Interim Policy Guidance during COVID-19: To respond to changing needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, CLBC has developed interim guidance documents for temporary exceptions or updates to a number of policies for CLBC staff, individuals, families and service providers to follow. Click here to find all interim guidance documents. (The guidance documents are also posted with the relevant policies below).
In this section of the website you can read CLBC Quality Assurance, Privacy and Organizational policies.
Quality Assurance Policies
Adult Guardianship and CLBC
This document provides information about what to do if you believe someone with a developmental disability is being abused or neglected and needs assistance.
As part of CLBC’s commitment to the health, safety and well-being of adults with developmental disabilities it is our responsibility as a ‘designated agency’ under the Adult Guardianship Act to respond to individuals at risk for abuse or neglect.
The document outlines the role of CLBC staff in responding to concerns and reflect our partnership with the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee to assist the public in knowing how to best support individuals eligible for CLBC supports and services.
Approval of CLBC-Contracted Home Sharing Providers Policy
This policy provides guidance to analysts who are involved with the approval of home sharing providers. It applies to adults who live in home sharing arrangements that are directly contracted by CLBC.
Bathing Guidelines Policy
This policy assists CLBC staff and service providers in developing bathing practices that respect an individual’s wish for privacy when bathing or for assistance with other personal care activities while addressing possible risk.
Behaviour Support and Safety Planning Policy
The “Behaviour Support and Safety Planning” policy outlines requirements for service providers who support individuals with challenging behaviours in CLBC-funded services.
It reflects a positive approach to behaviour supports for adults and emphasizes the importance of recognizing and understanding behaviours as a form of communication.
The policy clarifies that a ‘Safety Plan’ is required whenever a restrictive practice, such as the use of restraints, is being considered. It is accompanied by the “Guide for Service Providers” that provides more detail and best practice guidance on the expectations outlined in the policy.
- Behaviour Support and Safety Planning Policy
- Behaviour Support and Safety Planning: A Guide for Service Providers
For more information, click here to watch a series of videos on Positive Behaviour Support on CLBC’s YouTube channel.
Complaints Resolution Policy
This policy sets out direction for CLBC staff receiving and responding to complaints. It applies to complaints about CLBC responses or services, received from individuals, families, support network members or others.
The Complaints Resolution Policy is a formal safeguard established in part to reduce the vulnerability of individuals supported by CLBC. It reflects the CLBC culture of openness, respect, responsiveness and learning.
Learn about the Complaints Resolution Process and find instructions for filing a complaint.
Criminal Record Check Policy: Service Delivery
CLBC complies with the Criminal Records Review Act (CRRA) that sets out mandatory requirements for criminal record checks on persons working with vulnerable adults, which includes all individuals supported by CLBC, in order to help protect those vulnerable adults from financial, physical or sexual abuse.
The CLBC Criminal Record Check Policy: Service Delivery supports CLBC’s compliance with the CRRA as it applies to service providers who work with individuals supported by CLBC.
The CLBC policy also establishes CLBC’s requirement for driver’s abstracts to be completed on persons who may drive individuals supported by CLBC. Criminal record checks and driver’s abstract reviews are a formal safeguard which help ensure the safety and wellbeing of individuals and form part of CLBC’s comprehensive approach to safeguards.
Critical Incidents Policy
A critical incident is a serious or unusual event that involves an individual accessing services funded by CLBC while service is being delivered. Critical incident reporting and response is part of a bigger framework that ensures the overall quality of life of the individuals we serve.
The Critical Incidents Policy, Critical Incident Report and supporting documents below provide guidance on how to:
- accurately identify, respond to and report critical incidents in an appropriate and timely manner
- continuously improve service quality and ensure that necessary supports are made available to individuals
- learn from critical incidents to reduce the likelihood of similar incidents occurring in the future
COVID-19 related Critical Incidents
As part of the emergency response to COVID-19, CLBC is working with service providers to implement some new measures to help us to safeguard and support the wellbeing of the individuals we all serve. The documents below provide information and guidance for service providers on critical incident reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Questions and Answers for Service Providers on Critical Incidents during COVID 19
- Interim Guidance on Electronic Critical Incident Reporting
- Interim Guidance on After Hours Reporting
Click the links below to download Supporting documents for CLBC Service Providers:
End-of-Life Policy
This policy outlines responsibilities of CLBC staff and contracted service providers for the reporting, documenting, and review required following the death of an individual supported by CLBC-funded services.
It also provides guidance to CLBC staff about end-of-life care for individuals who are dying and bereavement support for members of the individual’s family and support network.
External Reviews Policy
An External Review is a neutral third-party investigation of a situation, incident or service, that results in recommendations and possible action. This policy sets out the requirements for External Reviews to ensure that they are conducted in a consistent and transparent way.
This policy applies to CLBC Quality Service Managers, quality service analysts, and the Director of Quality Assurance.
Legal Requirement Policy
This policy provides information and guidance to staff in responding to subpoenas, search warrants, summons, lawful investigations and other legal processes that are directly related to CLBC operations. It applies to all CLBC staff.
Monitoring
This policy sets out direction and outlines expectations for CLBC staff responsible for monitoring service delivery and quality. It informs individuals, families, and service providers about how CLBC monitors contracted services delivered by service providers.
This policy applies to the monitoring of CLBC’s contracting partners, including accredited and unaccredited service providers. It does not apply to direct funded home shares, Individualized Funding arrangements or to contracts for services or goods that are not provided to individuals and/or families (e.g. vehicles, capital improvement).
