Community & Social Services 2015 Business Plan & Budget · 2015-01-15 · 2015 Business Plan & Budget ... and was labour intensive. ... A Skills Questionnaire was redeveloped to assist

Community & Social Services 2015 Business Plan & Budget

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2015 Business Plan & Budget

Income Services

Prior Year Accomplishments

Economic Renewal & Prosperity

Social Services Solutions Modernization Project (SSSMP)

As the Local Site Lead for SSSMP, advocated and participated in ongoing identification of specific municipal/regional disparities. A local Implementation Team, comprised of 3 managers and 9 members of staff, has actively been involved in Local Impact Assessments on new procedural changes to:

• Client Intake • Client Portal (i.e. client ability to access his/her own file remotely) • Outcome Management (Employment Planning) • FSW (i.e. pursuit of Family Support) • Case Management • Back–End-Financials (Form 5 Subsidy claims)

This is an ongoing process as the implementation date for the new Social Assistance Management System (SAMS) has been delayed for a third time. The most recent delay has been attributed to technical problems in the conversion of data from the current Service Delivery Model Technology system (SDMT). There are known difficulties with the new SAMS system in meeting working requirements. This means that local business processes cannot be finalized until the new delivery system is completed. Time has been committed for 2 staff members to attend in Toronto for 2 weeks, to assist ministry staff test SAMS components.

With the last “Go Live” Implementation date given as May 2014, End User training was delivered by 2 facilitators/trainers appointed from departmental staff. The designated facilitators/trainers coordinated and scheduled training modules geared to specific staff functions, to the whole Social Services department, and to certain staff from the Finance Department. This training covered the period January to April, and was labour intensive. Refresher training modules have been provided by the ministry to ensure that staff remains conversant in SAMS as the system is being refined. Customization of these modules to meet local office needs is currently underway.

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Sustainable Infrastructure & Services

Technological Improvements

Implemented a new cheque production system through VisionCraft, which in combination with SAMS, will allow same day system cheque production that removes the need to produce manual cheques. This also removes the need to post the manual cheque to the system, thus saving on staff time, resources, and possible error in transcription.

In conjunction with the Administrative Services manager, negotiated with ACCERTA to have them assume the administration of Ontario Works dental and vision programs. This change was timed to best utilize the technological changes available through SAMS and the new VisionCraft cheque production process. The change not only benefits the department, client and service provider, but the corporation also. A financial saving of $27,750.00 per annum is projected.

Community Hubs

Despite the demands on staff time due to the SAMS end-user training (training ran for 11 weeks), staff have utilized the Community Hubs (January-June, 243 clients seen over 27 occasions in 4 different locations) in order to provide services in rural areas that were previously only available at the county building in Cobourg. The Hubs have also been regularly staffed (48 times by 8 staff members, January – June) in order to provide a county presence in outlying areas of the county. This initiative has been beneficial to clients in that they do not have to incur the inconvenience or cost of travel to Cobourg. The face-to-face contact is more conducive to relationship building and achieving positive outcomes.

Supportive Communities

Client Service

Despite additional demands upon staff time and resources throughout the SSSMP process, client service has been maintained to a high quality. Nonetheless, where previously the department exceeded the provincial averages on application clearance times, it now equals them.

The Income Services Division has committed time and resources to identifying and assisting clients to overcome barriers to employment where those barriers are substantial, and assisted in the client making a successful claim to ODSP.

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Employer/Workplace of Choice

Staff Development

Staff has been actively involved in departmental committees; the Business and the Communication committees are well represented. Externally, staff is also involved in the Community Leadership Development Initiative with individuals from outside agencies. Staff has also taken advantage of completing courses offered by the corporation through Loyalist College. Through Human Services Integration, interdivisional training has expanded staff knowledge and capacity. Staff has attended provincial conferences as part of applying/expanding skills acquired through county initiatives.

2015 Service Objectives & Initiatives



To successfully implement SAMS, and through the opportunities afforded by the technological changes, be able to extract meaningful data that will allow for effective mapping of services to specific client groups.



To successfully implement SAMS. This being the fourth “Go Live” Implementation date for the new “Commercial Off-The-Shelf” System, there is concern as to the sustainability in the early stages. New business processes have to be developed to effectively implement the new system. These business processes have to be flexible and adaptive, in order to ensure the maintenance of quality service to the residents of the County.


Community Hubs

To meet the needs of our residents in their own community requires a commitment of staff time and resources. It also requires effective coordination with local agencies, to provide necessary services to the local community.

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Staff Development

Work jointly with other managers to build an integrated service delivery model, implementation of Bridges out of Poverty concepts and People Centered Service philosophy within department.

Long Term Plan & Strategic Objectives

Economic Renewal & Prosperity Social Services Solutions Modernization Project (SSSMP)

To successfully implement SAMS, and through the opportunities afforded by the technological changes, be able to extract meaningful data that will allow for effective mapping of services to specific client groups. This will be a continuous process, as SAMS evolves and infrastructure (service agencies, employers and workforce) constantly change.

Sustainable Infrastructure & Services To continue to work with the ministry as it introduces new technology and change processes, to ensure that they meet the needs of the residents of Northumberland County, and that they benefit fully from these ongoing innovations.


Commit to be an active participant in the Community Collaboration process, to be involved in the breaking down of barriers between agencies and between agency and County services. To harmonize service delivery practices and language.


Staff Development

• Invest in our staff • Provide ongoing effective communication • Professional development engagement • Develop performance measurements/improved outcome measures • Engagement and collaboration with staff on new initiatives • Planning strategies that result in an engaged, involved workforce

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Employment & Support Services



Monitor the performance of Employment and Support Services to ensure funding and program accountability.

• Completed the Ontario Works Service Plan Addendum 2014-2015. Ministry approval received in July 2014.

Employment Outcomes 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014*

1A - Average amount of employment earnings 711.34 767.89 768.52 849.02 866.51 803.41

1B - Average earnings at exit 939.23 1282.08 1249.47 1379.45 1390.97 1047.81 1Di - Average earnings of participants on OW at least 12 months

775.45 860.68 838.15 889.25 1005.14 822.82

2A - Percentage of caseload with employment income 11.00% 10.51% 10.60% 10.4% 11.99% 10.31%

2B - Percentage of cases exiting to employment 11.31% 22.07% 21.7% 15.80% 27.84% 25.56%

2C - Job retention in months - time to re-entry when left for employment within 24 months

10.56 10.08 10.5 9.4 5.81 6.02

2D - Job retention as a percentage of exiting cases returning within 24 months

7.06% 7.34% 7.2% 6.2%

15.57%

6.08%

2E - Average length of time on assistance to employment 8.36 10.55 10.4 12.2

10.81

11.01

*2014-January to May 2014

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Title Definition 1A Average Employment Earnings Average amount of employment earnings for

participants with earnings 1B Average Amount of Earnings at Exit Average amount of employment earnings at

exit where earnings have taken the benefit unit off assistance

2A % with Employment Income % of caseload with employment income 2B % of Caseload Exiting to

Employment % of benefit units exiting to employment where earnings have taken benefit unit off assistance

2C Job Retention Rate Average Months to Reentry

Job retention rate determined by average length of time from exit due to earnings and/or employment to reentry into social assistance where earnings have taken benefit unit off assistance

2D Job Retention Rate Job retention rate determined by the percentage of benefits units who exit social assistance due to earnings and/or employment and return where earnings have taken benefit off assistance

Working Business Committee

Terms of Reference for the Working Business Committee were established in November 2013. The Committee is defining paths that will lead to more effective and efficient ways to meet and exceed expected performance outcomes.

The Committee reviewed patterns of referrals at time of granting assistance. Committee members met with Employment Ontario providers to discuss referral processes and how to improve communications between staff. A new combined consent and referral form has been developed which has removed the need for multiple forms.

A Skills Questionnaire was redeveloped to assist caseworkers to collaboratively develop Participation Agreements with clients.

A calendar of workshops and training opportunities is created on a monthly basis for clients and staff.

Sequencing steps to better outcomes is an upcoming project that will assist in understanding SAMS and building Participation Agreements in the new technology.

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The Committee continues to define and address gaps in service.

Eligibility Review

The Eligibility Review Officer is completing a Participation Agreement Review Report. The Final report will be completed by the end of August 2014. This quality control function was previously completed by the Ministry.

Eligibility review savings 2010 to 2013 with savings forecasted for 2014.

Case Presenting Program

The Case Presenting Officer (CPO) has been invited to participate in the provincial CPO Working Group which includes ODSP and OW CPO’s. The group discusses issues and decisions that are being challenged, and, is looking at approaches and processes that will ensure consistency across the province.

$219,744

$134,478 $158,781

$119,816

$84,998

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

$250,000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Eligibility Review Savings

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Family Support Program

Family support savings 2010 to 2013 with savings forecasted for 2014.

GIS Services

Preliminary steps have been made to plan outward facing asset maps and mapping census data, program data and community assets for internal use. Mapped demographics and proximity analysis will assist with program planning.


