MCA Service Complaint Policy
| APPLICABLE TO: | Community members and MCA employees |
| EFFECTIVE DATE: | |
| AUTHORIZED BY: |
Purpose
The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne (hereafter referred to as the ‘MCA’) strives to support Council’s strategic goals and meet organizational and community objectives by efficiently and ethically managing organizational and community resources. Proper management of the MCA organization is maintained in part through policy development, implementation, enforcement, and ongoing review. Maintaining high quality standards for the conduct of employees and delivery of services to the community is of utmost importance. Accountability to the community is the foundation for effective governance at MCA.
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that Service Complaints from community members are handled and responded to in a prompt, efficient, and fair manner.
Scope
The Service Complaint Policy applies to community members and MCA employees.
The Service Complaint Policy applies specifically to complaints from community members in reference to:
- the quality of service provided by MCA—as an organization and by its employees;
- the violation of MCA policies or procedures in delivering service;
- any action, or lack of action, by a MCA employee with regard to service delivery; and
- inappropriate behavior displayed by a MCA employee while delivering service.
| NOTE: For greater certainty, the inappropriate behavior referred to here does NOT include behavior that is covered within the Respect in the Workplace Policy, specifically: bullying, discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, and workplace violence. |
The Service Complaint Policy applies where services are provided to community members through a department or program of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne and no other service complaint handling policy exists as a requirement of legislation or a funding source.
In circumstances where a collective agreement is applicable and the terms of the collective agreement conflict with the terms of the Service Complaint Policy, the terms of the collective agreement will govern.
Policy Statements
MCA is committed to effectively processing Service Complaints and values the feedback received through Service Complaints.
It is recognized that the processing of Service Complaints is an important avenue by which MCA takes accountability for the quality of service it provides to the community. Service Complaints are viewed as a valuable source of information which may prompt the review of organizational performance and/or the conduct of MCA employees with the goal to improve the quality of services provided.
Service Complaints will be dealt with in an equitable, objective, and unbiased manner ensuring fairness and transparency.
Everyone involved in the Service Complaint handling process is expected to act reasonably and responsibly throughout the process.
MCA recognizes the importance of open communication in the Service Complaint handling process and is dedicated to maintaining and encouraging both an internal and external communication flow.
Reasonable remedies and redress will be sought to resolve Service Complaints.
Ongoing improvements to operational practices will form part of MCA’s operational planning and strategic planning processes.
Service Complaints are viewed as a resource in identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks.
MCA’s Service Complaint handling process is publicized to promote confidence in the community that Service Complaints will be listened to and acted on. The resolution of Service Complaints enhances public confidence in MCA’s operations.
Definitions
| Complainant | means a community member who expresses their dissatisfaction with services provided by MCA by submitting a complaint form. |
| Executive Director | means the employee holding the most senior management position of the MCA, who is ultimately responsible to ensure that all MCA employees carry out their roles/responsibilities. |
| Service Complaint | means an expression of dissatisfaction regarding service delivery, submitted by a community member to MCA, where a response and resolution is anticipated. |
| Service Complaints Processing Officer | means an employee of MCA responsible to coordinate the processing and monitoring of Service Complaints. |
| Service Standards | means measurable performance levels or expectations that define the quality of customer contact. |
| Recipient | means an employee who is the immediate supervisor of a person/service that is the subject of a Service Complaint and is responsible to determine merit, resolve justified Service Complaints, and prevent the recurrence of incidents that are the subject of any justified Service Complaint. |
| Redress | means to adjust a situation in order to make things fair or equal. |
| Remedy | is a means of putting something right. |
| Respondent | means an employee who is the subject of a Service Complaint and is responsible to actively participate in the review, resolution, remedy, redress, and prevention of recurrence of Service Complaints, as required by the reviewer or recipient. |
| Reviewer | means a management employee of MCA, or alternatively an external contractor, who is responsible to look into allegations contained in a Service Complaint and report the findings of their review. |
Roles and Responsibilities
The table below indicates the roles and responsibilities of the following individuals, specific to the Service Complaint Policy:
| REPRESENTATIVE | ROLE/RESPONSIBILITY |
| Service Complaints Processing Officer | ✷ Coordinate the processing and monitoring of Service Complaints |
| MCA Employees | ✷ All employees are responsible to adhere to MCA policies and procedures. ✷ Employees who are the subject of a Service Complaint (respondent) must actively participate in the review, resolution, remedy, redress, and prevention of recurrence of Service Complaints, as required by the reviewer or recipient. ✷ All supervisory employees are responsible to ensure that employees they supervise adhere to MCA policies and procedures and to take corrective action when necessary. ✷ Employees who are an immediate supervisor of a person/service that is the subject of a Service Complaint (recipient) must determine merit, resolve, and prevent recurrence of Service Complaints. ✷ Management employees who are appointed to review the allegations contained in a Service Complaint must gather relevant information from the organization, recipient, complainant, respondent, and any potential witnesses; review information gathered and decide what they believe is the most likely version of events, based on the balance of probability; make a determination of the findings of their review that the Service Complaint is either justified or unjustified; and provide a report of their review including their findings to the recipient of the Service Complaint for action. ✷ Every employee who is a recipient, respondent, witness, or reviewer of a Service Complaint is expected to fully cooperate in the complaint handling process. |
| Complainant | ✷ Every complainant is expected to fully cooperate in the complaint handling process. |
| Council members | ✷ Council members will encourage community members to submit Service Complaints to the Service Complaints Processing Officer if a Service Complaint is brought to their attention by a community member. ✷ Council members are not to personally accept Service Complaints from community members. ✷ Council members will not participate in the Service Complaint process. |
Consequences of Violating this Policy
For MCA employees, the consequences of violating this policy may include any of the steps outlined in the progressive discipline model, up to and including immediate termination depending on the severity or repetition of the violation(s) of this policy.
Confidentiality
Service Complaints are treated as confidential. Access to information contained in a Service Complaint is restricted to disclosure only for the purposes of handling the Service Complaint. Employees are expected to maintain strict confidentiality if they are in any way involved with a Service Complaint, whether as a recipient, respondent, witness, or reviewer.
Amendments
This policy will be reviewed by the Executive Director or his/her designate every three (3) years, or as otherwise determined by the Executive Director, from time to time. This policy may be amended by Council through a Mohawk Council Resolution, as needed.
Procedures
The procedures for the Service Complaint Policy are authorized by the Executive Director, available to community members on the MCA website, available to MCA employees on the MCA intranet, and may also be obtained from the Service Complaints Processing Officer.