Appeal Panel

Accreditation Level 1 Appeal

If, following a Creating Excellence Together (CET) Accreditation Level 1 survey, the service provider has concerns about the results of the survey or the surveyors’ objectivity (due either to circumstance or surveyor error), and if the Standards and Accreditation Coordinator is not able to informally resolve the concerns, then the service provider can submit a written appeal to the ACDS Director of Services and Accreditation (Director).

The Director will first determine if survey process errors were present that warrant a re-survey of the relevant areas. If the Director is unable to clearly identify that survey process errors were evident, the service provider can apply to the Director in writing for a review by the Appeal Panel (Panel).

The letter of appeal must state clearly that the intent is to appeal the recently-finalized CET Level 1 portion of the site survey (versus just giving general complaints about the survey, the surveyors, or the results).

The Director submits a copy of the letter to the ACDS Board of Directors (the Board) with a request to strike an Appeal Panel. All steps of the appeal are completed according to set timelines.

The meeting follows the following general format. 

• Representatives will call in at different, consecutive times because their presentations are not to overlap.
• On the day of the meeting, Panel members call in first and discuss the information they’ve been given prior to the meeting.
• The service provider representative, the team leader, and any other representatives call in at the designated times.
• The voting members use the final minutes of the meeting to discuss their conclusions and vote.

Decisions of the Appeal Panel

If the Panel accepts the appeal, the service provider will be entitled to a re-survey.

If the Panel rejects the appeal, the service provider’s survey results will stand and the service provider will be expected to act in accordance with the usual follow-up procedure.

Accreditation Level 2 Appeal

There is a separate appeal process for organizations that receive an Accreditation Level 2 outcome decision of less than three years.

The service provider may appeal the Commission on Accreditation’s (Commission) decision by presenting a written appeal to the Director, who submits a copy of the appeal to the Board with a request to strike an Appeal Panel. All steps of the appeal are completed according to set timelines.

The Panel may meet together or individually with

• the service provider’s Chief Executive Officer and governing body
• the Director
• a Commission representative and
• the survey team leader 

Decisions of the Appeal Panel

After reviewing the site-survey report, the Commission minutes, and the evidence presented by all associated parties

• if the Panel accepts the appeal, the decision of the Commission is amended as appropriate
• if the Panel rejects the appeal, the service provider’s survey results will stand and the service provider will be expected to act in accordance with the usual follow-up procedure

The Panel’s decision on the service provider’s Accreditation Level 2 status will not affect its Accreditation Level 1 status.

For both the Accreditation Level 1 and Level 2 appeals, the decision of the Panel is final.