Ensure programs and services meet the needs of social assistance recipients

• 4 week follow-up – Four weeks after clients have been granted assistance they meet with an Employment Caseworker to review their goals and plans. The availability of internal and community supports are reviewed on a case-by-case basis with referrals made as required. The intention is to identify issues and provide interventions at the earliest point in time.

• Continued to build capacity to assist individuals with addiction issues through services provided by Four Counties Addiction Services Team (4CAST). The initial meeting with the client and the Addiction Worker are now held in the Social Services office to facilitate a “warm handoff” introduction.

• The CERP Front Line Networking Group has planned a Job Fair for October 1, 2014. The Fair will provide a second opportunity in 2014 for employers, job seekers and employment resources to match hiring needs with potential candidates.

$94,402

$113,444

$74,244 $63,834 $60,443

$0

$25,000

$50,000

$75,000

$100,000

$125,000

$150,000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2013

Family Support Savings

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• Promotion of Canada Learning Bonds at time of contact with clients who have children. Marketing material was also placed in the back to school backpacks. The Bonds can provide up to $2,000 towards post-secondary education for families that receive the NCBS.

• Over 400 people attended the March 2014 Job Fair to explore employment opportunities with 20 employers.

• We entered into a Service Agreement with Dr. Illya Roumeliotis, Psychologist, for

consultations and/or psychological/employability assessments. Employability assessments provide professional opinions which assist in developing individualized plans to independence. Dr. Roumeliotis provides Diagnostic and/or Vocational Assessments. The assessments comment on:

o the client’s employability (considering physical health, mental and emotional health issues and learning potential);

o identify suitable occupational areas or training options, or, o for those clients for whom employment is not an option, recommendations to

assist the client in obtaining optimal level of quality of life.

• Completed three LIFE groups (one in Campbellford, two in Cobourg). The program builds awareness of community supports and programs and assists individuals with

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setting goals and linking to supports. Community agencies, such as Employment Ontario providers and educational resources, as well as Social Services staff facilitated sessions.

• Continued to support clients who are applying for ODSP and appealing Disability Adjudication Unit decisions.

• Continued participation in the Front Line Networking Group (FLNG). This group is representative of the CERP membership and has been focusing on job development.

• Continued to build relationships with ODSP managers. During this process, reviewed referral process of ODSP spouses and dependant adults to Ontario Works for employment supports.

237 232

0

50

100

150

200

250

2013 2014

# of Clients Potentially Applying for ODSP

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• Offered G2 driver training. Many social assistance recipients have never had the

opportunity or reason to obtain a driver’s licence. Achievement of a driver’s licence can begin to open doors to further independence. A driver’s licence may be required as a condition of employment, provide access to transportation to employment, or may provide confidence to take on further challenging steps to independence.

• Offered two concurrent Job Fair Preparation Programs facilitated by the Community Training & Development.


• One staff from this division continues to be part of the in-house SAMS training team to train all staff in preparation of the launch of SAMS technology.

• On July 24, 2014, as resume workshop was held for Social Services Caseworkers. Three local employers and a representative from Northumberland County Human Resources shared hints and tips about resumes and their hiring processes. A representative from Watton Employment Services provided information about types of resumes and emphasized the need for a job specific cover letter.

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• Two staff from this division participated in the Community Leadership Development Initiative, now called Northumberland Momentum. Both individuals participated in the Community Service Fair project.

• On August 14, 2014, Joan Connelly of Literacy Ontario Central South spoke about literacy to Social Services caseworkers and staff from various community agencies. She explained that literacy involves continued learning to enable individuals to achieve goals, develop knowledge and potential and to participate fully in their community. In Canada, 42% of adults have low literacy skills and less than 20% of people with the lowest literacy skills are employed.

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• Provided monthly opportunity for caseworkers to invite guest speakers of their choice and to discuss topics of interest. Speakers have included representatives from Service Canada (CPP), Community Training and Development, Centre for Individual Studies and an Outreach Worker with the Oshawa Community Health Centre to speak about Hepatitis C.


Economic Renewal & Prosperity • Implement changes to our service delivery and/or funding as directed by the Ministry.

Sustainable Infrastructure & Services • Ensure program delivery is aligned with legislation, regulation and policy.

• Review current business processes and adapt or build efficient processes that fit with the SAMS technology.

• Continue to review effectiveness of programming to meet service targets to ensure funding.

• Funding for Employment Supports will be changed effective April 1, 2015. The impact on the 2015 budget is not known at this time.

Supportive Communities • Focus on an integrated client-centered approach through collaboration amongst an

integrated Social Services Department and community partners. Use partnerships and services to develop paths of continuity, support and success.

• Support clients to use SAMS technology to apply for assistance, report income and receive communications.

• Continue to refer employment ready clients to Employment Ontario supports.

• Build structured, strategic plans with clients as early as possible. Focus on intentional planning with built-in objectives, goals and resources.

• Literacy – Research and implement programming to identify, set goals and provide opportunities for clients to increase potential to participate more independently in their community.

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• Develop programming to support the client’s path to independence. The following programs to support the client’s path to independence are currently in place and will continue into 2015.

o Addictions Counselling – Four Counties Addictions Services Team. o Employability Assessments – Dr. Roumeliotis o Potential ODSP Clients – In-house Employment Caseworker o Non-compliance intervention – In-house Employment Caseworker o 4-week follow-up – In-house Employment Caseworker o Job Developer, ODSP Spouses and Dependent Adults – In-house Employment

Caseworker

• Develop programming to support the client’s path to independence. The following programs are currently in development phases and will be implemented in late 2014 and carried into 2015.

o G2 Driver’s Licence

o AZ Driver’s Licence – Recent reports indicate that the gap between supply and demand of transport drivers in Canada could reach as high as 33,000 by 2020. Trucking is an industry with many career opportunities. Transport services are tied to manufacturing, retail and wholesale trade industries with related employment for mechanics, technicians, cargo workers, loss prevention and dispatchers. Graduates of truck driving schools know how to keep log books, use computers, understand weights and loads and have customer services skills.

o Social Worker – Embedding of a Social Worker in the Department so internal staff can refer to counseling services at the time identified by clients and supported by their worker. These referrals could include individuals who are unable to adjust to or cope with a particular stressor, such as a major life event (family conflict, challenging situations with children, self-esteem issues, anger, grief, anxiety, loss of control dealing with the impact of poverty, social isolation). This model will provide direct service outcomes in terms of increasing the level of employability and reducing the wait times for our client base in addressing some of their barriers.

o Collaborative Initiative between the Social Services and Economic Development Departments – This joint and bundled initiative aims to help increase awareness of the activities of both departments, as well as supporting job creation, enhanced employment supports and overall economic development. Both departments wish to provide leadership to growing a supportive environment that facilitates collaboration and integration among service providers and

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residents. The project includes strategies to address youth employment, youth engagement and volunteerism. Recommendations include: more universal approaches to targeted populations and the integration

of multiple funding programs that work together to enhance quality of life. The desired outcomes involve bringing together similar “at-risk” groups and creating access to opportunities for healthier living

increase the rate of volunteerism and the quality of volunteers to assist socially excluded, at risk communities and provide the Departments with opportunities to get pilot projects started.

o Development of an integrated, effective and sustainable food strategy. This plan would, in part, address increasing abilities of individuals who wish to volunteer or mentor others and also provide supportive links to income, employment, education, housing, health, etc.


• Improvement of business process, maintain a high performing, well-trained staff • Ensure that staff receive SAMS training and are prepared to work in a new technological

environment, with support provided as needed.

• Provide training and opportunities for subject matter experts to share insight on topics of interest as needed.



• Based on economic and labour market uncertainty and pending further review of all provincially-funded employment programs, longer-term objectives in Employment Services are being deferred until further details are known.


• Ontario Works Employment Programs are intended to be fluid and meet the needs of the individuals that are receiving social assistance in a realistic and supportive manner. Close monitoring of demographics, strategies, successes and outcomes will continue to occur in order to ensure quality customer service and full provincial funding.

