RPCU Excellence Prizes
The RPCU Excellence Prizes recognize and reward the exceptional commitment and invaluable contribution of volunteers involved in Users Committees (UCs) and In-patients Committees (RCs) in all regions of Quebec.
The prizes recognize the excellence and originality of the actions and tools developed in the exercise of four legal functions related to the committees’ mandate:
- Informing users of their rights and responsibilities : CUs and RCs create tools and activities to inform users of their rights and responsibilities.
- Promoting improvement in the quality of users’ living conditions: CUs and CRs find original ways to improve the quality of users’ living conditions and assess the degree of user satisfaction with services.
- Defend the collective rights and interests of users: CUs and CRs defend the collective rights and interests of users and, on request, the rights and interests of a user with the facility or any other competent authority.
- Accompanying and assisting users in any process: CUs and CRs implement partnerships and use innovative means to accompany or assist users in any process they undertake to correct a situation or service. The jury may consider a particular result, regulation, or association in the process of dealing with a problem or complaint.
Four RPCU Excellence Prizes are presented. Each legal function constitutes a prize category.
Appendix 2 of the Terms of Reference for Users Committees and In-patients Committees provides examples of activities that committees must carry out to perform their legal duties.
Eligibility criteria
The RPCU Excellence Prizes can be presented to a users committee or in-patients committee.
To be eligible, the candidate committee must:- Be an RPCU member committee (2023–2024 membership must be up to date).
- Choose a category to enter. Please note that a committee may apply to one category only.
- Les projets doivent avoir été réalisés entre le 1er avril 2024 au 31 mars 2025;
- Respect the criteria established for each category:
- Information: developed tools to inform users of their rights and obligations.
- Promotion: found an original way to promote improvement in the quality of users’ living conditions or to assess the degree of user satisfaction with services.
- Defending rights: defended the collective rights and interests of users or, on request, the rights and interests of a user with the facility or any other competent authority.
- Accompaniment: accompanied and assisted a user in a process, in particular a complaint, and also helped them exercise their rights in the most enlightened way possible.
Mises en candidatures
La période de mise en candidature 2025 est maintenant lancée. Tout comité membre qui désire déposer sa candidature doit remplir le formulaire au plus tard le 27 juin 2025.
Nous remercions tous les comités qui ont envoyé leur formulaire. Nous débuterons maintenant le processus d’analyse et communiquerons avec vous au besoin.
Selection process
The Prize is presented by the RPCU Board of Directors following the recommendations of an independent jury, which is set up to evaluate the nominations and make a recommendation. RPCU’s general management is responsible for soliciting nominations and forming the independent jury.
Application evaluation criteria
Projects should :
- Have an impact on a large number of users and their families;
Encourage volunteer involvement; - Be transferable to other committees;
- Demonstrate a partnership with families, the community, and the facility;
- Draw attention to the facilities’/partner’s achievements;
- Have a lasting impact on users and their families;
Suggest possible solutions; - Assess service quality rigorously;
- Help develop the knowledge and skills of CU and CR members;
- Enable users and their families to exercise their rights in an informed and autonomous manner, etc.
- Have an impact on a large number of users and their families;