Comments, Compliments, and Complaints Policy

The Vanier Institute of the Family is committed to rigour and excellence, but we recognize that concerns may arise on occasion.

The Vanier Institute is also committed to engagement with our stakeholders and we value your input.

We encourage you to send us your feedback, and we welcome comments, compliments, and complaints.

Comments will be shared immediately with the Program Team. Compliments will be shared with those to whom the compliment is directed (individuals, teams or committees). See the Vanier Institute’s Commenting Guidelines.

Complaints will be taken seriously and will be addressed as quickly as possible, typically within 5 working days. See the Vanier Institute’s complaints handling procedure section below.

See also the Vanier Institute’s Privacy Policy.

This policy applies to, comments, compliments, and complaints received by the Vanier Institute about our activities, programs, services, staff, or volunteers.

DEFINITIONS

Comments

A comment is a neutral expression about a service or action by the Institute as an organization or by a staff member or volunteer acting on behalf of the Institute.

Compliments

A compliment is an expression of satisfaction about a service or action by the Institute as an organization or by a staff member or volunteer acting on behalf of the Institute.

Complaints

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about a service, action, or lack of action by the Institute as an organization or by a staff member or volunteer acting on behalf of the Institute.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Comments

  • Comments will be directed to the appropriate team member as quickly as possible.
  • Comments are used to assist in improving services, policies, and procedures.

Compliments

  • Compliments will be directed to the deserving team member as quickly as possible.

Complaints

  • It is in the interest of all parties that complaints be dealt with promptly and, if needed, resolved or acted on as quickly as possible.
  • Review of complaints is fair, impartial, and respectful to all parties.
  • Complainants are advised of their options to escalate their complaint to a more senior staff person, such as the CEO or the Board if they are dissatisfied with the treatment or outcome.
  • Complainants are provided clear and understandable reasons for decisions/actions taken relating to their complaint.
  • Updates are provided to complainants during review processes.
  • Complaints are used to assist in improving services, policies, and procedures.

Tell us:

  • What are you thinking? What concerned you or what went wrong?
  • How are you feeling? What happened? How has it affected you?
  • What do you expect (e.g. an apology, disciplinary action)?

Complaints handling procedure

  1. A comment, compliment, or complaint may be received verbally (by phone or in person) or in writing (mail or electronically).
  2. A team member or volunteer who receives a comment, compliment, or complaint should first determine the appropriate person to receive/action it. This will generally be the person who has the primary relationship with the individual or has the specific knowledge about the activity or issue and, if necessary, is needed to resolve the problem or to take action. It is the responsibility of the person who receives the comment, compliment, or complaint to forward to the most appropriate team member and, if necessary, to someone who can take action. If the comment, compliment, or complaint is transferred, the recipient must acknowledge to the transferor that he or she has received it and will act on it.
  3. The person who initially receives the comment, compliment, or complaint should acknowledge to the individual that it has been received and will be acted on either by himself or herself or by another team member, if it is a complaint. If a time frame for action can be determined, it should be included in the acknowledgement.
  4. Basic contact information, including name, phone number, and email address, should immediately be recorded.

Responding

  1. Every effort should be made to action comments, deliver compliments, or resolve complaints and received in a timely fashion.
  2. When receiving a comment, team members should listen and seek to understand the comment and may attempt to action it immediately. Comments received in writing should be acknowledged within 2 business days and team members should attempt to action the matter within 10 business days, if needed.
  3. When receiving a compliment, team members should ensure to pass on the compliment to the concerned party or parties as soon as possible. Compliments received in writing should be acknowledged within 2 business days.
  4. When receiving a verbal complaint, team members should listen and seek to understand the complaint and may attempt to resolve it immediately. Complaints received in writing should be acknowledged within 2 business days and the team members should attempt to resolve the matter within 10 business days.
  5. Where a complaint cannot be easily resolved, it should be escalated to the CEO. If the complaint is about the CEO, it will be handled by the Board Chair.
  6. Complainants should be kept informed of the status of their complaint. Every attempt should be made to resolve escalated complaints within an additional 10 business days so that all complaints are resolved within a month of having been received.

Documenting and reporting

It is necessary to keep a record of any comment, compliment, or complaint, all of which are recorded. Information recorded on the worksheet includes a description of the comment, compliment, or complaint; the name of the person who handled it; the date and timeframe; and a description of the action/resolution.

It is also necessary to keep a summary of comments, compliments, or complaints received, including number and type, for reporting to the Institute’s Board of Directors. This report will be presented to the Board of Directors by the CEO at every Board meeting.

HOW TO CONTACT THE INSTITUTE

If you want to file a complaint, contact us at:

The Vanier Institute of the Family
94 Centrepointe Dr.
Ottawa, ON  K2G 6B1

Email: info@vanierinstitute.ca

The Institute will acknowledge your feedback

The Institute will acknowledge your complaint in writing as soon as possible, typically within 5 business days.

We may ask you to provide clarification or more details so that we can address the situation or resolve the problem appropriately.

Help us resolve your complaint and to keep you informed, by:

  • Making your complaint as soon as possible
  • Replying promptly when we ask for details or additional information
  • Keeping copies of any documents, emails, etc. related to the matter

Typically, within 90 days of receiving a complaint, we will send you:

  • A summary of the complaint
  • The results of the investigation
  • The decision we reached following the investigation and the remedy applied to resolve the situation, along with an explanation of the decision taken

If our decision is delayed and we cannot resolve the situation and inform you within 90 days, the Institute will inform you, explain the cause of the delay, and provide an updated timeline for resolution of the matter.

REPORT A TYPO OR INCONSISTENCY

We strive to avoid typos and inaccuracies. However, on occasion we make mistakes. We value your contributions and help in correcting them. Please send details, including the link to the page in question, to communications@vanierinstitute.ca.

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