Our Commitment 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Southern Interior of BC (BBBSCSI) is committed to protecting your privacy and maintaining the confidentiality of all personal information. 

During Volunteer Enrollment, Family Intake, Match Monitoring and all other agency activities and projects; BBBSCSI gathers and uses personal information. Anyone from whom we collect such information should expect that it will be carefully protected and that any use of or other dealing with this information is subject to consent. BBBSCSI’s privacy practices are designed to achieve this. 

Please note that BBBSCSI reviews its privacy practices from time to time as needed. Any revisions to the privacy policy will be made available on the BBBSCSI website. 

Personal Information 

Personal information is information that can be used to distinguish, identify or contact a specific individual. This information can include an individual’s opinions or beliefs, as well as facts about, or related to, the individual. Examples of personal information include SIN #, age, marital status, and language. Exceptions: business contact information and certain publicly available information, such as names, addresses, and telephone numbers as published in telephone directories, are not considered personal information. 

Personal information may be provided to BBBSCSI through correspondence, online donations, conference or meeting registrations, volunteer inquiries, online training modules, or other forms of communication.

Privacy Practices 

Personal information gathered by BBBSCSI is kept in confidence. BBBSCSI personnel are authorized to access personal information based only on their need to deal with the information for the reason(s) for which it was obtained. Safeguards are in place to ensure that the information is not disclosed or shared more widely than is necessary to achieve the purpose for which it was gathered. We also take measures to ensure the integrity of this information is maintained and to prevent its being lost or destroyed. 

We collect, use and disclose personal information only for purposes that a reasonable person would consider appropriate considering the circumstances. 

BBBSCSI will not provide or share your personal information with third parties unless: 

  • You authorize us to share the information; 
  • Sharing the information is necessary to process a credit card transaction, for example; or 
  • We are required by law. 

Website and Electronic Commerce 

BBBSCSI uses services requiring password protocols and encryption software to protect personal and other information we receive when a product or service is requested and/or paid for online. All such third-party service providers must be in compliance with PIPEDA and have an established and published privacy policy available for all users. 

The privacy of users of the BBBSCSI website is very important to BBBSCSI.  BBBSCSI respects your privacy and is committed to protecting personal information you provide to us. The policy is always available at https://centralsoutherninteriorbc.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca/ under Privacy. You may also request a copy by contacting us. 

Personally identifiable information is not collected unless specifically submitted via an online registration function or registration form (volunteer inquiries and surveys for example), an electronic mail message, a phone call or postal mail. All information is kept confidential – this is subject to any legal requirements to disclose. All information is protected by BBBSCSI’s physical, electronic and managerial security methods, which are updated as necessary. 

Information you provide through the website may be used periodically to keep you informed of BBBSCSI and its member agencies, including programs, services, opportunities to volunteer, events, funding needs, membership benefits. If at any time you no longer wish to receive such information, please contact us at the phone number or email listed above. 

Any website of BBBSCSI may provide links to other third-party websites. These are provided for convenience only and you access them at your own risk. Even if a third party is associated with BBBSCSI through a business relationship or otherwise, BBBSCSI is not responsible for the privacy policies or practices or content of such third-party websites. 

Access to Your Information 

You are entitled to: know whether we hold personal information about you; see that information; and ensure it is accurate. Personal information is securely maintained by the office of BBBSCSI. If you would like to access your personal information, or have any questions about the protection of your privacy, please contact: 

Privacy Officer
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central and Southern Interior of BC
#102 – 151 Commercial Drive, Kelowna, BC V1X 7W2
#8 – 1390 Hillside Drive, Kamloops, BC V2E 0A6
1-800-404-4483
helen.brownrigg@bigbrothersbigsisters.ca 

Further information on privacy and your rights in regard to your personal information may be found on the website of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

Complaints Policy

This policy and procedure applies to complaints received by staff or board members of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central and Southern Interior of BC about our activities, programs, services, staff or volunteers.

Guiding Principles

  • It is in the interest of all parties that complaints are dealt with promptly and resolved as quickly as
  • Review of complaints is fair, impartial and respectful to all
  • Complainants are advised of their options to escalate their complaint to a more senior staff person if they are dissatisfied with treatment or
  • Complainants are provided clear and understandable reasons for decisions relating to complaints.
  • Updates are provided to complainants during review
  • Complaints are used to assist in improving services, policies and procedures.

Type of Complaints

Definition: A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about the service, actions, or lack of action by Brothers Big Sisters of Central and Southern Interior of BC as an organization or a staff member or volunteer acting on behalf of Brothers Big Sisters of Central and Southern Interior of BC.

Examples include but are not limited to:

  • perceived failure to do something agreed upon;
  • failure to observe policy or procedures;
  • error made by a staff member/volunteer; or
  • unfair or discourteous actions/statements by staff member/volunteer;

Anyone personally affected can complain and their complaint will be reviewed in accordance with this procedure.

Complaint Receipt and Handling 

A complaint may be received verbally (by phone or in person) or in writing (by mail, fax, email). An employee or volunteer who receives a complaint should first determine the proper person to handle it. This will generally be the person who has the primary relationship with the complainant or has the specific knowledge that is needed to resolve the problem. It is the responsibility of the person who receives the complaint to either resolve it or transfer it to another person who can resolve it. If the complaint is transferred, the recipient must acknowledge to the transferor that they have received it and will act on it.

The person who initially receives the complaint should acknowledge to the complainant that the complaint has been received and will be acted on either by themself or another employee. If a timeframe for action can be determined, that should be included in the acknowledgement. Basic contact information including name, phone number and email address should immediately be recorded.

Resolving the Complaint 

Every effort should be made to resolve complaints received in a timely fashion. When receiving a verbal complaint, staff should listen and seek to understand the complaint, and may attempt to resolve it immediately. Complaints received in writing shall be acknowledged within two business days, and staff shall attempt to resolve the matter within ten business days.

Where a complaint cannot be easily resolved, it shall be escalated to the Director of Programming. If the cannot resolve the complaint, it shall be escalated to the Executive Director. If the complaint is about the Executive Director, it shall be handled by the Chair of the Board.

Complainants should be kept informed of the status of their complaint. Every attempt should be made to resolve an escalated complaint within an additional ten business days, such that the complaint is resolved within a month of having been received.

If the complaint may pose a reputational risk, it shall be brought to the President within 30 days.

Documenting the Complaint

It is necessary to keep a record of any complaint that involves a dispute over money as well as any complaint that cannot be resolved on the same day that it is received. Information about such complaints must be recorded on the complaints tracking worksheet. Information recorded on the worksheet is to include a description of the complaint, who handled it, what was done to resolve the complaint, timeframe, and a description of the resolution.

A summary of the complaints received, including number and type, shall be reported to Brothers Big Sisters of Central and Southern Interior of BC’s Board of Directors annually.

All complaints can be sent to:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central and Southern Interior of BC
#102 – 151 Commercial Drive, Kelowna, BC V1X 7W2
#8 – 1390 Hillside Drive, Kamloops, BC V2E 0A6
1-800-404-4483
central.southern.interior@bigbrothersbigsisters.ca