At the YMCA, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity. If we haven’t met your expectations, we want to hear from you so we can make it right.
YMCA BC is committed to delivering excellent programs and services to the communities we serve. We recognize that members of the public, participants, families, donors, and partners may from time to time have concerns or complaints about our services, programs, staff, or volunteers, and that they have the right to raise these concerns through clear and accessible channels.
This policy establishes how YMCA BC receives, acknowledges, reviews, and resolves complaints from external parties. It is intended to ensure that complaints are handled fairly, respectfully, and consistently, and that the information we collect through the complaints process is managed in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable legislation.
YMCA BC treats complaints as a source of insight. The themes and patterns that emerge from complaints inform improvements to our programs, policies, and procedures.
This policy applies to all complaints received from external parties, including members, program participants, parents and guardians, donors, funders, partners, contractors, and members of the public, regarding YMCA BC's activities, programs, services, facilities, staff, or volunteers.
This policy is a companion to the YMCA BC Privacy Policy and the Whistleblower Policy. It does not apply to:
Where a complaint touches on more than one policy area, YMCA BC will determine the appropriate route and inform the complainant.
Complaint: An expression of dissatisfaction with a YMCA BC service, program, decision, action, or the conduct of a YMCA BC employee or volunteer, where the complainant is seeking a response, resolution, or change. A complaint typically arises when a person believes that:
Feedback, Inquiry, or Suggestion: A comment, question, or idea that does not require investigation or a formal response. Feedback is welcomed through any of YMCA BC's regular communication channels and is not handled under this policy.
Complainant: The external party submitting a complaint.
Informal Complaint: A concern raised verbally or in writing to a YMCA BC employee or volunteer that can reasonably be addressed at the point of service.
Formal Complaint: A complaint submitted in writing through the channels set out in Section 5 of this policy, which is recorded, reviewed, and resolved through the process set out in Section 6.
YMCA BC's handling of complaints is guided by the following principles:
5.1 Informal Complaint
Complainants are encouraged, where they feel comfortable, to first raise the matter with the YMCA BC employee or volunteer most directly connected to the concern, or with that person's supervisor or the leader responsible for the program or service. Many concerns can be addressed quickly and to the complainant's satisfaction at the point of service.
When an employee receives a verbal complaint, they will listen and seek to understand the concern, and will attempt to resolve it where possible. If follow-up is required, the employee will record the complainant's name and contact information so that YMCA BC can respond.
5.2 Formal Complaint
If a concern cannot be resolved informally, or if the complainant prefers not to raise it directly with the staff involved, a formal complaint may be submitted in writing to:
Complaints, YMCA BC
complaints@bc.ymca.ca
To enable us to respond, the complainant is asked to provide their name and contact information and a description of the concern.
5.3 Channels Not Recognized as Formal Complaints
YMCA BC values feedback shared through public channels, but the following are not recognized as formal complaints and will not trigger the process set out in Section 6:
These channels are monitored as part of YMCA BC's regular communications. Where a public comment raises a concern that warrants investigation, YMCA BC may invite the author to submit a formal complaint through the channels in Section 5.2. We do not investigate, respond to, or take corrective action on public reviews as a substitute for the formal process.
5.4 Accessibility and Language Accommodations
YMCA BC is committed to making the complaints process accessible. A complainant who, due to a disability, language barrier, literacy level, or other circumstance, is unable to submit a complaint in writing may contact us to request an accommodation. Accommodations may include receiving the complaint verbally and transcribing it on the complainant's behalf, arranging interpretation, or accepting the complaint through an alternative format. A request for accommodation does not affect how the complaint is reviewed.
6.1 Acknowledgement
Upon receipt of a formal complaint, YMCA BC will acknowledge the complaint promptly and confirm that it is under review.
6.2 Review and Resolution
YMCA BC will review each complaint fairly and impartially. The review may include speaking with the complainant, the staff or volunteers involved, and other relevant parties; reviewing records, communications, and applicable policies; and consulting with subject matter experts as required.
YMCA BC is committed to resolving complaints as promptly as the circumstances allow. The time required to review and resolve a complaint will depend on its nature, complexity, and the availability of those involved. Complainants will be kept informed of progress through to resolution.