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• Share and develop programming from a community-based perspective

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Children’s Services




• Supported four not-for-profit child care providers/private home child care agencies with Capacity Funding to Support Transformation to support viability and facilitate the transformation of licensed child care programs in response to the implementation of Full- Day Kindergarten (FDK)

• Provided Capital Retrofits funding to support one not-for-profit licensed child care operator with a project to close one site and re-purpose their remaining site to support the on-going viability of the operator as per their strategic planning process in response to the implementation of FDK

• Supported eight not-for-profit providers with Repair and Maintenance funding to assist with renovations or upgrades to ensure licensing requirements under the Day Nurseries Act are met as well to assist with health and safety practices, the upkeep of equipment and property repairs and maintenance

• Developed and will implement January 1st, 2015, a General Operating Grant for child care funding to replace wage subsidy as per Ministry of Education (EDU) guidelines, incorporating local priorities that were identified by the child care operators


• Eliminated the waitlist for fee subsidy, improving supports for both families and child care operators

• Facilitated sessions with child care providers to establish local priorities for the development of a capacity building plan that incorporates Ontario’s Early Learning Framework and How Does Learning Happen? Ontario's Pedagogy for the Early Years

• Continued to work in cooperation with Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board (KPRDSB), the Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland, Clarington Catholic District School Board

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(PVNCCDSB), Barrie Region Ministry of Education and regional CMSM counterparts, to support the final year of FDK implementation (September 2014), the School’s First Policy and the stabilization of child care

o Together designed a policy handbook for onsite child care operators and principals o Selection of third party onsite providers for identified sites (in Northumberland one

new site at Mervin Greer Public School and one expansion site at CR Gummow Public School September 2014, both operated by YMCA Northumberland)

• Facilitated, guided and supported the transformation of the Special Needs Resourcing Program in partnership with a consultant and the Ministry of Children and Youth Services to ensure EDU guidelines were being met, while maintaining and enhancing support and services to children, families, child care providers and existing community program partners

o Funding is to be specifically directed to the inclusion of special needs children in licensed childcare and approved recreation programs

o an overall goal of ensuring children and families who were currently receiving services in Northumberland County would continue to receive service during the transition

o work with community partners to ensure current resources/programs that are already established are being maximized , decrease duplication

o Funding directed to appropriate direct service delivery programing: - increase to on-site support to child care operators - increase in enhanced staffing support - decrease in allocated administrative expenses

• Hosted a SAIL On training program for child care supervisors (1 day) and frontline staff (3 days) (total of 108 participants) that builds on SAIL concepts , leading through change and professionalism

o Supported child care operators by providing funding to support the cost of backfilling staff who were released to attend the training

• Provided all Early Learning and Child Care Partners with printed copies of:

o Ontario’s Early Learning Framework (a copy for each room) o How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years (a copy for

each staff) o Think, Feel, Act, Lessons from Research About Young Children (a copy for each staff) o Three Posters: focused on the Early Learning Framework, Six ELECT Guiding

Principles and The Four Foundations of How Does Learning Happen (for each room)

• Conducted a Salary and Benefit Survey of local child care operators and shared information to assist operators and boards of directors with setting competitive salary ranges and

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budgets. This will now be done annually as part of the General Operating Grant requirements

• Sponsored the United Way Back Pack program

• Provided funding to the Northumberland Children’s Services Network to support the website

• Continued development of the trusteeship program which has enhanced the network of supports to the Ontario Works student program

• Sponsored the TEAM program (KPRDSB/YMCA Young Mom school program) by funding the child minding portion, enabling the mothers to attend academic classes in the morning


• supported team and department training initiatives especially in regards to new technology and provincial mandates

• Continued support of the on-going department projects and initiatives such as:

o Human Service Integration o Centralized Intake o File management o Clerical Team o SMMP/SAMS implementation o Communications/Think Tank and Working Business Committees


Sustainable Infrastructure & Services • Launching online funding application and approval process for child care operators through

OCCMS for Capacity Funding to Support Transformation and Repairs and Maintenance

• Allocate funds to specifically address the on-going viability, sustainability and transformation of child care programs to ensure high quality early learning programs meet and exceed licensing requirements

• General Operating Grant will be implemented January 1st, 2015 and will be living formula which allows the opportunity to create a tool that ensures equitable disruption of child care funding to centres based on local priorities:

o Approximately 75% base funding based on operating capacity

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o Approximately 25% will be incentive funding based on local priorities identified by the child care providers (i.e. quality, viability and affordability)

o Provides the child care operators with greater flexibility to use funds to support the stability of their programs


• Continue to monitor funding to ensure child acre is maximized with the goal to remain waitlist free for fee subsidy

• Development of a Local Child Care Service Plan as per EDU guidelines

o Incorporating the broader system goal of early learning and child care services being increasingly coordinated and integrated

o Must support families having to access safe nurturing licensed care with supports to ensure inclusion

o If Bill 10 passed, this would include planning for the early learning and child development sector

• Continue to develop and implement, in consultation with early learning and child care partners, the capacity building plan that incorporates local priorities, Ontario’s Early Learning Framework and How Does Learning Happen? Ontario's Pedagogy for the Early Years

o Professional development opportunities for Executive Directors, frontline staff, home child care providers and not-for-profit board of director members

o Plan to include funding to support staff release time and overtime to encourage participation in professional development opportunities

o Travel costs to support attendance

• Maintain support of Inquiry Based Play and Documentation as per the Ontario’s Early Learning Framework and How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years

o Provide equipment such as lap tops, cameras, printers and ink o Support mentoring program with funds for training and backfill

• Collaborate with the Special Needs Provider and community partners to ensure community programs and services are being maximized to support child care operators in providing quality care to children and families with special needs. Funding directed to appropriate direct service delivery programing:

o Incremental increase in enhanced staffing support

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o Continue with ensuring special needs children and families and the licensed child care and approved recreation programs receive the supports necessary to have a successful experience

o Continue to support children and families who were affected by the SNR transition in 2014, ensuring they continue to receive supports until their personal transition is complete

o Address any identified gaps in the SNR program with SNR provider and community partners

• Continue to work in cooperation with KPRDSB, PVNCCDSB, Barrie Region Ministry of Education and regional CMSM counterparts, to support the early learning and child care system, the stabilization of child care and the School’s First Policy

o Implementation of Best Start Child and Family Centres

• Further develop Northumberland County’s Child Care policies, procedures and Provider Handbook to support the delivery of high quality early learning and care services, effective business practices and accountability for use of funding

• In partnership with the Department, investigate new possibilities to remove the barrier of child care, enabling Ontario Works clients to be more readily available to participate in training, development and work programs

• Develop a marketing and public awareness strategy to heighten awareness of the importance of high quality regulated early learning and child care for children

o Design an information pamphlet for caseworkers on the “Reasons to Pick Licensed Child Care”

• Redesign the LEAP and Student program to ensure community supports are being maximized to assist clients in fulfilling their personal goals:

o ensure greater client options (parenting hours) o builds community capacity, ensuring that resources are maximized to their fullest o better meet service target outcomes with increased community supports

• In partnership with the Department, continue to develop the Young Parent Initiative to support and assist OW and non-social assistance clients with access to health and safety equipment (cribs, car seats) and parenting guidance and support programs

o Seek input from community agencies and strengthen partnerships


• Continue to support of the on-going department projects and initiatives such as:

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o Human Service Integration o Centralized Intake o File management o Clerical Team o SMMP/SAMS implementation o Communications/Think Tank and Working Business Committees



• To develop a vibrant , high quality, inclusive service system of licensed early learning and care that promotes optimal developmental health for children

o Promote the evolution of high quality early learning and child care services with common approaches to curriculum delivery, standards of practice in adult child interaction and promotion of child development

o Support the delivery of professional development and training to translate best practices and align with Ontario’s Early Learning Framework and How Does Learning Happen? Ontario's Pedagogy for the Early Years at all levels in an early learning organization

o Develop opportunities for greater collaboration with provincial quality assurance and licensing to support operators in achieving higher quality programs that support child outcomes

o Support the SNR partner with aligning approaches with best practice for inclusion of children with special needs and reflects changes occurring in licensed child care and approved recreation programs

o Develop common business practices with licensed child care operators which focus on rates, salaries, and use of funding (building on General Operating Grant)


• To develop a system wide approach to early learning and child care that is high quality, equitable and inclusive of all children and is delivered in partnership with other service providers o Continue to build and strengthen partnerships between local Boards of Education

and Early Learning and Child Care Operators to ensure seamless service for children and families

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o Create a mapping strategy to guide future expansion and purposeful planning of services

o Enhance the CMSM capacity to track, monitor and evaluate services demands to support community planning

• To promote integrated planning and service delivery to improve access for families and developmental outcomes for children across Northumberland County

o Support the development of an integrated service planning system o Through the development of an Early Years system plan, determine common outcomes

for children and evaluate impact of changes


• Continue to support of the on-going department projects and initiatives such as:

o Human Service Integration o Centralized Intake o File management o Clerical Team o SSSMP/SAMS implementation o Communications/Think Tank and Working Business Committees

Appendix—Case Details and Statistics 15 Service Agreements with agencies across 25 sites for a total of 1,227 licensed spaces:

• 18 licensed Child Care Sites • 2 Home Child Care agencies (approximately 7 home child care providers) • 2 Nursery School Programs (1 for profit) • 1 Special Needs Resourcing Program • 2 Recreation Programs • 1 Licensed First Nation Program

Of the 1,227 licensed child care spaces (infant to 12 years) in Northumberland:

• 789 licensed spaces for children birth to five years • 403 licensed spaces for children five to twelve years of age • Approximately 35 Licensed Home Child Care spaces

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As of June 30, 2014, the breakdown of registered children is highlighted in the following charts.

