Saskatchewan · Saskatchewan College of Psychologists

How to Respond to an SKCP Complaint

Saskatchewan separates the body that investigates a complaint from the body that judges it — and, unusually, tells you plainly that the investigating committee is not on your side. It acts for the complainant, as a representative of the public. Understanding that, and understanding the four ways your complaint can be resolved, is where a considered response begins.

Who regulates you, and under what law

Psychologists in Saskatchewan are regulated by the Saskatchewan College of Psychologists under The Psychologists Act, 1997, S.S. 1997, c P-36.01, together with the College’s Regulatory Bylaws and the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists.

Two statutory concepts sit at the centre of every complaint, defined in sections 25 and 26 of the Act:

• Professional misconduct — conduct that breaches the standards, bylaws or ethical guidelines of the profession;
• Professional incompetence — a lack of the knowledge, skill or judgment, or a disregard for the welfare of clients, of a degree that shows unfitness to practise.

The word “member” in the Act covers more than fully registered psychologists: it includes provisional and candidate registrants and psychological associates. If you are practising under a provisional licence and supervision, you are within the same complaints framework.

Two committees do two different jobs

Saskatchewan separates investigation from adjudication, and understanding which body you are dealing with matters at every stage.

• The Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) receives, considers and investigates every written complaint. It acts on behalf of the complainant — that is, the public — and expressly not on behalf of the psychologist.
• The Discipline Committee is a separate body that holds a formal hearing where a matter is referred to it.

Before a complaint: the self-resolution expectation

Saskatchewan has an unusual feature worth knowing, particularly if you are the one with concerns about a colleague. The College expects psychologists who are troubled by another psychologist’s conduct to raise it directly with that psychologist first, in a spirit of intellectual humility, before bringing a complaint — and it stresses that vigorous professional disagreement is not, by itself, a matter for the regulator.

For a psychologist facing a client complaint, the counterpart point is that many concerns can be resolved directly and never become formal complaints at all. How you respond to an early expression of dissatisfaction can determine whether it escalates.

How a complaint proceeds

A complaint must be made in writing on the College’s Complaint Reporting Form, signed and submitted. The PCC sends the complainant an acknowledgement, seeks any clarification, and — once it has the complainant’s documentation — notifies you, the member, of the complaint. You will know the substance of what is alleged.

The four dispositions open to the PCC

After investigating, the PCC has four routes:

1. No further action or dismissal — where the behaviour is not professional misconduct or incompetence, or the complaint is frivolous or vexatious, or the College has no jurisdiction.
2. Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) — a resolved outcome with agreed interventions or remedial actions. ADRs are published on the College website under Regulatory Bylaw 5(4).
3. Referral to a formal hearing before the Discipline Committee.
4. Automatic referral — some complaints, by their very serious nature, go straight to the Discipline Committee.

Your first week

1. Get legal advice and notify your liability insurer before you respond. The PCC is not neutral in your favour; do not treat your response as a casual letter.
2. Diarise every deadline and request an extension early if needed.
3. Preserve your records exactly as they stand — your file notes, test data, consent forms, correspondence. Never alter, supplement or “complete” a clinical record after a complaint arrives.
4. Do not contact the complainant — who is very often your own client or former client — to resolve it once the College is involved.

This article is general information for psychologists registered with the Saskatchewan College of Psychologists and does not constitute legal advice. Regulatory processes and the law change, and every case turns on its own facts. If you are the subject of a complaint or investigation, obtain advice from a lawyer experienced in professional regulation, and notify your professional liability insurer, before you respond. Last updated July 14, 2026.