EXAMINATION OF THE INSTITUTIONS - VETERANS AFFAIRS CANADA
Page 9 of 35
Veterans Affairs Canada
A. METHODOLOGY
We had several telephone conversations with the person responsible for official languages and with various managers at the Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) head office located in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
An on-site audit was conducted at Sainte-Anne Hospital (SAH) located in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue on Montréal Island in Quebec. It is the only institution where there is significant demand pursuant to paragraph 6(1)(a) of the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations. We interviewed members of the Hospital’s management team, representatives of the Nursing Branch and of the Human Resources Branch, as well as the institution’s ombudsman.
We reviewed the policies and directives, organizational structure, professional service contracts, institutional transfer files and reports prepared by the Department. We also reviewed the procedures and systems in place at the SAH.
B. OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Our observations and recommendations are based on the audit criteria listed in Appendix E of this report.
1. Identifying the clientele and measuring significant demand
Veterans represent a restricted and identifiable clientele as set out in paragraph 6(1)(a) of the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations. Under the Regulations and Treasury Board Directive C, the Department has no obligation under the Official Languages Act concerning direct health care, except at the SAH. According to the Department, the Anglophone clientele of the SAH by far exceeds the 5% threshold set by this provision of the Regulations.
The SAH’s mission is to provide veterans and other clients with a wide range of programs and with a variety of high quality health care and services, while respecting their dignity and their independence.
The SAH provides direct health care to a clientele that is both Anglophone and Francophone. It provides veterans with long-term and respite care. The SAH provides services to 475 residents for curative care, treatment and diagnosis. The Hospital’s Liaison Centre provides therapeutic and preventive services to 162 veterans. It also supports veterans’ families and informal caregivers. Finally, the Sainte-Anne Centre, also attached to the Hospital, provides general mental health services to 388 veterans, including specialized services for trauma suffered during military operations.
In view of the preceding, we find that the Department satisfies the audit criterion in relation to identifying the clientele and measuring significant demand.
2. Informing managers of their official languages responsibilities
The managers we interviewed demonstrated that they are well aware of their official languages responsibilities. VAC makes central agency guidelines and policies on official languages available to its managers. It has also published a brochure entitled Official Languages: Your Rights and Responsibilities that includes information on Part IV (service to the public) of the Official Languages Act. In addition, it conducts a client satisfaction survey every three years that includes a question on the availability of service in the language of choice of SAH patients. This initiative helps to make managers aware of the Hospital’s linguistic obligations.
In view of the preceding, we find that the Department satisfies this audit criterion.
3. Active offer to health care clientele
In view of the SAH’s exceptional situation, that of a Hospital that provides long-term care, we did not audit active offer in person or on the telephone. However, the auditors noted the lack of signage for active offer informing the clientele about the availability of services in both official languages in most of the Hospital’s reception areas, with the exception of Admissions and the Liaison Centre.
Therefore, we find that the Department does not satisfy this audit criterion.
| Recommendation 7 |