Monitoring of CLBC-Contracted Home Sharing Providers Policy
Monitoring is an important safeguard for individuals served through CLBC. It helps ensure that individuals are leading good lives in welcoming communities and that supports provided meet the needs of those served. If conducted with sensitivity, monitoring can foster a sense of team and unified purpose for all involved with a particular home sharing arrangement.
This policy provides guidance to analysts who monitor home sharing contracts. It applies to adults who live in home sharing arrangements that are directly contracted by CLBC.
Role of Formal and Informal Representatives Policy
This policy clarifies the roles and responsibilities of legal decision makers in assisting individuals with developmental disabilities receiving CLBC supports and services.
Respite Guidelines Policy
When used effectively, respite promotes stability and reduces stress within home sharing arrangements. For this reason, most home sharing contracts include funds for the purchase of respite. While the home sharing provider is responsible for arranging required respite, quality service analysts must be familiar with standards that guide the use of respite.
This policy provides guidance to analysts who monitor home sharing contracts. It applies to adults who live in home sharing arrangements that are directly contracted by CLBC.
Standards for Home Sharing Policy
After a formal consultation process that invited feedback from key stakeholders, the Standards for Home Sharing were formally endorsed and adopted by CLBC in April 2007. These are now used as provincial guidelines for all home sharing providers.
Travel Outside of BC with CLBC-Funded Services Policy
This policy provides guidance to adults who plan to travel outside of BC with a service provider, and to CLBC-contracted service providers who want to support individuals to travel outside of BC.
Privacy Policies
Access to Personal Information for Research Purposes Policy
This policy explains under what conditions individuals’ personal information may be accessed for research and statistical purposes. It is one of a suite of policies as described in the Organizational Privacy Policy. These policies are supplemented by the CLBC Privacy Guidelines which provide an overview of privacy legislation and best practices.
Confidentiality and Information Sharing Policy
The Confidentiality and Information Sharing Policy guides staff in maintaining the rights of individuals to confidentiality and privacy of personal information and assists them to comply with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
It is one of a suite of policies described in the Organizational Privacy Policy. These policies are supplemented by the CLBC Privacy Guidelines which provide an overview of privacy legislation and best practices.
Information Incidents including Privacy Breaches Policy
This policy describes how CLBC manages and responds to information incidents, including privacy breaches, which are information incidents involving personal information. It is consistent with the policy of the B.C. government.
The Information Incidents including Privacy Breaches Policy is one of a suite of privacy policies described in the overarching Organizational Privacy Policy. The Protection of Information Policy, another policy of the privacy policy suite, describes how CLBC prevents and avoids information incidents.
Organizational Privacy Policy
This policy describes CLBC’s approach to privacy of personal information. It provides general direction for all staff working with the personal information of individuals served by CLBC or of CLBC employees.
It is rooted in and exceeds the requirements of the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA). The Organizational Privacy Policy is an overarching policy which complements the CLBC Privacy Guidelines and is complemented by a suite of more detailed policies dealing with specific aspects of privacy and confidentiality.
Protection of Information Policy
This policy describes CLBC staff responsibilities for protecting sensitive and personal information in CLBC’s custody. It also describes specific required practices for staff when they are working in the office as well as working outside the office, to preserve confidentiality and prevent information incidents and privacy breaches.
This policy is one of a suite of privacy related policies listed in the Organizational Privacy Policy. These policies are supplemented by the CLBC Privacy Guidelines which provide an overview of privacy legislation and best practices.
Right to Access Personal Information Policy
This policy describes how CLBC supports individuals to exercise their right to access their own personal information or request changes to their personal information held by CLBC as provided for under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
It is one of a suite of policies described in the Organizational Privacy Policy. These policies are supplemented by the CLBC Privacy Guidelines which provide an overview of privacy legislation and best practices.
The CLBC Confidentiality and Information Sharing Policy provides guidance to staff regarding circumstances when an individual’s personal information may be shared with other persons.
Organizational Policies
Conflict of Interest Policy – Employees
This policy sets out how CLBC manages conflicts of interest involving employees, and applies to all employees.
In concert with conflict of interest provisions in other policies and standards related to recruitment, employee conduct, funding levels and contracting and procurement, it forms part of a robust risk management approach designed to protect the integrity of CLBC, the interests of the individuals supported by the organization and the public interest.
Funding for Housing Costs Policy
This policy outlines CLBC’s expectations about ownership of staffed residential homes when CLBC is providing funding for rent, lease or mortgages.
It outlines how CLBC makes decisions about funding housing costs for residential homes so that any future change will benefit the individuals that CLBC serves. It also outlines how pre-existing arrangements that include funding for housing costs such as rent, lease, mortgage and operating costs will be managed.
Theft, Fraud and Corruption Policy
This policy establishes principles related to the development, implementation and regular review of processes designed to mitigate the risk of theft, fraud or corruption impacting either CLBC or an individual supported by CLBC.
Learn more about ways that CLBC encourages the reporting of wrongdoing and protects whistleblowers, see the Whistleblower Policy.
Whistleblower (Ethical Reporting) Policy
This policy establishes a framework for reporting suspected or known irregularities, including theft, fraud and corruption, impacting either CLBC or individuals supported by CLBC and for the protection of persons making such reports.
Learn more about ways CLBC encourages the reporting of wrongdoing and protects whistleblowers, see the Whistleblower contact page.
NOTE: If you want your report to go only to the Board of Directors, send it by email to: CLBCboardreportline@gov.bc.ca