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Download: KCR Information Handbook (PDF)

Accessing our Services

We work with various groups and people. Each service has its own process and expectations. Please see the services overview section our website for more information. For detailed information, view the drop down list for any department. You can call us we will be glad to help 250.763.8008.

Download a copy of our Office Workplace Standards

 

Confidentiality

All of the services you receive are confidential. We will ask for your written permission if there is a need to share information with others. Some laws require us to share information. Your consent might not be possible. This could happen if we:

• Receive a court order or subpoena;
• Observe a criminal act, abuse, or anything that might apply to a child abuse investigation;
• Become aware that you or someone in the community might be harmed or in danger.

We will do our best to be as respectful and open as possible.

Accessing your Information
We believe in open and accountable service. You have the right to see the contents of your personal information. You can ask your worker for a meeting to look your file.

 

Emergency Preparedness

Safety is a top priority at KCR. KCR has policies and staff practice procedures to ensure safety. This applies to medical emergencies or situations caused by humans or nature. Staff are trained in First Aid, evacuations and other responses. If you have any questions about how we prepare for emergencies, please feel free to ask.

 

Feedback

Your feedback helps us improve our services. What we do and how we do it are evaluated on an ongoing basis. At any time, you can:

• Send us an email
• Pick up a feedback form at our office; or
• Download and complete the feedback form 
• Phone to have a form mailed to you.

Concern or Complaint
Please talk with the staff involved. You may have an advocate or support person with you. You might not feel comfortable speaking with the staff member. The matter might not be resolved after the discussion. You may talk with the supervisor who will explain our complaint procedures.

 

Health & Safety

We focus on health and safety where we work and how we work. We also want our participants to be healthy and safe. Staff follow our policies and procedures. We keep our equipment and facilities up to date. We follow laws and regulations. Our regular Health and Safety meetings deal with concerns. Please feel free to talk or email us about health and safety.

 

Our Code of Ethics

KCR holds high standards. Staff ethics mean we will:

• Respect the intrinsic worth of the persons we serve – by recognizing the uniqueness of the individual including their values and beliefs as well as their potential for growth and development.
• Effect social change for the overall benefit of the community – by advocating for public policies and community services that meet the needs of the individuals served.
• Be an integral part of the agency and embody its philosophy and mission statement by promoting the physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual health, safety and well-being of all participants, their families and support networks, and the communities they live in.
• Act with integrity in association with participants, community partners, volunteers, and co-workers – by maintaining professional conduct and self-discipline to ensure each participant’s needs remain the primary focus.
• Abide by the standards and policies set out in the KCR Policy and Procedures Manuals – by becoming familiar with and complying with KCR standards and policies.
• Be competent in the performance of the services and functions undertaken on behalf of persons we serve – by recognizing the need to further professional knowledge and skills as well as assisting others to further themselves that includes adding to the professional body of knowledge through involvement with research.
• Act in a conscientious, diligent and efficient manner by being committed to a competent and accountable practice that is both ethical and responsible.
• Maintain a professional participant-staff or volunteer-staff relationship while employed with KCR- by practicing in a way that emphasizes partnerships with the participant, their family and support network, and the community including other community agencies.
• Protect confidentiality whenever legally able to do so – by adhering to KCR policies involving participant confidentiality and privacy.
• Ensure that outside interests do not jeopardize our professional judgment, independence or competence – by remaining self-aware of biases, pressures, and limitations in working with participants.
• Work for the creation and maintenance of workplace conditions and policies, which are consistent with excellent practice standards – by committing to excellence through personal, professional, agency, and community development.

We use this Code of Ethics to guide our work. We role model this list when working in our building or out in the community. We will be ethical, respectful, and competent at all times. Violation of our Code can damage work relationships and staff might be dismissed.

Note: Staff means any person at KCR who interacts with any participant or family member. This includes paid employees, contractors, practicum students and volunteers.

Personal Conduct
We will model healthy adult behaviour when working with others. We limit the possibility of being falsely accused of inappropriate behaviour. We will:

• Avoid physical contact with participants that might seem to be excessive or sexual, even if it is started by a participant.
• Be professional when involved with current or former participants in non-program activities, whether planned or unplanned.
• Think about how their own sexuality, beliefs, values, actions, and conversations might seem to participants.
• Avoid lending or borrowing money and/or property from participants.
• Avoid action and statements that seem to mean personal use of or dependence on alcohol and legal or illegal drugs.
• Maintaining a constant awareness of his/her choice of dress and how it is, or may be, perceived by participants and community members.

