COMPLAINTS

Living up to our professional values & standards

BY JOLINE COMEAU,MSW, RSW, COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE CHAIR

Recent media coverage of NSCSW discipline matters that were deliberated in 2020 has served as a reminder for the Complaints Committee to maintain an objective approach in our deliberations. These matters have shone a light on the importance of social workers’ Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice; this was a reminder for social workers around the province that we are working with vulnerable individuals in a position of power, and this influence should never be undervalued or taken for granted.

The mandate of the College is to serve and protect public interest, preserve the integrity of the social work profession, and to maintain public confidence in the ability of the social work profession to regulate itself. The College achieves this mandate by regulating the practice of social work, in part, through its legislated power to address complaints involving allegations of professional misconduct, conduct unbecoming the profession, incompetency, and/or a breach of the Code of Ethics.

The process of receiving, investigating, and resolving complaints is the ongoing work of the Complaints Committee, which is a subcommittee of the Board of Examiners. The committee is obligated to investigate every complaint made, which vary in complexity. Some are simple to resolve, while others have more complex issues such as fitness-topractice issues, confidentiality breaches, and professional boundaries violations.

The powers and duties associated with processing complaints is not assumed lightly and the resources required to carry out these responsibilities effectively are considerable.

The number of complaints received and processed by the Complaints Committee remains high. In 2020, 25 new complaints were made, 16 were carried over from 2019, totaling 41 matters. Of the 41 open complaint matters, 27 were closed, and 14 were carried over into 2021.

The Complaints Committee rendered 26 final decisions. The Discipline Committee rendered 1 final decision, which resulted in revocation.

A look at 2020 Complaints

Domain

Child welfare: 22

Healthcare (IWK and NSH): 11

Private Practitioner Clients: 4

Corrections: 1

Third Party: 3

Action

Dismissals: 12

Letters of Counsel: 10

Referral to the Discipline Committee: 1

Informal Resolution: 1

Reprimand by Consent: 2

Revocation: 1

Source

Client: 32

Employers: 5

Registrar: 2

Social Worker Colleagues: 2

2020 COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

Dennis Adams, Joline Comeau (chair), Jack Landreville, Lisandra Naranjo (public appointed member), Ogochukwu Okechukwu (staff), Valerie Shapiro (staff)