Household Status # Children % Single 170 45%

Separated 111 29% Married 43 11%

Common Law 39 10% Divorced 11 3% Widowed 5 1%

Northumberland County Total 379 100%

Applicant 2 Reason for Service # Children % Working full-time 66 80%

Therapeutic referral - child 5 6% Working, self-employed 4 5%

Attending school full-time 3 4% Working part-time 2 2%

Ontario Works, employment 1 1% Looking for work 1 1%

Northumberland County Total 82 100%

Applicant 1 Reason for Service # Children % Working full-time 279 74%

Attending school full-time 31 8% Working part-time 31 8%

Therapeutic referral - child 11 3% Working, self-employed 10 3%

Ontario Works, education 6 2% Ontario Works, employment 3 1% Attending school part-time 4 1%

Other 4 1% Northumberland County Total 379 100%

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Housing Services



• Created new workflow and tracking system for annual renewal of tenants

• Began comprehensive review of rent supplement program – funding, workflow, lease agreements, unit inspections, landlord education package

• Began review of Affordable Homeownership program and maintenance – file retention, workflow, yearly updates, AIMS


Provincial Arrears Data Base

• Ongoing comprehensive review and inclusion of nonprofit housing providers arrears, bankruptcy, file retention, processes with collections

Rent Geared Income Training and other workshops

• Rent-geared-income training – includes nonprofit housing providers and staff

• Workshops and Webinar series through ONPHA and HSC

Health and Safety

• Completed annual Health and Safety unit inspections of all 344 County Housing units in partnership with Facilities Department

• Completed annual fire drills on all County Housing Properties in partnership with Facilities Department

Asset Planner

• Asset Planner (HSC) – continue with the implementation and fall training of nonprofit housing providers.

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Funding and Accountability

• Development and amendment of property management policies in partnership with Facilities Department

• Continued development and implementation of Operational Reviews and follow up with nonprofit housing providers

• Development of finance policy related to Budget estimate/AIR submissions and surplus subsidy reinvestment.

• New service agreements with nonprofit housing providers

Software and Housing Drives

• Begin implementation and training for Yardi system upgrade


Application process and workflow improvements

• Began comprehensive review of the application process, includes workflow, eligibility criteria, software upgrade, development of FAQ’s

• Implementation of service agreements and workflow for Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative

• Implementation of new internal review process for eligibility decisions under the Housing Services Act, 2011

Communications and Events

• Updated version of the tenant handbook

• Spring/summer and Fall/Winter tenant newsletter

• Hosted Strawberry Socials for all County Seniors Housing Units in June 2014

• All policies and updates provided on County website

• Annual Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to be held in late 2014


The Housing Division staff was provided training and involvement in departmental and divisional projects and initiatives. Specifically for 2014:

• Participation in ongoing webinar series offered through ONPHA and HSC

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• Workshops and conferences provided by OMSSA and ONPHA related to housing and homelessness initiatives

• Involvement in Community Capacity Building series

• Membership on internal and external committees related to ongoing divisional and departmental work initiatives



Rent Supplement Program – (Commercial and Strong Communities)

• Implement findings of the comprehensive review underway in 2014. This will include ensuring stable funding of existing program, improved workflow, more responsive and legally sound lease agreements with landlords, ongoing unit inspections procedures and protocols, development of landlord education package and landlord pool

Investment in Affordable Housing Program

• Recent announcement of extension of program, development of plans pending release of new program guidelines.

End of Operating Agreements

• Utilize the services of the Housing Services Corporation (HSC) to develop a transition plan for all Social Housing providers(Rent-geared-income)

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Provincial Arrears Data Base

• Implementation of the findings from the comprehensive review and inclusion of nonprofit housing provider’s arrears, bankruptcy, file retention, and processes outlined with collections.

Rent-geared-income training

• Will provide additional and ongoing training, and to move towards quarterly calculations for all housing providers.

Asset Planner

• To continue with the implementation and training of nonprofit housing providers in this software system. This will become mandatory reporting for all nonprofit providers at the time of their budget estimate submissions in addition to requests for surplus subsidy

Health and Safety

• Health and Safety unit inspections of all 344 County Housing units in partnership with Facilities Department

• Annual fire drills on all County Housing Properties in partnership with Facilities Department, in accordance with County Fire Plans and legislation

• Development of new and amendment of existing property management policies in partnership with Facilities Department.

Funding and Accountability

• Cycle of Operational Reviews and follow up with nonprofit housing providers

• Development of financial and reporting policies as required.

• Development of ongoing performance measurement and tracking for CHPI funding

• Development and tracking measurements for 10 Year Housing and Homelessness Plan

Software and Housing Drives

• Yardi system upgrade go live date in February 2015, will need to ensure integrity of information and full reporting and data collection of system upgrade

• Review and organization of housing drive and electronic file systems

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Application process and workflow improvements

• Implementation of the comprehensive review of the application processes, including workflow, eligibility criteria, software upgrade, development of FAQ’s and online applications.


• Implementation of new internal review process for eligibility decisions under the Housing Services Act, 2011


• Comprehensive review of potential programming and new or enhanced partnerships with agencies such as Northumberland Hills Hospital Community Mental health, CELHINS and Port Hope Community Health Centre

Communications and Events

• Spring/summer and Fall/Winter tenant newsletter • Host ongoing Strawberry Socials for all County Seniors Housing Units in June 2014 • Host onsite tenant meetings to provide identified information and services • To use the County Website and Facebook page to share information and events • Host Annual Technical Advisory Group (TAG)


Continue to support of the on-going department projects and initiatives such as:

• Human Service Integration • Centralized Intake • File Management • Yardi implementation • SAMS Implementation • Communications/ Working Business Committees • Other – internal or external committees as appropriate • Ongoing professional development and training

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Federal and Provincial Initiatives

• To continue involvement in the extension of the Investment in Affordable Housing program and to utilize funding received as per program guidelines.

• To continue to apply for and utilize any potential funding opportunity that will assist households to move along on the housing continuum.

End of Operating Agreements

• To implement recommendations that comes out of the development of a transition plan for all Social Housing (rent-geared-income) providers.


Social Housing and Energy Efficiency

• Build long term capital asset plans that incorporate the reduction of energy costs and waste

• Develop opportunities to engage with social housing communities to develop Community Champion Programs to educate and reduce energy cost and waste through conservation and recycling.

Asset Management

• To continue to build the Capital Reserve fund and a management plan to ensure sustainability for Social Housing Communities and their related assets.

• To continue to build the Repair and Maintenance Reserve based on the needs of the 10 Year Capital Plan as developed by Facilities for County Housing Units


10 Year Local Housing and Homelessness Plan

• Build upon the objectives of the plan to meet the needs of residents living in poverty and those homeless or at risk of homelessness within Northumberland County

• Develop programs that address the needs of those households who are homeless or at risk of homelessness through effective programming, partnerships and service delivery of the Community Homelessness and Prevention Program (CHPI)

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• Develop performance indicators and measurements to ensure the effectiveness of ongoing funding and programming related to the reduction of homelessness within the County of Northumberland.

• Enhance and engage in partnerships with agencies that compliment the work and objectives of the Housing Division and the Department of Community and Social Services


Continue to support on-going divisional and department projects and initiatives such as:

• Human Service Integration • Centralized Intake • File Management • Yardi implementation • SAMS Implementation • Communications/ Working Business Committees • Other – internal or external committees as appropriate • Ongoing professional development and training

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Food 4 All


Economic Renewal & Prosperity • Added 4 new volunteers to our program—provided training to volunteers and staff

• Prior year survey results are being studied to help direct warehouse programming

Sustainable Infrastructure & Services • Provided Health and Safety training to volunteers

• Presented County’s new “Volunteer Orientation Package” to warehouse volunteers

• Purchased new warehouse van that will be used to pick-up and deliver more fresh and non-perishable food supplies to our member agencies

• Continued development of community garden in the courtyard of 600 William Street

o Currently growing tomatoes, peppers, onions and cucumbers that will be distributed to local food banks and feeding programs

• Continued to develop new processes for product handling and rotation within the warehouse

o Increased amount of fresh product going to members o Decreased product waste

Supportive Communities • Worked with other service divisions to provide distribution of gift cards and food

hampers following the major ice storm

• Distributed “Spring Cleaning” boxes of assorted cleaning supplies to clients in Campbellford, Bewdley and Cobourg

• Expanded “Food 4 Kids” back pack program, in the first year and a half we have supplied more than 600 back-packs with food supplies to local students to assist with food insecurity issues during the weekend while they are not is school

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• Began training and implementation of Link2Feed, the new provincial hunger count tracking system that will be required of all our warehouse members

• Reallocated municipal funds from previous “Milk for Moms” program and started the new “Milk 4 Families” program where we are providing additional liquid and powdered milk and gift cards for milk purchases to families throughout Northumberland

• As part of the OAFB’s new Egg Program we started receiving our quarterly allotment of eggs where we will get 1232 dozen eggs that will be distributed to local food banks and feeding programs throughout Northumberland

• As part of the OAFB’s pilot Pork Program we received 2024 pounds of frozen ground pork for distribution to local food banks and feeding programs (hopefully this pilot program is successful and we will receive this product on a consistent basis)

• Working with “School Nutrition Programs Central East” to provide wholesale bread pricing and deliveries to school nutrition programs throughout Northumberland


• provided Health and Safety training to new staff and volunteers

• plan to provide “Defensive Driver” training to staff and 2 volunteer drivers

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• plan to provide emergency first aid training to warehouse staff and volunteers

• Manager has completed 3 Harvard ManageMentor modules including Stress Management, Budgeting and Time Management

Product Distribution Totals (January – September)

Member Groups Total Product Distributed – in cases/lbs. (% of total)

2012 2013 2014* Food Banks 14,671/ 440,130 (50) 29,134 /874,020 (77) 19,719/591,570 (72) Churches 6463/193,890 (22) Community Groups 5095/152,850 (18) 5629/168,870 (15) 5593/167,790 (20) Schools 2938/ 73,450 (10) 3039/75,975 (8) 2209/55,225 (8)

TOTALS (cases/lbs.) 29,167/ 860,320 37,802 / 1,118,865 27,521/ 814,585

* 2014 statistics only include product distributed up to the 19th of August. * Church groups have been reclassified as either food banks or community groups. * OAFB food banks in neighboring communities are included in the food bank totals.

