Under Ontario Regulation 80/19, Section 1, of the Ombudsman Act, service providers have certain obligations to uphold.
In cases of death or serious bodily harm involving a child or youth who has sought or received services within the past 12 months, children’s aid societies, Indigenous child and family well-being agencies and residential licensees must notify Ombudsman Ontario by submitting the report below, without unreasonable delay.
Report a death or serious bodily harm
These reports help us to:
- Follow up with young people who have been injured
- Identify trends and potential systemic issues
- Launch investigations, if necessary.
What is serious bodily harm?
Serious bodily harm includes:
- Physical harm
- Any injury related to physical restraint
- Any physical injuries that require treatment beyond basic first aid
- Sexual harm
- All allegations of sexual assault, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking
- Psychological harm
- Includes situations were a young person witness or experiences a traumatic event
Steps you must take to report death or serious bodily harm to Ombudsman Ontario
- Complete the form below where a summary of the circumstances surrounding the death or serious bodily harm must be provided. You must notify the Ombudsman of the incident in writing without unreasonable delay.
- Inform any person with lawful custody or a lawful right of access (parent(s), guardian(s), family, etc.) to the deceased or injured child, about the Ombudsman and provide them with contact information within 14 days of the incident. In the event of serious bodily harm, the child/youth must also be informed.
- Keep records of documents that you have notified the child/youth, parent(s), guardian(s) or others about the Ombudsman’s Office. The Ombudsman may ask for this confirmation later as part of an individual or systemic investigation.
Report a death or serious bodily harm
Why is this reporting required?
Reporting these serious incidents is crucial for:
- Protecting children and youth: It enables the Ombudsman to quickly identify risks and respond to incidents, ensuring children and youth are safer.
- Accountability: It holds service providers responsible for the well-being of those in their care through transparency and oversight.
- Systemic improvement: Reviewing reports helps identify patterns and systemic problems, leading to improvements in policies, practices, and training across child services.
- Legal compliance: This reporting obligation arises from Ontario Regulation 80/19, Section 1, of the Ombudsman Act, which mandates timely notification to ensure effective oversight and follow-up.
- Respecting rights: It informs affected children, youth, and families about the Ombudsman’s role, providing them access to support and recourse when serious incidents occur.