Our YMCA uses modern information and communication technologies to support our program and membership-based activities. Our Privacy Statement covers our YMCA branches and our website.
Anonymous Access
You can access this website’s home page and browse our site without disclosing your personal information. The only personal information captured through our website is the information you volunteer, such as your email address or mailing address that will enable us to send you requested information.
Our website does use cookies to maintain the website state and session variables to improve your experience.
On-line Legal Policy
This site was created to be informative. Accordingly, we will permit you to download or photocopy material displayed on this site for your non-commercial personal use. Any content or graphics extracted from the site must prominently display copyright and other proprietary notices.
Terms and Conditions
This site is owned by the YMCA of Southern Interior BC. Any images, graphics, multimedia or content is copyrighted by YMCA of Southern Interior BC and may only be used in the manner provided for in these Terms and Conditions. In addition, the site contains names, logos, trademarks, service marks and other intellectual property, which are the property of YMCA of Southern Interior BC and may not be used for any purpose without the express written consent of YMCA of Southern Interior BC.
Links
The YMCA of Southern Interior BC website may contain links to other websites. YMCA of Southern Interior BC is not responsible for the privacy practices of those other websites nor do we endorse the materials presented on websites that are not owned and operated by YMCA of Southern Interior BC. We encourage visitors to review each site’s privacy policy before disclosing any personally identifiable information.
The YMCA of Southern Interior BC gathers personal information in accordance with the BC Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). This is carried out to fulfill the YMCA's responsibilities as outlined in the YMCA Child Protection Standards. These standards necessitate the verified identification of all individuals using the facility.
Customers provide their consent for this personal information collection as mandated by the Act as a prerequisite for accessing YMCA facilities. It's important to note that this gathered information is exclusively used for the specific purpose for which it was initially collected.
YMCA of Southern Interior BC is committed to maintaining the privacy and accuracy of personal information entrusted to us by our participants, members, donors, parents/guardians, staff and volunteers. We manage your personal information in accordance with BC’s Privacy Act, Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation and other applicable laws. This policy outlines the practices we follow in protecting your personal information. These practices are based upon the ‘Fair Information Practices’ set out by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner and followed by our employees and volunteers.
What is personal information?
Personal information means information about an identifiable individual. This includes an individual’s name, home address and phone number, age, sex, marital or family status, an identifying number, financial information, educational history, etc. An individual’s name does not need to be attached to the information in order for it to qualify as personal information. Personal information does not include name, title, business address or business phone number of an employee or organization.
What personal information do we collect?
We collect only the personal information that we need for the purposes of providing services and programs, including personal information needed to:
- Verify an individual's identity
- Manage, develop, and enhance YMCA operations, programs, and services
- Acknowledge gifts, issue tax receipts, and other administrative requirements including information requests
- Determine program, service, employment, or volunteer eligibility and process and collect fees for service
- Assess participant needs and better understand the changing needs of communities we serve
- Collect data for statistical purposes and meet legal, regulatory, and contractual obligations
- Communicate a range of programs, services, and philanthropic opportunities that benefit people we serve
We normally collect personal information directly from individuals. We may collect your information from other persons with your consent or as authorized by law. For example, from prior employers, personal references or from other third parties having the right to disclose information. We inform individuals, before or at the time of collecting personal information, of the purposes for which we are collecting the information. The only time we don’t provide this notification is when an individual volunteers information for an obvious purpose (for example, producing a credit card to pay a membership fee when the information will be used only to process the payment).
Although you may choose to not share your Personal Information with the YMCA, if you choose not to do so, your involvement in YMCA activities and the YMCA community may be limited.
Consent
We do not sell personal information we collect.
We will not disclose your personal information to anyone without your prior knowledge or consent, except when required by a government body or agency, or as permitted by law.
We ask for consent to collect, use or disclose personal information, except in specific circumstances where collection, use or disclosure without consent is authorized or required by law.
We ask for your express consent for some purposes and may not be able to provide certain services if you are unwilling to provide consent to the collection, use or disclosure of certain personal information. Where express consent is needed, we ask members to provide their consent verbally (in person, by telephone) or in writing (by signing a consent form).
We take into account the sensitivity of personal information when determining what form of consent is appropriate for the circumstance. An individual may withdraw or opt out of consent to the use and disclosure of personal information at any time, subject to certain service, legal or contractual restrictions.
How do we ensure accuracy?
We make every reasonable effort to ensure that personal information is accurate and complete. We rely on individuals to notify us if there is a change to their personal information that may affect their relationship with our organization. If you are aware of an error in our information about you, please let us know and we will correct it on request wherever possible.
How do we safeguard personal information?
We protect personal information in a manner appropriate for the sensitivity of the information. We make every reasonable effort to prevent any loss, misuse, disclosure or modification of personal information, as well as any unauthorized access to personal information. The more sensitive the personal information is, the more security is required to access it. Employees and volunteers protect personal information in their control against such risks as loss or theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, modification, or destruction through appropriate safeguards.
We use appropriate security measures to retain and securely dispose of personal information. This includes locked file cabinets, limited access to secure areas, computer passwords and security software. We retain personal information only as long as is reasonable to fulfil the purposes for which the information was collected or for legal or business purposes.
