By Staff
August 16, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Kinark Child and Family Services, an agency providing children’s mental health services and support for children and youth in Halton Region and elsewhere in central Ontario, has been fined $125,000 following a workplace violence incident where a staff member was physically assaulted by a youth.
Syl Apps Youth Centre in Oakville.
On May 4, 2014, at Kinark’s Syl Apps Youth Centre facility on Iroquois Shore Road in Oakville, a youth worker who had recently started an employment contract on the detention and custody unit for boys was directing a youth to return to his room for the night. The youth became agitated, entered the staff office and repeatedly struck the worker. A co-worker also located in the staff office intervened in the assault and was also injured. Both workers suffered physical and psychological injuries.
Kinark pleaded guilty to failing to provide information, instruction and supervision to protect a worker from workplace violence or the risk of violence from a resident.
The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Liisa Ritchie in Burlington court on August 16, 2016.
In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
