Futures 2015“Ontario Works in an Integrated World”

Presented byManitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board

Facilitated by Gilles Plouffe, Ontario Works Program Supervisor

Mission StatementThe Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board (DSB) is a municipal service management organization created by the provincial government to oversee the local planning, coordination and delivery of a range of services and programs divested to the municipal order of government.The specific programs our DSB is responsible for are: Ontario Works, Social Housing, Emergency Medical Services (Land Ambulance), and Early Learning and Child Care services.

District Social Services Administration Boards (DSSABs) are unique to Northern Ontario. The Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB is one of Ontario's ten DSSABs. They, along with thirty-seven County, Upper Tier or Regional governments make up what is often referred to as Ontario's forty-seven Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs).

The Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB is responsible for the delivery of its services to the residents of the districts of Manitoulin and Sudbury.

Manitoulin- Sudbury DSBQuick facts / Demographics

• The DSB provides services to 18 member municipalities and Territories Without Municipal Organization (TWOMO) in the Districts of Manitoulin and Sudbury. (Excluding the Greater City of Sudbury)

• Geography: 45,000 square kilometers with a population of 28,044 residents.

• No public transportation except Via Rail and Greyhound

• Main office in Espanola and 4 satellites:

Warren –Covering Sudbury East,

Noëlville –Covering Sudbury East,

Little Current –Covering Manitoulin Island

Chapleau –Covering Sudbury North

Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB

DSB Coverage Area

• Encompasses the Districts of Manitoulin and Sudbury (excluding the City of Greater Sudbury).

• An area of over 45,000 sq. km

Larger than 117 countries in the world

Vatican (.44 sq km) Israel (20,770 sq km)

Rwanda (26,338 sq km) Haiti (27,750 sq km)

Belgium (30,528 sq km) Taiwan (36,193 sq km)

Switzerland (41,284 sq km) Fiji (18,272 sq km)

Denmark (43,094 sq km) Monaco (2 sq km)

Bermuda (54 sq km) Liechtenstein (160 sq km)

Singapore (710 sq km) Lebanon (10,452 sq km)

Jamaica (10,991 sq km)

Integrated Approach

• Applications are processed locally

• Interested Individuals can inquire, apply and update their application at their local DSB office

• Full Integration of Services at each office allow ease of information sharing across all available programs. One stop – all services

Programs Offered by DSB

Ontario Works - Caseload 497

Employment Ontario - 97 Cases

EO Incentive / YEF – 21

COJG – 2 employers / 12 employees

Jobs for Youth - 101 students placed

Our Kids Count - 302 Children Served

Children Services - 840 Licensed Spaces

Social Housing Services - 392 units

Healthy Community Fund - 141 Cases

Direct Shelter Subsidy - 50 Cases

Service Manager System

Client/Employer

Recreation Subsidies Employment

Services

Financial Assistance

Children’s ServicesHousing

Services

Community Partners

Skills Training

Stable Housing

Brief overview of “Ontario Works”The Ontario Works Program provides income and employment assistance for people who are in temporary financial need.

To be eligible for Ontario Works, an applicant must be:-a resident of Ontario;

-in immediate financial need; and

-willing to participate in employment assistance activities.

The amount of money that someone receives from Ontario Works varies depending upon housing costs and family size. Clients may also be eligible for drug and dental coverage, eyeglasses, hearing aids, and community and employment start-up benefits.

All recipients of Ontario Works are required to participate in one or more employment assistance activities as a condition of eligibility for financial assistance. This helps people move as quickly as possible to a job and to become self-reliant.

Ontario Works provides practical help in finding a job. It helps people determine what they need to become employed. Because different people have different needs, Ontario Works has a number of ways to help its clients. Some participants need to update or upgrade their skills. Some need to complete their basic education or training for a particular job. Others simply need help in finding a job and staying employed. Ontario Works addresses these needs through a range of employment assistance activities based on individual skills, experience and circumstances

New Ontario Works ratesMaximum Monthly BenefitsAs of November 1st , 2015

The Ontario Works Program provides income and employment assistance for people who are in temporary financial need. Single Person

Single Person with One Child

Couple with Two Children

2011 2015 2011 2014 2011 2014

Basic Needs Allowance $227 $305 $347 $342 $448 $468

Maximum Shelter Allowance

$372 $376 $584 $609 $688 $718

Total $599 $681 $931 $951 $1,136 $1,186

Employment and Training Services

The Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board provides a number of services that assist participants to find employment.

These services include:

Workshops on various topics specific to job readiness;

Referrals to job counseling, training or education;

Access to telephones, faxes, computers and job banks;

Information on who is hiring.

Job Specific Skills Training offered by the Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board

Provided 158 in house training sessions in 2014Provided over 15 specialized training programs

Emergency First Aid

First Aid/CPR

WHMIS

Chainsaw Certification

Smart Serve

True Colors

Boater Safety

Team Excellence

Service Excellence

Automated External Defibrillation Course

Safe Food Handling

Traffic Protection Training

Communication Excellence

Overcoming Negativity

Ethical Excellence

Employment Ontario Delivered by DSB StaffChapleau Employment Resource Centre

Achievements to date (as of March 31, 2014):

Participants - 524

Employment outcome - 80%

Education – 14%

Assisted 1909 in the RC in 2014

Career Fair 2014 – 273 attended with 22 employers

Ontario Works and Employment Services (EO)

•There are six (6) other DSSAB – Municipalities that deliver both programs under one roof:

•Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board

•MS-DSB

•Municipality of Ottawa

•Municipality of Halton

•Municipality of Waterloo

•Municipality of Windsor

Creativity

•Considering the vast geography that the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB covers, transportation is often difficult for Ontario Works clients in attending any training or upgrading/educational classes.

•The DSB currently has 8 vans that are being utilized to transport our clients from their homes to their classes overcoming that barrier.

Children Services

The DSB holds Purchase of Service Agreements (POS) with child care providers

The POS allows the DSB to support providers via eligibility for the following funding streams:

- Fee Subsidies- Wage Subsidies- Special Needs Resourcing - Health and Safety Grants- Best Start Hubs

Best Start Hubs

Manitoulin Best Start Hub

Sudbury East Best Start Hub

LaCloche Best Start Hub

Sudbury North Best Start Hub

• Social Housing Projects in 11 Communities within the DSB’s catchment

• Additional units funded for persons experiencing high shelter costs in their current rental unit

• A range of unit sizes to meet the needs of our communities from bachelor to 4-bedroom homes

• We house seniors, singles and families with rents that are affordable

We’re in Your Neighborhood

Integrated Tenant Process• Applicants becoming Tenants may bring their Rent

Geared to Income information to their local office• Tenants sign leases locally• Maintenance issues are handled mostly in-house

using Sharepoint to create/track work-orders• Local contractors are used wherever possible to

support our local businesses• Integrated approach to rental arrears• In-house training opportunities extended to local

tenants on site• Community Partners often bring their services to our

residents lessening the burden of transportation

Play video here

Community Partner –Alpha en Partage-

• Originally only offered French Basic Literacy• English Basic Literacy• Formed partnerships with local colleges to offer ACE• Contact North for credited course through ILC and

Upgrading towards GED. • Partnership with Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB for Focus

for Change, Computer Upgrading, Quick Start and Jobs for Youth training (PET)

• Focus for Change Placements • Partnership with Employment Ontario

Service System Management

Community Engagement

Literacy and Employment Services Coordination

Local Services Providers Network

Member of Local Training Boards

Best Start Network

Local Economic Development

Local Food Security Groups

Thank You

Questions ?