a decision, with reasons, and to put it in writing in plain language. Responsible for sharing the decision with all women involved in a way that is accessible to them.
5. Responsible for keeping a written record in plain language of all complaints, proceedings and outcomes. This written record should be available to be read by any Collective member, but should be kept confidential within SASC. Names of non-members should not be recorded to ensure confidentiality.
Complaint option 1: anonymous complaint in the Suggestion Box: Any non-member may make a written and anonymous complaint, suggestion or feedback by placing it in the Suggestion Box provided in the waiting room. On the box there will be a sign that explains our complaint policy.
Outcome: Anonymous complaints along with all other feedback from the Suggestion Box will be shared with the Collective. If it is a general counselling issue, it will go the Counselling Committee. All other issues will go to the Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints Committee. If there is a complaint about the actions of a specific Collective member(s) or committee, they will be asked for their side of the story. There will be no way of checking out any of the information with the woman making the complaint and our action or response may be limited or less powerful because of this. We will also have no way of informing the woman who made the complaint what action or non-action we took. All anonymous complaints and our response will be recorded and kept in the Accountability and Complaints Binder.
Complaint option 2: anonymous phone complaint: Any non-member may make an anonymous complaint to any Collective member on the phone. The Collective member will explain to the woman that she will write the complaint down to the best of her ability and will share it with either the Counselling or the Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints Committee.
Outcome: The Collective member who heard the complaint will bring it in writing to the Counselling Committee if it is a general counselling issue, or to the Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints Committee.
Complaint option 3: complaint in writing or on tape: A non-member may put a complaint in writing or on tape with a first name (does not have to be her real name) and some way of contacting her, such as a daytime phone number. The Collective member who receives it will ask her if she minds being contacted for further clarification or questions, and for telling her the outcome. If she does not wish to be contacted, the Collective member can make other mutually-agreeable arrangements for her to hear about the outcome.
Outcome: The Collective member who receives it has the responsibility of taking it to Counselling Committee if it is a general counselling issue or to the Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints Committee. The committee then has the responsibility for dealing with it, meaning gathering as much information as possible from all sides, making a decision with reasons in writing as to what action or behaviour change should be taken, and communicating the decision to the woman who made the complaint and to the Collective in a way that is accessible to all. The complaint and response will be recorded and kept in the Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints Committee Binder, however the name of the woman who made the complaint will not be included there for confidentiality.
Complaint option 4: verbal complaint: A non-member may make a verbal complaint either over the phone or in-person. The Collective member who hears it will write it down, inform the woman that it will be put in writing, and offer to read it back to her if necessary to clarify it. She will inform the woman that it will end up in the Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints Committee Binder along with our response, and that her name will not be recorded there. The Collective member will ask for a first name (doesn't have to be her real one) and a daytime phone number. She will be asked if she minds being contacted for further clarification or questions, and for telling her the outcome. If she does not wish to be contacted, the Collective member can make other mutually-agreeable arrangements for her to hear about the outcome.
Outcome: Same as for a complaint in writing or on tape.
Complaint option 5: full in-person complaint procedure: A non- member may request to deliver and process her complaint in- person with the Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints Committee. The Collective member(s) and/or committee who are directly involved in the complaint may be present or not present as the woman chooses. This option is open to woman only. The Collective member who receives this request will take a first name, daytime phone number, the names of SASC members or committees in question (the complaint could be about the whole Collective), a summary of what the complaint is about, what location(s) for a meeting would be OK with her, how many advocates she would like to bring, and a couple of convenient dates and times. The Collective member will take the request to the Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints Committee.
Outcome: The Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints Committee will meet with the woman with the complaint as well as the collective member in question (if appropriate) to gather all relevant information. The woman with the complaint will also be asked what she would like as an outcome to her complaint. If the collective member is asked not to be present for this meeting by the woman, she will be given the opportunity at a later date to respond to the complaint. The committee will meet to make their decision, and inform all parties as appropriate. Note: SASC has a detailed Complaints Procedure that the Ad Hoc Accountability and Complaints committee will use to guide their process.
