possibility that people with disabilities will have more autonomy, control
and self-determination over their lives.^37V. Complaints Mechanisms
Section 26 of the Social Inclusion Act requires service agencies to have written
procedures for initiating complaints to the agency and for how the agency will
deal with such complaints. Section 26 also requires service agencies to ensure
that these written procedures comply with the regulations. Section 38(p) of the
Act provides that the Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations
governing practices and procedures relating to complaints processes, however
as of the date of this paper, no such regulations have been released. The
Ministry has released a “Policy Directive for Service Agencies”. The Directive can
be read at:
http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/documents/en/mcss/publications/developmental/ds_p
olicy_directive.pdf.
The Directive states that all agencies are to have written policies and procedures
for receiving and responding to complaints and providing feedback. These
policies and procedures are to be written so that they are understood by
everyone who would want to know about them. Complaints can be made by an
individual who is receiving services, a person submitting the complaint on the
individual’s behalf or a member of the public. The policy must address the
different ways the complaint can be communicated, the process for investigation
and for responding; timelines for each step of the process; the roles of the
individuals who are to be involved in receiving and responding to complaints; and
how to ensure that the process is free of intimidation or coercion.
The Policy Directive for Service Agencies also addresses the need to ensure that
a complaint will not result in a threat to services.
(^37) Supra note 23 at pages 33-4.