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Compliments and Complaints

We value your feedback, and your voice matters to us.  Whether you have a complaint, a suggestion, or a complement, Kinark Staff are here to support you.

You can provide feedback by completing one of our regular client and caregiver experience surveys. This feedback helps us know whether we’re meeting your expectations, and it is used to inform our practice.

If you have a compliment, you may share it any time with the staff member involved, their Supervisor, the Program Director, Chief Operating Officer, and/or the President and CEO.

If you have a complaint, you can use our internal reporting process, which is designed to be timely, comprehensive, and responsive.  With this process, you may choose to share your complaint directly with the staff member involved, their Supervisor, or raise your concern to the attention of the Program Director, Chief Operating Officer, and/or the President and CEO.

How Client Relations at Kinark Supports You

At Kinark, we are committed to providing you and your family members with the highest possible quality of services.  We also know that there may be times when you, a family, or a community member, need help to find information or voice a concern.

If you are a client, or family member of a client, currently receiving care from Kinark and you have a concern, you can follow the outlined process:

  • Speak with the Kinark staff member directly involved in your care;
  • Ask to speak with your primary contact’s supervisor or the manager of the local program in which you are receiving services;
  • A supervisor/manager may bring your concern forward to the Program Director (or you can ask for your concern to be brought to the director); and
  • If needed, the Program/Forensic Director can help you contact the Chief Operating Officer or the President and Chief Executive Officer.

If you do not feel comfortable with a specific step, you may contact another individual of your choosing to address your concern. If you do not feel comfortable with any of the steps listed within the process, you may contact the Ombudsman regarding your concerns and complaints.  You may contact the Ombudsman at any time.

Please be assured that you will not face any negative consequences for voicing your concern. If you feel you have received negative consequences due to voicing your concerns, you may contact the Ombudsman to discuss your experience.

Concerns About Your Rights

We understand that sometimes clients may be concerned about their treatment or feel that their rights have been violated. If you feel this way, we want to hear from you so we can address it right away to ensure that you and your family are receiving the support you need.

If you bring forward a concern or complaint regarding your rights:

  • Kinark staff will respond within one (1) day and will work with you to understand how to support you while we investigate your concern or complaint.
  • A supervisor/manager or other designated leader can keep you updated when asked, and at least every fifteen (15) calendar days until the complaint is resolved.
  • All complaints/concerns are recorded in a Complaint Log.
  • Once an investigation has been completed and it is determined what will be done about the complaint, Kinark staff must let you or the person who made the complaint know about their decision in writing.

Communicating Your Concerns

We want you to know that at Kinark we take concerns very seriously and view them as an opportunity to make programs and services better for you. When you raise a concern to any member of the Kinark team, the staff member is responsible for passing your concerns on to the most appropriate leader who will review the concern and take action to address the situation. If you are facing a language barrier or require a support person to participate fully, you may ask a family member or friend to aid you in filing a complaint and corresponding with Kinark staff about your concerns.

If you have a complaint that we cannot resolve at the program level, the concern will be reported to the President and CEO who will help us in our efforts to address your concern. This may include informing the Board of Directors. Following a decision about your concern or complaint, the staff member responsible for the investigation will do their best to support you, or the person who made the compliant, in understanding what happened, and they will provide you with appropriate information in writing. If you are not satisfied with the decision following our investigation, you may contact the Ombudsman directly to discuss your concerns and complaints. When speaking with the Ombudsman, explain to them that you have already brought your concern forward at Kinark and you are unsatisfied with the result.

Ontario Ombudsman

The Ombudsman’s Children and Youth Unit takes complaints from any young person receiving services from Kinark. If you feel that your rights have been violated, you have the right to contact the Ombudsman directly. They will listen to your concerns, answer any questions you may have, and make sure that you are treated fairly. You have the right to contact and receive visits from the Ombudsman, and you will not face any negative consequences for doing so. 

If you need assistance contacting a particular individual during this process, please call Kinark Head Office at 905-474-9595. We want you to know that we are here to support you through any concerns you may have while receiving services at Kinark. We value your feedback and want you to know that your voice matters to us.