Clinical Conduct
We will be competent in our work. We will:

• Work with services to meet each participant’s physical, medical, emotional, social, educational, and vocational needs.
• Respect the culture, religion race, and other differences in participants.
• Promote the healthy growth and development of participants in a therapeutic environment. We will not act or allow others to act in ways that cause physical abuse, physical punishment, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, psychological abuse (including humiliating, threatening and exploiting actions), and fiduciary abuse.
• Improve our knowledge and skills and help others to do the same. This includes involvement with research.
• Appreciate the importance of other related disciplines when working with the participants.

Business & Marketing Practices
KCR will uphold the highest legal and ethical standards in our conduct of business. We will:

• Gain approval before fundraising and solicitation activities.
• Follow established accounting procedures.
• Market KCR accurately and appropriately.
• Use vehicles, communications equipment, and other KCR resources properly.

 

Special Consideration Request

If you have a disability that changes where or how we work with you, please let us know! For example:

• Access for your wheelchair or other mobility needs.
• Service in a language other than English.
• Service in your home or another location.
• Concerns about allergies, sensitivity to perfumes or other environmental issues.

 

Participant Rights

Services will be delivered in a manner which respects participant rights, and KCR employees are responsible to ensure the protection of those rights. Complaints, concerns, or grievances will be dealt with in an open, courteous, and efficient manner. The complaint process is an integral part of the overall quality assurance program. The complaint process must be accountable, handled with administrative fairness and due process and openness to review practices and decisions. Those with complaints should be assisted in the process of seeking redress. Staff, participants, and members of the public should be encouraged to seek resolution to their concerns through the following procedures.

While participating in our services, you have the right to:

• Choose to participate in our services and be given the opportunity to agree to or refuse any aspect of the services provided.
• Be treated with dignity and respect, including freedom from any kind of abuse, exploitation, retaliation, humiliation or neglect.
• Express opinions, values, and beliefs and have them counted in anything that affects you.
• Participate in and express your religion and spiritual beliefs.
• Receive encouragement to maintain your cultural heritage.
• Have all members of your family involved in the services you or receive, where possible.
• Be involved in the selection of the person or persons who will provide service, where possible.
• Reasonable privacy and to have personal belongings respected.
• Have the personal information collected as part of the services we provide kept in a secure and confidential manner and not be shared without your consent unless we are legally required to do so.
• Access information about the service we have provided in a timely manner in order to facilitate your decision making.
• Assistance in accessing legal help, self-help and advocacy support services, should you require it.
• Be told what the expectations are and what will happen if you are unable to meet these expectations.

Should you believe that any of the above rights have been violated or infringed while receiving services, we encourage you to make a formal complaint, send our executive director an email.

All participants of KCR have the right to quality services that respect their dignity, personal integrity, and individuality. Agency staff will be provided with an orientation to participant rights during their probationary employment period, and are responsible to be familiar with agency policies and procedures. Each staff member has the responsibility to ensure, through ethical and professional conduct, that participants’ rights are respected, and that the necessary steps are taken to protect the confidentiality of participants’ files and other participants specific information. Participants have the right and will be encouraged, to participate in the assessment of their needs and all aspects of planning the services they are to receive/participate in. Participants will be informed as to the limits of the confidentiality of their personal information, and the procedures used in the agency for obtaining their consent for the release of their information. If circumstances arise which will mandate the release of their information without their consent, they will be informed as to the release of the information and why the information was released. Participants will also have informed consent, informed refusal and/or an expression of choice with regard to concurrent services, the composition of the service delivery team and their involvement in research projects. These limits and rights are governed by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, The Personal Information and Protection Act and the MCFD Charter of Privacy.

We will work with participants in ways that respect their rights. We will consider their:

• age and stage of development;
• gender and associated issues;
• socioeconomic status;
• cultural and ethnic orientation;
• psychological and personal characteristics;
• sexual orientation and associated issues;
• physical needs, limitations, disabilities, and situation;
• spiritual beliefs; and
• language.

We will talk with supervisors If we think we cannot be sensitive to anything listed above. We will also inform a supervisor about any report or situation that seems to work against a participant’s rights. KCR’s complaint and grievance process is explained in our Personnel Policy and Procedure Manual.