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Economic Renewal & Prosperity • Continue to provide volunteer placement opportunities—provide training to volunteers

Sustainable Infrastructure & Services • Continue with development and training opportunities for staff and volunteers

• In conjunction with Employment Services and Administrative Services Managers, work on development of a “Community Strategic Food Plan” to begin early in 2015 that will work towards:

o Ensuring community-wide food security o Guaranteeing children have access to nutritional food o Reducing social isolation o Linking those in the community who self-identify as struggling with a wider range

of services such as income, employment, education, housing, health, etc. o Consider connections and sponsorships with the private sector

• Begin to deliver fresh products to local feeding programs and school nutrition programs

• Continued development of community garden in the courtyard of 600 William Street o Currently growing tomatoes, peppers, onions and cucumbers that will be

distributed to local food banks and feeding programs o Planning to add additional community gardening space on County owned land

• Continued to develop new processes for product handling and rotation within the warehouse

o Increased amount of fresh product going to members o Decreased product waste

Supportive Communities • In conjunction with Employment Services and Administrative Services Managers, work

on development of a “Community Strategic Food Plan” to begin early in 2015 that will work towards:

o Ensuring community-wide food security o Guaranteeing children have access to nutritional food o Reducing social isolation o Linking those in the community who self-identify as struggling with a wider range

of services such as income, employment, education, housing, health, etc. o Consider connections and sponsorships with the private sector

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• Continue community outreach opportunities with product deliveries including cleaning supplies, health and beauty items and fresh food items to various locations in Northumberland on a regular basis

• Continue to expand the “Food 4 Kids” back pack program, with plans to provide back packs with food to additional schools and students throughout Northumberland

• Work to ensure all Food 4 All members are actively using the new Link2Feed provincial hunger count tracking software

o Provide valuable information regarding the number of adults and children accessing local feeding programs

o Specific mapping information of areas with greatest need o Help to determine where food gets delivered

• Continue to enhance new “Milk 4 Families” program o Streamline processes o Maximize # of gift cards, liquid and powdered milk going out to community

agencies on a monthly basis

• Continue to enhance and improve distribution of OAFB egg allotment from our warehouse to community agencies

• Continue to work closely with OAFB to distribute fresh, frozen and non-perishable food items to local programs

Employer/Workplace of Choice • Continue to provide lots of training and development opportunities for both staff and

volunteers o First aid o Health and Safety o Defensive driving o Safe food handling o Fork lift certification

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Sustainable Infrastructure & Services • Continued development and implementation of the “Community Strategic Food Plan”

• Organizational excellence:

o Continued development of staff and volunteer training o High customer service standards o Continue to enhance internal warehouse policies and processes

Supportive Communities • Continued development and implementation of the “Community Strategic Food Plan”

• Continue to support and be actively involved on local food committees including Northumberland Food for Thought, Food Access Northumberland and the Northumberland Food Charter Committee

• Enhance community capacity building and continue to work collaboratively within our department and with local service providers

• Continue to support the integration of human services, building with the County’s network of existing and potential new community agencies

Employer/Workplace of Choice • Continue to encourage and provide lots of training and development opportunities for

both staff and volunteers

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Administrative Services


Sustainable Infrastructure & Services • collaborated with the Income Services Manager to develop a new vision for the Centralized

Intake Unit; clarified roles and made recommendations to Council regarding new service provider for discretionary benefits; partnered with IT to develop phone systems that enable a “Call Centre” approach; created savings and efficiencies

• supported the implementation of new technologies through the Social Assistance Management System (SAMS) and the implementation of ChequeMaster and Accertex systems to make technological advancements to provide better service

• worked with the Finance Department to clarify administrative roles and segregation of duties; lead the implementation of the changes with the involved staff

• worked jointly with the Finance Department to create daily cheque auditing processes

• teamed with the Records Manager to implement new internal processes to continue to improve the Department’s Records Retention processes and ensure compliance with corporate expectations

• involved with the GIS staff and Employment and Support Services Manager to build baseline data for program planning, public-facing information sharing and community planning purposes

• led the continuing development of various staff groups such as the Centralized Intake Unit, the administrative staff working group, the Communications Committee which involved facilitating or co-facilitating staff meetings and conversations geared to creating joint vision among the groups and staff as a whole—2 meetings on behalf the Communications Committee; 2 meetings for the CIU and 3 for the clerical staff. These initiatives, supported by the Management Team, are efforts to improve client service by integrating services at the staff level while focusing on quality and individualized services

• continued to build on build on internal performance measurement systems and statistical record keeping

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• assisted the Director and External Consultant, Heather Graham, in planning a series of four Community Collaboration workshops

• supported the Community Leadership Development

Initiative (Northumberland Momentum) in hosting a Community Services Fair

• collaborating with the Food 4 All Manager and the Employment and Support Services Manager to examine opportunities to engage the community in planning, developing, and integrating existing programs and leveraging partnerships to create a comprehensive Food Security Strategy for the County. Goals of this include alleviating poverty, ensuring broader access to information about healthy eating and fresh, local foods, and creating opportunities for social inclusion for target groups

• continued work with the Northumberland Poverty Reduction Action Committee and other interested community partners to develop local strategies and marry initiatives through the Community Outreach Program to better address local needs

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• led the Communications Committee which has produced the following materials:

o Social Media Launch and ongoing Facebook page

o website makeover

o Community Capacity project with Heather Graham

o client engagement and feedback tools, including: - Feedback Forms available to all clients of services - a new email address for feedback - a telephone number to provide feedback - promotional materials about the importance of feedback, and; - leading the conversation about services on the Facebook page

o lobby makeover

o Department-wide branding

o a video production for the Department

o re-designed printed materials update


• Worked with the HR Department to bring forward recommendations to improve the County’s Succession Planning Program; will also assist with communications and any further intakes

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2015 Service Objectives & Initiatives The overall emphasis in 2015 for the Administrative Services Division will be the planning, development, implementation and measurement of programs and strategies that support healthy, accessible and sustainable systems of social infrastructure within Northumberland County. Innovation around sustainability is a major part of local decision making for any Consolidated Municipal Service Manager (CMSM.) The ultimate goal is that there is greater access to and coordination of resources needed for healthy living for all community members, and that root causes, rather than symptoms, of barriers are addressed.


GIS Data Tracking and Outcome Measurement Development

Youth out-migration, in-migration and the aging population, service and demographic trends of Northumberland County have an impact on economic and labour force development, not to mention social concerns such as food security, housing, homelessness and health services. The collection of GIS data increases the Department’s ability to understand how our community is faring. Capturing a wider range of community indicators is also an important foundation to creating local and attainable strategies for a sustainable and innovative society. Understanding whether the Department is making effective use of its resources and having the anticipated impacts on those accessing services will help with forward planning.

Additionally, it is critically important in today’s world to build accessible data that is available through public-facing websites. The public expects a level of transparency and sharing of information in order to complete research and appropriately understand local services. The ability to customize information search requests is the way a large segment of the population seeks information and accesses community resources currently. In Social Services areas, the GIS Department will have completed a searchable, public-facing portal for any person seeking information about local supports such as employment centres, child care resources, housing units and other community sources by the end of 2014.

Therefore, in 2015 the Division will:

• continue to work with GIS staff to build the base of information for Department

• work with select community members to build baselines and targets for achievement

• work with Forum Research and the Communications Committee to analyze opinions from the community at large and clients of our services and provide easy and accessible reports on information gathered

• build a database of demographic trends and community benchmarks in terms of poverty and health

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Administrative Initiatives—Reception

For the last number of years, the Department, and the Administrative Services Division in particular, has been working on a number of fundamental shifts in service delivery systems to meet the demands of our funders, community and clients. This evolution has coincided with a significant transformation over the past decade at the provincial level, which has seen a number of critical human services and roles being passed to the municipal level. It would appear that this is a policy shift with the implicit assumption that the best way to build strong, prosperous, healthy and sustainable communities is with local decision-makers and using community-based, collaborative planning mechanisms. Accompanying that shift has been the need for Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSM’s) to more fully modernize and integrate their staffing and their services.

