CNO’s registration practices are regularly audited by the Office of the Fairness Commissioner (OFC). The OFC was created under the Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act (2006). It works with regulated professions and compulsory trades in Ontario to ensure they have registration processes that are transparent, objective, impartial and fair.
By law, all regulatory bodies in the province, including CNO, must:
- provide information about registration practices and requirements, timelines and fees
- provide the applicant with a written acknowledgment of receipt of the application within 15 days
- make decisions within 30 days to register an applicant or refer the application to the Registration Committee
- offer an internal review or appeal, including an opportunity for applicants to make submissions
- inform applicants of any rights they have to appeal the registration decision externally to the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board or the Divisional Court
- conduct assessments in a way that is transparent, objective, impartial and fair, and take reasonable measures to ensure that external assessors conduct their own assessments in the same way
- ensure adequate training of everyone who assesses qualifications or makes registration decisions
- grant applicants access to records related to their application, upon written request and within certain legal limitations.
Every year, CNO reviews its registration practices and submits a Fair Registration Practices Report to the OFC.