Comments & Concerns

Our team at the Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo are dedicated to working hard to ensure that we can provide you top quality services, programs, and events.

If you would like to provide feedback to tell us about your experience while visiting us, please fill out the following comments form.

Complaints Policy

Purpose

To assist staff, board members and clients with the timely and effective management of complaints.

Scope

Board members, staff, clients, volunteers, donors and external stakeholders.

Policy Statement

It is our policy to enable clients, visitors, staff, and volunteers to provide feedback or raise a complaint about any aspect of our association, the services we provide, or our operations. The aim of this policy is to improve the quality of services provided by adopting a positive, blame-free approach to resolving complaints. Compliments received by the MCA tell us what we’re doing right. Complaints received by the MCA are seen as an opportunity for improvement. All feedback is taken seriously. We will make all reasonable efforts to understand issues or concerns, and resolve complaints when they arise. The timely and efficient management of complaints fosters a positive, cooperative attitude with clients, visitors, volunteers, and staff. Complaints will be addressed promptly with the aim of providing a formal response within 2 weeks. We will communicate with you openly and regularly while we work to resolve your complaint. Where appropriate, the client, visitor, staff, and/or volunteer will be actively involved in resolving the issue. Once a resolution has been reached, we will talk with you to make sure you’re satisfied with the outcome of your complaint. If you are not happy with the outcome of your complaint, you can ask us for an internal reconsideration of our decision. We can also assist you in accessing external complaint resolution mechanisms.

Procedure

All clients, visitors, volunteers, and staff are informed about the process for lodging a complaint. Volunteers and staff are informed about this process upon hire and/or upon signing the volunteer form. Clients and visitors may request to view our policies and procedures which include the Complaint Policy. Our Complaint Policy is readily available and accessible in our policy manual. Copies of our policy, procedures and relevant forms are available at our office. Staff have an understanding of our Complaint Policy and are available to assist clients, visitors, volunteers in providing feedback to the service.

Complaints can be provided:

in writing by dropping a letter off at our office located in room 1312 Syncrude Sports and Wellness Centre (9908 Penhorwood Street, Fort McMurray, Alberta).
in person, verbally to the Executive Director or by approaching a member of staff
in writing by email to executivedirector@mcawb.org
by telephone at 780-791-5186
in writing by mail to PO Box 5298, Fort McMurray, AB T9H 3G3
Complainants are encouraged to lodge their complaint in writing. This will assist with understanding the nature of the complaint and ensure that the facts provided are correct.

Complainants have the right to ask us for an internal reconsideration of decisions we have made in relation to their complaint. Complainants have the right to lodge their complaint with an external agency. Complainants have the right to seek external assistance in raising a complaint. If someone gives a verbal compliment or complaint, they should be encouraged to put their compliment or complaint in writing to facilitate the tracking of feedback by the service. Alternately, staff will record verbal feedback to facilitate tracking by the association and inform ongoing improvement activities. If a concern or complaint is minor and was addressed at the point of service, staff should record the issue and any actions taken. Any staff member can be approached to provide compliments, to raise a concern or make a complaint. Where a staff member is not empowered to handle or resolve complaints on behalf of the association, the staff member will be able to refer the complaint to other staff and/or act as an advocate for the complainant and assist with completing forms for them. Any complaints received by our association are recorded, acknowledged, and investigated where required. Feedback on how the complaint was managed and resolved is sent to the complainant once the complaint is closed. When a complaint is received, the Executive Director will review the complaint to determine if there is a valid complaint under our policies. If the complaint is major or concerns the Executive Director, the Executive Board will review the complaint. If the complaint is found to be valid, other individuals or organizations concerned with the complaint may also be given the opportunity to submit necessary information. Information from all parties will be collected in writing.

Accountabilities

Staff are responsible for reporting complaints to the Executive Director. The Executive Direcot is responsible for reporting any complaints to the Executive Board.

Confidentiality

All information regarding complaints will be kept confidential amongst the staff concerned with its resolution.

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