In late 2014, the Department will have laid the groundwork to move further toward the goal of fully realizing integrated human services and modernized administrative support staff. At the same time, the Department’s overall lobby and reception space and welcoming of clients should be considered with a lens to determine whether it meets the needs of clients, the direction and anticipated further development and direction of the Department, and whether it supports the needs of the fully integrated administrative activities.

Coinciding with this occurrence:

• a noted Best Practice among CMSM’s has been to rebrand their organizations as the Human Services Department or the Community Development Department.

• the reception areas in a number of progressive CMSM’s is shared space where the support staff permanently locate so that clients of all services can be served promptly and by any one of the staff members. Currently our reception workspaces are not equipped to support full integration and this modern approach

• the Department’s Communications Committee has been working on improving the look, feel and services in the lobby environment and with obtaining client feedback about the changes. The Committee is also working with the IT Department to bring Free WIFI to the lobby that will include a brief survey that can be adjusted to focus on specific issues we wish to measure. Additionally, we have set up an email address that is solely intended for feedback as well as questions and conversations on our Facebook page

• the work plan for the Communications Committee in late 2014 and early 2015 includes developing a Client Advisory Committee to engage and discuss proposed changes, barriers to effective client services on their path through our Department and other issues and concerns that we would like to better understand

• the Community Collaboration series hosted by the Department may lead to some innovative ideas regarding co-location of services and development of a standard level of service among community service providers

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• the Department will be hiring Forum Research to conduct some interviews and analysis about service delivery and expectations.

The Management Team has reviewed the opportunities and is moving forward with the development of a single, shared job description for the 5 clerical support positions within the Department. The new job description emphasizes the demands of service integration, the expectations of customer service in the Reception area and the necessary technical and soft skills as we move forward. All clerical support positions within the Department will become Customer Service Representatives.

Administrative Initiatives—File Management

Continuing to build on these processes and support the work at the corporate level is an important activity for the administrative staff in the Department.


Food Security/Healthy Communities

Numerous research reports cite Canada as an over- and under-nourished country. Both aspects of this statement involve costly and onerous government interventions by services such as health care, senior’s programs, the education and social services sectors. Low-income people most often experience under-nourishment that leads to:

• ill-health that is strongly linked to unhealthy eating and limited access to healthier food options;

• potentially higher risk of mental health issues; • greater social isolation; and, • a lack of sense of belonging to a community.

The traditional government and community response to hunger has been to fund food banks and “charitable” lunches. Although this is a necessary step in supporting vulnerable people, it is a temporary solution to a complex systems problem. These programs provide food to relieve the immediate need, but do not address the greater issue of a healthy and adequate food supply on a regular basis. This joint initiative, between the Manager of Food 4 All, the Employment and Support Services Manager and the Administrative Services Manager, will be initiated in 2014 with links fostered through the assistance of the Economic Development Department with the distribution of coupons for local farm markets in the Good Food Box. Development of a “Community Strategic Food Plan” will begin early in 2015. Building on existing community activities (i.e. the local Food Charter group, the Health Unit, community kitchens and the food bank systems, and the nutrition programs through the Port Hope Community Health Centre), discussions will aim to

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break down service silos and bring the community together to create a collaborative and holistic community vision and action plan for food. The development of a community action plan and the implementation of sustainable strategies that target long-term solutions will be an inclusive process that involves government, the general public, the community agencies and the private sector. The plan will build on existing programs and the strengths in the community while having candid discussions on local problems and weaknesses within the current food systems. The plan would then detail movement forward with positive, specific, and achievable goals and outcomes. Consideration will be given to the following:

• Ensuring community-wide food security • Guaranteeing children have access to nutritional food • Working with the school system to connect and educate children in food activities—

including growing food, harvesting food and fostering a better understanding of nutrition and food preparation

• Increasing the abilities of individuals in the community to support each other—including identification of individuals at-risk and individuals who wish to volunteer or mentor others

• Reducing social isolation • Linking those in the community who self-identify as struggling with a wider range of

services such as income, employment, education, housing, health, etc. • Considering connections and sponsorships with the private sector

In addition to building community supports and strategies and improving linkages to local produce providers, the Department plans to develop a community garden. It is possible that we can cultivate some County-owned land and have this ready for the spring of 2015.

Several other key initiatives scheduled for 2015 are:

• Begin to develop educational programs for adults that teach them how to plant, grow, cook and preserve food products

• Linking fresh garden produce with the local food banks and community members who can create portable programs that support this philosophy

• Include a variety of groups—children, seniors, youth, schools, local advocates, sponsors—in the community garden who can mentor and provide a sense of community

• Consider funding opportunities such as Ontario Trillium Fund, the Eastern Ontario Development Fund, the Rural Economic Development fund, the Local Food Fund, and the J. W. McConnell Family Foundation to hire a coordinator to examine sustainability, develop community action and supervise and direct the activities related to the garden

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Seniors Health and Engagement Strategies

There is an ongoing demographic shift in industrial economies, including Canada, as baby boomers age, people have fewer children and live longer due to better health care and improved living conditions. This will continue to create a strain on health and social systems, yet at the same time, opportunities are created when the numbers of active and relatively healthy retired persons is growing.

The Department’s Community Outreach Workers support low income seniors with connections to resources and financial supports. This is not well known in the community and further integration and connections can be made to promote community awareness and active ageing. There can be further optimizing of opportunities for health, social inclusion, mentorships and security that enhance seniors’ quality of life. This commitment to enhance awareness and policies, services and structures to better support and enable older people to age actively can also benefit others in the community in terms of volunteerism, sharing of knowledge and engagement. This initiative could also potentially link to the Food Security Strategies by offering mentorships with youth and knowledge transfers as well as providing food and alternative food options to lower-income seniors.

2015 planned activities include: • Enhanced connections to and awareness of other community agencies specializing in

assisting seniors • Enhanced COP specialization with seniors-specific issues and communication strategies

to community service partners • Consideration of opportunities for integrating internal services related to seniors • Examine possible connections with Paramedics to potentially reduce hospital visits

through joint outreach activities • Offer COP services to the Golden Plough Lodge (GPL) to assist seniors at risk and their

families in developing connections to resources • Promotional activities for Seniors; possibility of holding seniors’ fairs

Community Development

In 2014 the Department has been hosting four working sessions aimed at local leaders and decision-makers. These sessions were on the subject of Building Capacity to Effectively Collaborate and were facilitated by independent consultant Heather Graham. The purpose of these workshops is to discuss community-wide effectively collaboration, explore innovative ideas and achieve greater collective impact for the clients and community we serve. The session topics are as follows:

1. Building a Shared Understanding

Conversation and dialogue around the concepts related to collaboration

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2. Mapping Community Assets

Discussion and dialogue around what individual and organizational assets are in the room and completing an inventory of these assets

3. Identifying Collaborative Opportunities

Completing an examination of successful local examples of collaboration and an analysis of why they are effective

4. Exploring a Community Hub

Creating a local definition of a Hub and what shared issues or opportunities could be addressed using a hub model. The focus will then be placed on open discussion around shared vision and principles that would assist in building momentum for a hub and the next steps

Participants have been attending the full series of all-day workshops to: learn from evidence-informed practice; network with other local organizations; share their perspectives and experiences; and negotiate shared issues and opportunities that can be addressed by working in collaboration to meet the needs of local clients and communities. As a community, these sessions have provided us with the opportunity to face head-on many of our current issues that cut across traditional service silos and require high degrees of systems navigation and service coordination. The sessions have also assisted us to openly discuss the opportunities to achieve greater collective impact.

Although this initiative was not the Department’s first investment in Community Capacity Building or creating common vision and service principles within the community, this 2014 project represents a shift in terms of a more coordinated approach with designated discussion points building to the possible development of a community hub. It has been about the assessment process and measuring the community’s willingness and interest in working through the necessary steps to have some foundational commitments. At the end of the four sessions, Ms. Graham will be making some recommendations to the participants which may involve further action. This means that, if there is consensus among the group, 2015 will be a period of planning and follow up.

With conclusions from this project yet to be determined, it is difficult to project any financial commitment from the Department. However, it is anticipated that following this community-wide assessment period and agreement to move forward, 2015 will largely be focused on planning activities. Actions that should occur assuming there is some general agreement to move forward into a collaborative are:

• Considering the details of any suggested projects • Assessing the level of commitment and capacity by individual agencies • Objectively studying the data and Best Practice examples • Developing a working group to lead the project

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• Considering broader implications and potential scope for the project • Assessing whether all necessary agencies have participated in the community

discussions and, if not, speak to them about their level of interest • Developing a strategic work plan for 2016 and beyond assuming possible

implementation of ideas • Setting concrete targets, desired outcomes, and ensure they are aligned with intent of

group • Bringing the information forward to County Council at various intervals to ensure there

is support for the direction and strategic plans of the group

Development of an approved healthy community strategy

The commitment of time and resources to develop a local poverty reduction strategy that formalizes the municipality’s commitment to building a healthy and accessible community for all is a priority for 2015. The announced Poverty Reduction funding from the Province creates an opportunity to have a more significant impact. This means that the timing is fitting to consider the prospects for forward momentum and collective impact in this area. It is also incumbent upon the Department to consider concrete and measureable community-based initiatives that build on the value of every member of the community and enhance our capacity to address larger, systemic issues. We have begun this work with focused activities such as the development and roll-out of a comprehensive Food Security Plan including connections with Economic Development, future work on a potential community hub, additional homelessness programs, and the development of some preliminary plans to move forward with strategies for targeted groups in our community such as seniors living in poverty.

