Pain BC complaints policy Pain BC strives to ensure any concerns or complaints related to our work are responded to promptly, respectfully and fairly. This policy is applicable to the public or other external stakeholders interacting with Pain BC programs, services and initiatives. All complaints will be responded to in a timely manner. Complaints will be collected, analyzed, and used for service quality or other improvement efforts and will be reported to the Board (in aggregate, or with specifics, where appropriate) as part of quarterly organizational reporting.
What should I do if I have a complaint?
Pain BC’s Board of Directors has set out the following process for any external stakeholder to make a complaint about our programs, services, initiatives, or related to a staff member/volunteer acting on behalf of Pain BC.
Direct feedback
If you are comfortable doing so, you are encouraged to provide written or verbal feedback directly to the person/people involved in the matter. Many complaints are best and most quickly resolved through direct, respectful feedback presented in the moment or promptly afterward.
Submit a complaint online
If you are uncomfortable making a direct complaint, are unsure whom to contact about your complaint, or if you have already made a direct complaint that did not resolve the issue, you may submit a complaint through the confidential form at the bottom of this page.
What happens after I submit an online complaint?
Your complaint will be reviewed by the relevant member of Pain BC’s Senior Leadership Team who will reply to you in writing within three business days to gather any additional information needed to investigate the complaint and/or outline the efforts made to address your concern. In the case of a complaint specific to the Executive Director, the complaint will be directed to the Chair of the Board who will contact you within two weeks. Should the concern require deliberation by the Board of Directors or a Board Committee, the Chair will take the complaint forward for consideration and/or action.
Complaint review
Your message will be directed to the correct member of Pain BC’s Senior Leadership Team or Board of Directors according to the following criteria:
- For a complaint related to a specific program, service or Pain BC’s communications: The relevant Director will be the point of contact or, in their absence, the Executive Director will be alerted.
- For any complaint not related to a specific program, service or Pain BC’s communications, or a complaint involving a Director: The Executive Director will be the point of contact.
- For a complaint involving the Executive Director: The Board Chair will be the point of contact.
Privacy/confidentiality
Individuals' privacy and confidentiality will be respected and protected at all times during a complaint process. Personal information of anyone submitting a complaint will be handled sensitively and disclosed only to those appropriate individuals at Pain BC for the purposes of responding to and resolving the complaint. Under no circumstances should any individual fear discrimination or reprisal as a result of raising a concern or filing a complaint.
Complaint resolution
You will be informed in writing of any actions taken to resolve your complaint, as will any staff members or volunteers directly involved, including the Director responsible for overseeing program or initiative. Confidential information related to human resources will not be communicated back to clients or stakeholders.