Access to records containing personal information
Individuals have a right to access their own personal information in a record that is in the custody or under the control of the YMCA of Southern Interior BC, subject to some exceptions. Request for access to records containing personal information must come in writing and will be forwarded to a Supervisor or General Manager. The YMCA of Southern Interior BC has 30 days to respond to written requests. Individuals may be asked to provide identification in order to safeguard the release of personal information.
The YMCA of Southern Interior BC may not be able to provide an individual with access to some or all of the personal information if:
- Doing so would likely reveal personal information about a third party
- Disclosure would reasonably be expected to threaten the life or security of another individual information was collected in relational to the investigation of a breach of an agreement, or a contravention of law, or otherwise permitted by law
To opt-out, update personal information or request your personal info, contact us at 250-491-9622 or social@ymcasibc.ca.
Intent
The YMCA of Southern Interior BC is committed to providing excellent programs and services. We recognize that from time to time there may be concerns or complaints, that our stakeholders have the right to raise such complaints or concerns, and that they need avenues to do so. This policy is intended to ensure that complaints received from members of the public about YMCA services and programs are dealt with promptly, consistently, and fairly. The YMCA recognizes that when a person has a complaint about the YMCA, the way in which his/her complaint is handled is critical to the person’s ongoing relationship with the organization.
Scope
This policy and procedure applies to all complaints received from members of the public about our activities, programs, services, staff, or volunteers. This policy serves as a companion to the organization’s Whistleblower Policy. This policy does not apply to employees or volunteers, as there is a Workplace Conflict Resolution Process available in the YMCA of Southern Interior BC Policy Manual to address concerns or complaints they may raise.
Guiding Principles
- It is in the interest of all parties that complaints are dealt with promptly and resolved as quickly as possible
- Review of complaints is fair, impartial and respectful to all parties
- Complainants are advised of their options to escalate their complaint to a more senior staff person if they are dissatisfied with treatment or outcome
- Complainants are provided clear and understandable reasons for decisions relating to complaints. Updates are provided to complainants during review processes
- Complaints are used to assist in improving services, policies and procedures
Definition
Complaints are defined as an expression of dissatisfaction with regard to a service/program, an action or a decision taken by the YMCA, or the way in which YMCA employees or volunteers carry out their duties. Complaints typically arise when a person believes:
- The YMCA has failed to do something agreed upon or expected
- A YMCA policy or procedure has not been followed
- A YMCA policy or procedure is unfair or inadequate
- An error has been made
- YMCA employees or volunteers acted in a wrongful way
A complaint is distinct from an inquiry, feedback, or a suggestion.
Procedure
Informal Complaint - If you have a complaint or concern, you are encouraged to discuss the matter with the staff who is most connected to the concern/situation, either in person, by phone, or by email. If your complaint is not resolved or if you are uncomfortable discussing the issue with the relevant person, you can inform the supervisor or manager for the program or service. This informal process can be used to resolve many inquiries or matters of simple error that can be corrected to your satisfaction. If the matter is not resolved at this stage, you have the opportunity to make a formal complaint.
Every effort will be made to resolve complaints 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. If follow‐up is required, basic contact information including name, phone number, and email address should immediately be recorded.
Formal Complaint - If you have been unable to resolve your concern through the informal process described above, a formal complaint may be made in writing (by mail or email) to:
Complaints, Association Services
YMCA of Southern Interior BC
375 Hartman Road, Kelowna, BC V1X 2M9
Please provide your contact information, as the YMCA will not respond to anonymous complaints. If you are unable to register the complaint in this manner due to a disability, you may contact the YMCA to request accommodation, which will be provided appropriate to your needs and circumstances.
Process
Once you have registered a complaint, the YMCA is committed to handling the complaint promptly, consistently, and fairly. You will be treated with respect and kept informed of the status of the complaint. The YMCA will respond to your complaint within 5 business days of receiving the complaint to confirm the complaint has been received, and indicate expectations for how long the investigation will take if it can be reasonably assessed at that point. The YMCA aims to resolve all complaints within 15 business days of receiving them. If this timeline cannot be met, you will be informed of the reasons and given a revised timeframe. Upon completion of the investigation, you will be provided with clear reasons for the decisions relating to the complaint.
Appeals
If you are not satisfied with the findings or the corrective action, you may submit a written appeal to the CEO or her Designate within 10 business days of the receipt of the communication. The decision made at this level is considered final.
Complaints about the CEO
If you have a complaint about the CEO, or a CEO decision regarding membership suspension/expulsion in accordance with the organization’s bylaws, you may submit a written appeal to the Board of Directors.
Confidentiality/No Retaliation
The YMCA will make every effort to ensure confidentiality for the person reporting a complaint or concern. In some programs that receive funding from partner agencies, complaints may need to be shared with those agencies. No person who in good faith and under this policy submits a concern/complaint shall suffer harassment or retaliation.
Records
Formal complaints and resolutions will be recorded and reviewed by the department’s Senior Manager. Information recorded includes a description of the complaint, who handled it, timeframe, and a description of the resolution. A summary of formal complaints received including number and type will be reported to the YMCA’s Board of Directors annually at minimum.
Complaint Review Process