The municipal role in developing, implementing and managing services for the community is well-established. As the level of government most directly connected and accessible to the community, municipalities have the ability to be local leaders and facilitators of poverty reduction strategies. As stated in the AMO-OMSSA joint paper on poverty reduction:

Local flexibility in delivering provincial policies means more efficient implementation—municipalities know best how to connect local residents to the particular services they need in the best ways possible. Moreover, in many parts of Ontario, the municipal government is the only order of government with a local presence.

While creating holistic strategies and comprehensive approaches to larger social issues must involve the community as a whole, and we have some local groups with specialized sector involvement, there needs to be an overarching approved road map and strategy that considers the complexities and opportunities involved. Creating sustainable, healthy access to an acceptable quality of life for all is much more complex than creating solutions to presenting symptoms and consequences of poverty. As discussed in most research on this topic, you cannot address one issue in isolation. Frequently poverty reduction is seen as primarily a social assistance related issue (i.e. providing direct assistance and subsidies for basic needs and

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housing); however, this does not consider the systemic issues that create barriers and the range of the root causes of poverty. Therefore, the scope of an effective strategy must include, not only the means of addressing the symptoms and consequences, but also the engagement of key service and program areas, including other Departments within the County and lower tier municipalities. Examples of the governmental scope of a strategy are:

• The Communications Director—strategic communications, access to information, public facing information portals

• Local community services—access to recreation and cultural programs, libraries • Economic Development—creating connections to the agricultural sector, building

employer information about potential employees, creating a better understanding of future job opportunities and the training required

• Paramedics—creating enhanced linkages for mutual clients at risk; linking outreach activities with the COP

• GPL—considering opportunities to support seniors living in poverty and families through Department programs

• Finance—tax and utility policies • Human Resources—hiring practices and policies, supports to at risk employees • Transportation and Waste—GIS data collection and maintenance, transportation

Other vital connections include community services such as health, seniors’ services, children and youth services, education, employment services, the volunteer sector and the private sector. Development of such a strategy would have to include:

• Research and analysis of best practices • Consultation with various sectors and interested community • Planning of local initiatives, funding and length of time to move forward.

Communications Committee Initiatives

The Department’s Communications Committee continues its commitment to build strategies that inform and engage the public around the menu of services provided both within our Department and by external service providers. Work within the Committee for late 2014 and early 2015 will include the development of a multi-year work plan that details short and long term projects and priorities. This will likely be completed jointly with the Business Committee and will involve the use of an external facilitator. Consideration will be given to the following items:

• Completing any outstanding projects from 2014 working plan • Developing a plan to initiate a Client Advisory Committee

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• Developing and enhancing client experience measures, possibility through the use of a research organization

• Using feedback information to recommend changes • Providing feedback information to the community to increase transparency • Enhancing social media presence and considering community “themes” that could be

discussed on other agencies’ sites • Developing of data and outcomes information • Using Constant Contact application to create shorter, more current “snapshots” of

information that can be posted on the website, sent to community partners and clients and create more overall transparency around the activities of the Department

• Considering other fora for Department video and whether further video development would be an asset for the Department and its service divisions

Youth Council

There will continue to be youth programming, but it will be more universal in its scope. It will shift focus to youth volunteerism, skill building and social inclusion. This new strategy is in line with Employment Services and will be contained in that division’s business plan.


Professional Development (Department, Corporate and Community)

• Implementation of changes to the Corporate Succession Planning Program o See details below

• Community Leadership Development Initiative o Complete second intake

• Staff Professional Development Plans o 2014 and early 2015 will continue to focus on SAMS implementation and

normalization o training plans have not been fully executed these years as the focus was on the

SAMS technical training o Department received additional funding to support SAMS implementation and

associated activities which reduced 2014 need for full professional development funds

o a number of areas will require continued development by staff—Customer Service; Case Planning; Employability Assessments, etc.

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2015 Succession Planning

In 2012 the County launched a Succession Planning Program. At that time the program was available to any staff member of County Departments. Details of the original plan were contained in the Department of Community and Social Services 2011 Issue Paper #1.

As with all County programs, regular reviews have been completed to ensure that the Succession Planning Program continues to meet the needs of program participants, the members of the Management Operating Committee and the County as a whole. In analyzing the responses to these questions HR and the Department concluded that the existing program has added value to the County and that continuing the program with the revisions recommended below would assist the County in preparing for future staffing needs by developing our internal leadership pipeline.

A recent analysis by our Human Resources Department demonstrates the need to consider building leadership and successors from within. Here are the local statistics:

Table 1: Number of Employees by Department

9 16 40

11

109

194

6 4

118

Number of Northumberland County Employees by department

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Table 2: Age of Northumberland County Employees

Table 3: Age of CAO, Directors, Managers and Supervisors

15

41 49 49 51

77

90

60

45

11

20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65+

Age of Northumberland County Employees

1

3

6 5

13

11

4

8

1

25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65+

Age of Northumberland County Senior Leaders

(CAO, Directors & Managers)

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Table 4: Northumberland County Employees Years of Service After two intakes the following potential amendments are noted:

• Create a dual focus on potential municipal vacancies and leadership development • Obtain some hands-on projects from members of the Management Operating Committee

(MOC) that Succession Planning participants could be working on while completing the academic courses. These projects could include work-plan items that current managers and directors do not have time to complete. A lead participant in the program and a director could mentor and coach either individuals or groups to complete the project. Examples of this might be:

o research and recommendations regarding possible future endeavours o policy research and development o business planning o completing needs analysis o development of strategies for specific projects o enhancing customer service delivery

• Amend the application process to include more up-front work by potential candidates and more commitment to possible career paths (i.e. director, manager, supervisor, nurse).

• Create Individual Learning and Development Plans that identify and support tasks, priorities, and outcomes. This plan will be shared with the individual’s sponsor to ensure that changes are noted in the participant’s core job. Additionally, there should be specific knowledge transfer goals associated with working with incumbents, mentors or the academic training components.

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111 85

32 30 17 6 3 1

0-4 4-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 34-39 40+

Northumberland County Employees Years of Service

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• Create several streams/paths for the program participants depending on their goals. The streams could include:

o An administration team hoping to reach an advanced skill level o A management stream that focuses on entry level supervisory or management

skills o A job specific/career driven path that looks at planning areas that are identified

as potential deficits and/or corporate goals within the next 5 to 10 years. This could include technical training or qualifications and will require some commitment to sharing the expenses for the training by the applicant to the program. This replacement planning approach would be a form of organizational risk management that would work in conjunction with the flexible features of the leadership development and defined projects of the Succession Planning Program

o A senior management stream that focuses on potential director positions

Program Introduction

All accepted program participants will begin the Succession Planning Program with some form of assessment/awareness tool—either a 360 review or Life Skills Inventory. This individual exercise will be followed with a day spent getting to know the County functions (led by Subject Matter Experts), an introductory session on the projects available to be completed as part of the program and a day of training in Personality Dimensions examining strengths of the group.

Action Learning Project

Following this, the participants will be asked to identify their top 2 choices of the projects identified by the MOC members and will be formed into groups based on these choices. There will be an application form that will ask them to explain their interest and the selection may be based on interest or suitability or both. The decision will be made by the interview panel that is responsible for considering the applications to the program. The working groups will then come together through the rest of the program to apply the skills learned in the academic training to identify the issues and opportunities that exist. They will be expected to research, analyze, prepare options and propose recommendations to the sponsoring director as a work unit at the conclusion of the program.

A potential opportunity for learning and growth could involve the members of the program who are selected for the senior management stream. These participants could lead the work-groups, ensuring that the work is being done and work directly with the sponsoring Director as a mentor. The leadership of this group action learning project creates opportunities for tangible experiences and good outcomes for both the potential senior leader and the County.

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Core Leadership Training

Following this, all participants will begin the core leadership training. It is recommended that the first component given to all participants is Project Management to assist with handling their action learning projects. The leadership training will then involve 5 or 6 modules with all participants spread out over the program. The leadership modules will be focused on challenging the participants to consider their own goals, the County values and their ability to align themselves with these goals. There will be a clear focus at this stage of the expectations of the program that it not only benefit each individual participant but, as well, the organization.

The Administrative Stream

Administrative staff that apply and wish to participate in this program should have goals that link to supervising others, evaluating customer service and impacting support functions within the County. The administrative stream will begin with some technical skills testing done through the Kenexa testing system. This will allow individuals to evaluate whether their skills are a fit for the future expectations of the County. As well, any necessary upgrading in this area can be incorporated into the Individual Learning Plans.

