Complaints Policy
SARC/SARCAN
SARC seeks to maintain and enhance our reputation of providing high quality products, services, and customer service. We value complaints as they assist us to improve. SARC is committed to being responsive to the needs and concerns of our customers and resolving their complaints. This policy applies to complaints received by SARC about our activities, products, services, staff, or board members.
Guiding Principles
- It is in the interest of all parties that complaints are dealt with promptly and resolved 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 if they are dissatisfied with treatment or outcome. Complainants are provided clear and understandable reasons for decisions relating to complaints.
- Updates are provided to complainants during review processes.
- Complaints are used to assist in improving services, policies, and procedures.
Types of Complaints
Definition: A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about the products, services, actions, or lack of action by SARC as an organization or a staff member or board member acting on behalf of SARC.
Examples include but are not limited to:
- Perceived failure to do something agreed upon.
- Failure to observe policy or procedures.
- Error made by a staff member/board /volunteer
- Unfair or discourteous actions/statements by staff member/board/volunteer
Anyone personally affected can complain and their complaint will be reviewed in accordance with this policy.
From time to time, SARC consults with the general public, business and government, and the non-profit sector to determine a policy position or to gauge the views of our stakeholders. It is not the intent of this policy to allow a person or organization to complain about the outcome of such consultations if the result does not agree with that person or organizations position. A person may however lodge a complaint if a documented consultation process was not followed, or if the process was flawed.
SARC has as its members over 100 non-profit service providers. SARC also contracts with several external companies for the delivery of specific services. SARC does not have the authority to directly investigate complaints about external organizations/businesses. If you have a complaint regarding one of our members or companies we contract with, please contact the organization/business directly to raise your complaint. If we receive a complaint that we have no authority to act upon; where appropriate, SARC will forward the complaints to the organization/business that have the responsibility to respond to the issue.
Scope and Application
This policy applies to complaints from SARC’s external stakeholders, such as customers and SARC Members, who have concerns that SARC is not complying with its policies and procedures.
Internal, non-employment complaints should be reported through management or under SARC’s Whistleblower Policy, as appropriate. Employment-related concerns should be reported through supervisors and the Human Resources department.
Complaint Receipt and Handling
Most inquiries or problems can be resolved easily and quickly, often at the time they arise, by speaking with a SARC/SARCAN representative or by contacting SARC’s general inquiries telephone line at 1-306-933-0616 or emailing contact@sarcan.sk.ca. SARC will take reasonable efforts to resolve issues quickly.
Registering a Formal Complaint
If a person wishes to make a formal complaint, they must do so either by contacting SARC by phone or submit it in writing (by mail, fax, email). The individual making a formal complaint must indicate that they are registering (or filing, submitting, etc.) a complaint. Upon receiving a formal complaint SARC will acknowledge receipt of the complaint within two business days. SARC will also take reasonable efforts in attempt to resolve the matter within 10 business days.