Participant rights will be explained in a way that is understood before services begin. We will talk about rights each year that a person receives services from KCR. A written copy of rights is given to each participant. We will support participants in making their own decisions. Children and youth can be with their guardians or advocates at any time while being served. Participants may access any self- help, advocacy, support or legal resource, including the Child and Youth Officer of BC.

Allegations Against Staff By Participant
The Executive Director will be informed immediately. Details of disclosure and other information will be recorded. See staffing policy.

• Definition of sexual abuse: any sexual touching, sexual intercourse, sexual exploitation of a child and may involve any sexual behaviour directed towards a child, whether there was consent or not.
• Definition of physical abuse: any form of assaultive behaviour including hitting, striking, kicking or any other physically invasive action. This would include any form of corporal punishment. This is not meant to include a physical restraint which is performed in accordance with the restraint policy unless during the restraint.
• Definition of unprofessional conduct: this would include any immoral or professionally unethical behaviour demonstrated by a staff person in front of a participant. This would include but is not limited to, verbal/emotional abuse, exploitation, retaliation, humiliation, neglect, substance use, breach of confidentiality, etc.

Procedures for all Allegations against Staff
If a participant accuses a staff member by telling another staff member, the first staff member must act. Action includes:

• Informing the participant that the allegation is being taken seriously.
• Asking for more information.
• Recording this information as soon as possible.
• Telling the participant that the Executive Director will follow-up.
• Telling the participant that the RCMP will be told, if the matter is a criminal act.
• Ensuring that the participant is not alone with the accused staff member.

Participant Grievance or Complaints
Participants will learn in a way they can understand that they have the right to make a formal complaint, file a grievance, or appeal a decision made within KCR. Action taken by persons served will not result in retaliation or barriers to service. Staff could be subject to disciplinary actions should they retaliate.

Participant complaints should be expressed through the following levels of review:

• Talking directly to the person they are complaining about;
• Speaking to any staff person;
• Speaking to the senior staff or Program Manager, if applicable; then
• Requesting a meeting with the Executive Director.

Complaints may be made verbally or in writing. A participant may appoint an advocate to help them.

When the complaint is verbal, the staff member should write down as much as possible. The participant must tell the Program Manager or Executive Director when the response to their complaint is wanted in writing.

Complaints are to be dealt with in a timely manner. A complaint expressed to a staff or senior worker will be dealt with within 24 hours. A complaint reviewed by the Program Manager or Executive Director will get a response within 7 days.

Staff will immediately report any complaints by a participant to the Program Manager, who will report to the Executive Director, whether the concern is resolved or not.

If the complaint has been reported as being already resolved, the Program Manager and Executive Director will review the matter to discern if any further action is needed. Such action may include an interview with or an apology to the participant, an interview with any staff involved, a review of program policy or practices, a review with the agency management team, a review with the program team, etc.

If the complaint has not been resolved, the Program Manager and/or the Executive Director will intervene to seek a resolution to the issue.

KCR staff will attend to the intent or need of the participant which is at the root of the issue and recognize the feelings involved. Complaints will be dealt with to the extent possible within the parameters of program policies and procedures. Program policies relating to the issue will be explained, including the intent of the policy or practices involved.

If a program policy or practice conflicts with a resolution of the issue, the matter will be considered by the Executive Director and/or the management team. The Executive Director may make an exception to policy to accommodate a special need or circumstance of the participant. Where the policy is inconsistent with the program objectives or the Agency’s principles and philosophy of service delivery or is deemed to be unfair, the management team will review and revise the policy or practice.

KCR will communicate any complaints made by our participants against our programs and/or staff to the funding body, as well as the outcome of the attempt at resolution of said complaints. The funding body shall also be informed of any failure to resolve complaints, to our participants’ satisfaction and within the Agency’s parameters, through our internal complaints resolution process.

Public Complaints
Members of the public and other community professionals will be encouraged to express concerns or complaints regarding program staff, services or participants in a constructive manner.

Staff receiving a complaint or concern will refer the person to the Program Manager or the Executive Director. The choice will depend on who is available to respond at the time. If neither is available, the staff person will write down the details and inform the person that the matter will be referred to a management person immediately.

In responding to the complaint, the Program Manager or Executive Director will seek to resolve the issue to the satisfaction of the complainant, whenever possible.