The right process

Issue: Children’s aid society

A mother called our Children and Youth Unit after her local children’s aid society told her it would not review her complaint due to a lack of information. The agency had a policy that stated a complaint must first be filed with a caseworker, then a supervisor, before it could be submitted to its internal complaint review process. Our staff determined that the agency did not follow existing government guidelines on processing a complaint, which say a panel must be convened so the complainant can discuss their matter with people not involved in the case. We ensured the mother had her complaint reviewed.