The Job Specific Stream

The second option to be considered would be a Job Specific steam that would address areas that are identified as potential deficits in the next five to ten years. This would likely involve customized one-on-one training programs negotiated with individuals. There would also be an expectation that the incumbent in the position would be willing to act as a job-specific mentor to the program participants.

The Senior Leadership Stream

The third option would address the potentially looming and serious deficit of leadership at the senior levels. Successful applicants would come from existing supervisors or managers who have the sponsorship of their directors. This group would be the lead on the Integrated Action Projects and have the mentorship of an existing Director. Using the independent learning projects has its benefits:

• it incorporates a mentoring relationship – since the Director who provided the work project could coach and guide the Succession Planning participant who is the group leader

• it provides project management, relationship management and team work experience in a real-life setting.

The Succession Planning participant would, however, have the overall responsibility for the management of the project and the coordination of the group’s efforts.

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• Develop measurement tools and data banks to build on Department’s credibility and ability to measure client satisfaction and impact of programming

• Analyze and implement feedback processes, including development of client empowerment tools

• Introduce further Human Services Integration models and maintain existing momentum within the Department and Community

• Implement the File Management System fully for the Department in partnership with Records Management Services

• Modernize administrative and financial processes within the Department, seeking savings whenever possible

• Develop policies and procedures that support effective policy and program delivery


• Develop and implement local programs that meet the needs of residents living in poverty thereby lowering the number of people at risk of poverty in the County

• Streamline and modernize marketing materials

• Build on established communication tools to ensure broader community is aware of activity and resources within the Department


• Develop and maintain leadership development strategies and systems

• Develop and maintain standards and consistency with the Department’s professional development programs while considering possibilities of sharing some of the opportunities with community partners

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Appendix 1—2014 Feedback

• My visit to Northumberland Social Services was very welcoming and helpful today. The receptionists all wore pleasant smiles and eager to assist. They brought out snacks and peanut butter for anyone who needed it. My case worker Jeff Freeburn has been exceptionally helpful in providing resources and avenues to help better myself. He is always cheerful and motivated to help, these qualities are echoes by people who have had him as a case worker. Cathy Ferguson has also been a great help. She is generous with her time and will see through to the end for any issue one needs resolved. The offices and reception area are always spotless and clean. Everybody that I see working there displays a courteous and professional manner that reassures one they are receiving the best help available. Northumberland County Social Services office should be commended and recognized for their work and contribution to the community.

• Excellent Caseworker helped me with anything I needed. Grateful to be provided with works. Spring Wickett is amazing!

• I was treated with respect. I wasn't looked down upon. I feel I made the right choice to ask for help rather than ignore the issues at hand.

• If was great friendly and helpful.

• Stayed on point. I tend to be a little disorganized. Jeff is one of the best Caseworkers I have had, always full of advice tries to relate and get you where you wanna be. Very positive guy.

• Very enjoyable; Positive encouragement; caseworker knowledgeable and helpful.

• Jamie Clysdale is a great employment Caseworker and friendly person and I would highly recommend him.

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• Spring. Very friendly, made me feel comfortable and not ashamed to be here. Felt they were here to help.

• Quick, efficient, very professional.

• Excellent service!!

• Very good. Was on the ball, know what I need and how to get it. Keeps me moving forward. Jeff is a good man. Kind and friendly. Thank you.

• Yes, Jennie did an amazing job with helping me understand and apply for assistants.

• I was ignored while waiting to speak with someone. And the lady at the front desk has a very bad attitude. Very unimpressed.

• Today I had my intake interview with Jeff. He was very helpful and made me feel comfortable when discussing my lack of work currently, and provided the help I need to get to my employment goal.

• Yes, Kiley was very helpful with all kinds of information she gave me not only helpful papers for my mental health problem but, was kind in her caring ways.

• Andrea is so friendly and helpful!! Subsidized day care is such a terrific support to us, and Andrea makes the process easy and dignified. Thanks Andrea!!

• Spring Wickett was very professional, friendly and offered great reassurance to myself and my situation. I could not have asked for a better caseworker.

• Overall I'm thankful because they really are here to help you and they care about your wellbeing. They don't treat you like a number, very helpful and understanding.

• Spring Wickett is so warm, understanding, and kind. Fantastic at her job.

• Yes her name is Spring. She was very nice helpful and not judgemental. Very nice person and very friendly

• Kylie was great. She helped me out so much and didn't make me feel any worse than I already do and was very patient and kind!!!!!!

• I have had a wonderful experience. My life is back on track and things are looking up thanks to Spring and OW.

• Front desk receptionist assisted me, with income card, showed me what to do, gave me pamphlet to take home. Very friendly.

• Jamie Clysdale always gives me exceptional service, great advice. Great employee.

• I was very nervous coming into my apt. to ask for Child Care subsidy. Andrea Rock was very friendly and made it whole lot easier.

• Sue has helped me very much today with applying for OW and with information on EI and Housing. I felt very comfortable with her and appreciated all her help today.

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• Awesome! Very helpful. Dedicated and knowledgeable! Very pleased with the service I received from Jeff today. I hope everyone has the opportunity to receive this type of experience.

• Front desk reception was very friendly and helpful. June 11/14 @ 11:30 a.m.

• The most wonderful person was my intake worker. She was courteous, and so very understanding. I come from Alberta and was welcome back to Ontario where I was born.

• I was very nervous, but Kylie made me feel at ease. She was very helpful and nice.

• Kiley is great, always helpful. The office staff are pleasant and friendly. Thank you again Kiley for taking the time to help my family.

• Everyone I have spoke to today have been very helpful and GREAT! I'm very happy with everything! They take their time and explain everything! :)

• My experience was great. My worker was a very nice guy, I could tell he was nice and someone who cares. There was one small things, but everything worked.

• The interview went very nice. Jeff Freeburn is a very nice person I understood everything he said to me.

• Kiley was very friendly and extremely through and helpful. Thanks!

• To Sue - from (no consent to share name). You guys are awesome; you helped me in my greatest stress.

• The caseworker did not take down my information that I did not have an address and ruined my chances for basic needs for May I had to sleep on sidewalk and starve because of her.

• Kind, courteous, fast service. She smiled a lot; friendly. Thanks Christine.

• Great. Very happy and helpful lots of info was given that I didn't realize was available.

• As a professional working inn a non-profit organization use of the Port Hope hub has been invaluable to accessing remote community members. I really appreciate this resource. Thank you!

• Wonderful, friendly; I feel like I'm moving in the right direction. I saw Sue.

• Wonderful, very happy with my worker Spring. It's so nice to have help when help is needed. Thank you Social Services.

• I would like to thank all the wonderful, kind ladies I have spoken to since contacting Ontario Works especially Joanne Hall from intake and Devon. Their support was reassuring and made such a difference in my life.

• Sue Van Allan is one of the nicest workers I have met with. She explains everything in full detail and helps as best she can.

• Very kind and compassionate people. Open, honest and understanding of others circumstances.

• Always an extremely helpful and pleasant!

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• I wasn't sure what to expect today but I am leaving here with hope. I received a lot of great advice for referrals and a possible plan of action for self-starting. Thank you.

• Very helpful and informative. I believe this system will help other people to get and stay employed.

• Very polite and helpful. The worker was understanding and gave great advice.

• A very warm welcome from a new worker since moving from Toronto to Cobourg!

• I may have found employment Miss Madsen referred me to Watton Employment Services, gave me great and useful advice on an apprenticeship and I look forward to speaking with her again.

• Jeff is a great Intake Worker. Knowledgeable and tactful. Good manner and compassionate disposition.

• It was so enlightening. Got new info and all thanks.

• Great experience. Was helped with all my questions and concerns. Learned about new programs and options that I will take advantage of within reasonable time.

• Had an appointment with Mr. Freeburn that went well. Helped me with looking into a criminal record pardon. Feel satisfied with the meeting.

• I was treated with a lot of dignity and respect from Marla Mahon. She was amazing and I thank her for being there for me.

• Kiley was very supportive and gave me a lot of information about my options. Thank you!

• Very supportive during a difficult time. Many thanks for your listening ear.

• Yes, Jamie was very helpful in introducing me to the right staff to help with job search and helping get tools to obtain a job. I start Monday. : )

• I have found employment it was very helpful for the start up to get the tools I needed for the job. Thanks.

• Kendal was very informative today. Made me feel at ease.

• Very good (I felt no negativity). Thanks.

• They were understanding of our current circumstance and helpful with information.

• "Spring" is awesome. Truly cares for our family's betterment. Thank you!

• Dear Kiley, I would thank you again for your respectful, professional, kind manner in which you dealt with me.

Christine, thank you so much for meeting with me today. It's awesome to know that you offer so many programs to help people get up on their feet.

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Documents

Community & Social Services 2015 Business Plan & Budget · 2015-01-15 · 2015 Business Plan & Budget ... and was labour intensive. ... A Skills Questionnaire was redeveloped to assist