Upon completion of the review, the complainant will be provided with the outcome and the reasons for any decisions taken. Where corrective action is appropriate, YMCA BC will take that action and may, with the complainant's consent and where appropriate, advise the complainant of the steps taken.
6.3 Appeals
A complainant who is not satisfied with the outcome of the review may submit a written appeal to the President/CEO or their designate. The appeal should be submitted within 10 business days of receiving the outcome and should explain the grounds for the appeal. The decision of the President/CEO or designate is final.
6.4 Complaints About the President/CEO
A complaint about the President/CEO, or about a decision of the President/CEO may be submitted in writing to the YMCA BC Chair of the Board of Directors.
YMCA BC encourages complainants to provide their contact information so that we can acknowledge, investigate, and respond to their concern. As a rule, YMCA BC does not respond to anonymous complaints, as we are unable to follow up for additional information or to communicate the outcome.
However, YMCA BC will review anonymous complaints that allege:
Where an anonymous complaint is reviewed, the limits of what can be done without the complainant's participation will be acknowledged in the records.
YMCA BC handles all complaints in good faith. In rare cases, a complaint or pattern of complaints may be vexatious; for example, complaints that are knowingly false, are made for an improper purpose, repeat a matter that has been fully addressed without raising new information, or involve abusive or threatening conduct toward staff or volunteers.
Where YMCA BC determines that a complaint or pattern of complaints is vexatious, we may limit the channels or frequency of communication with the complainant, decline to review repeated submissions of the same matter, or take other proportionate steps. The complainant will be informed in writing of any such decision and the reasons for it, and may appeal under Section 6.3.
This section is not used to limit complaints that are merely persistent, emotionally expressed, or critical of YMCA BC.
Some YMCA BC programs are delivered under agreements with government, funders, or partner organizations that have their own complaints, reporting, or oversight requirements.
Where a complaint relates to a program governed by such an agreement, YMCA BC will:
Information shared with funders or partners will be limited to what is necessary and will be handled in accordance with the Privacy Policy.
A complaint or concern that suggests a risk to the safety or wellbeing of a child, youth, or vulnerable person, including suspected abuse, neglect, or inappropriate conduct by a YMCA BC employee, volunteer, contractor, or another participant, is treated as a safeguarding matter and is escalated immediately, regardless of the channel through which it is received.
YMCA BC employees and volunteers who become aware of such a concern are required to report it without delay in accordance with YMCA BC's safeguarding requirements and applicable child protection legislation. The complaints process set out in this policy does not replace, delay, or limit those reporting obligations.
Where a complaint involves an imminent risk of harm, YMCA BC will contact the appropriate authorities before or in parallel with any internal review.
Information collected and generated through the complaints process, including the identity of the complainant, the details of the complaint, the identities of staff and others involved, and the outcome, is treated as confidential and is handled in accordance with the YMCA BC Privacy Policy.
The following provisions apply:
For any privacy questions arising from the complaints process, refer to the YMCA BC Privacy Policy.
YMCA BC will make every reasonable effort to maintain the confidentiality of the complainant and others involved in a complaint. In some circumstances; for example, where required by a funder agreement, by law, or by the nature of the investigation, complaint information may need to be shared with partner agencies, regulators, or authorities. Where this is the case, YMCA BC will limit the information shared to what is necessary.
No person who, in good faith and in accordance with this policy, raises a concern or complaint will be subject to harassment, retaliation, or adverse treatment. Allegations of retaliation are themselves treated as a serious complaint under this policy.
Formal complaints, the steps taken to review them, and the outcomes will be recorded by the appropriate leader. Records will include a description of the complaint, the steps taken, and the outcome.
| Version | Effective Date | Summary of Changes | Internal Contributors | Approved By |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | March 2025 | Initial unified policy draft | N/A | Roberta Haas (CPO) |
| 2.0 | May 2026 | Restructured to align with the Privacy Policy. Added sections on channels, anonymous complaints, vexatious complaints, partner-funded programs, child safeguarding, and privacy handling of complaint information. Updated complaints email to complaints@ymcabc.ca. | Amanda Alexander (CHEOO), Carol Amaral (CSTMO) | Heidi Worthington (CEO) |
Future revisions will be recorded in this table at the time of approval. The current version of this Policy is always the version published on YMCA BC's public website.
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