A serious occurrence is “an incident that could disrupt a CNC program or cause serious injury to a person while providing services to or participating in a CNC program”. From a lost child or allegations of abuse to a grave illness, accident, or even death, a serious occurrence can have a significant and immediate impact on a child care program. Which is why it is critical to have policies in place—and to know who you are required to contact after such an event.
According to CNC requirements, in addition to reporting a serious occurrence to IRCC, you must also inform CMAS.
Be prepared
It is important to inform your staff of this new requirement, so everyone is prepared.
And, don’t forget to revise your program’s written serious occurrence policies and procedures to include contacting CMAS, as well as IRCC. This applies to both the initial call, which you are obligated to place by the end of the working day following the occurrence, AND the written report, which must be submitted within five working days (or sooner, if requested by IRCC).
Notifying CMAS
In the event of a serious occurrence—or what you think may be one:
- Call the CMAS office (416-395-5027 or Toll Free 1-877-677-6899). State that the call is in regards to a serious occurrence and ask to be directed to Tricia Doyle, CMAS Assistant Manager.
- Tricia will take all your information regarding the serious occurrence and provide any assistance you may need. Even if you are unsure as to whether the incident qualifies as a serious occurrence, she can help you determine this.
- If it does qualify as a serious occurrence, Tricia will inform your consultant and give them the information collected in step 2, so they can work directly with you, as needed.
- The consultant will follow up with you and discuss any updates or supports that may have been put in place since the time of the initial call.
- If you are made aware of new or additional information regarding the serious occurrence, please inform your site consultant immediately.
Remember, it is still your responsibility to inform IRCC of the occurrence.
Following up
If you want to make any procedural changes based on the serious occurrence that already happened, you should ensure that they are reflected in your written policies. You also will want to follow up with your staff, so that they are aware of the changes and, when applicable, put them into practice.
Still need help?
If, after reviewing this information, you are still in doubt about this requirement, your CMAS consultant can always help!
