DC MOVES - September 2016 Newsletter

DC MOVES Forum - October 3rd, 2016
Registration is now open for the next DC MOVES Forum! 
 
 

 

 

The agenda for this forum includes:

Eden Grodzinski of The Dufferin County Poverty Task Force will discuss the work being undertaken to develop a local strategy to address poverty in Dufferin County and provide a summary of the results from the survey distributed to the DC MOVES collective

Monty Laskin, Caledon Community Service's CEO, will provide insights on his experience with, and the importance of, agency collaboration and how DC MOVES can continue to implement this approach throughout Dufferin County.  He will build upon Eden's presentation, and provide examples from his experiences in Caledon

A roll up of the previous Forum's "Speed Dating" Exercise will be presented.  This information will continue to provide a foundation for the direction of DC MOVES
  Participate in the Dufferin Poverty Reduction Strategy Broad-based Community Survey Now!

Your feedback is required in providing much needed input into the understanding of poverty in Dufferin County.  We are asking all DC MOVES members to complete the survey prior to the Forum on October 3rd, as it will assist in the creation of presentation for the group.
Where Are We Now?

The DC MOVES Forum on April 7, 2016 was the first time local agencies were brought together with the intention to formally accomplish the following:
  • Moving towards stronger service integration
  • An opportunity to share program and agency information that will lead to better services and knowledge of programs in Dufferin County
  • Utilizing Collective Impact Strategies
  • Focus on increasing community agency capacity
  • Coordinated approach to service delivery
  • Identification of gaps in services
  • Increase knowledge of human services staff in Dufferin County
  • Keeping our clients at the center of our service
Following that meeting, a survey was shared with agencies in efforts to identify local service concerns that would, at a higher level, set direction for DC MOVES as an initiative. The survey to the group included questions that would highlight the following:
  1. What issues are having the most impact on your agency currently?
  2. What is the most pressing area in which you feel your agency needs to further develop capacity?
  3. What is the number one social issue affecting your agency?
  4. What is your familiarity with the concept of collective impact?
  5. In what areas do you think your agency could make the most impact if we were to act collectively on finding and implementing solutions? 
Responses from these questions were received and summarized by the DC MOVES leadership table (Dufferin County and HCIA). The summary of responses was rolled up and used to create further targeted questions that would frame the focus of DC MOVES and set both long-term and short term goals. A facilitated exercise at the summer DC MOVES meeting was conducted utilizing a "speed dating" methodology. Responses were collected which then led to another summary and roll up that would set SMART outcomes for DC MOVES. As promised the following information is being shared with you, identifying the key areas local agencies would like to focus on. 

 
Partnership Grant Program 2016

A small group of DC MOVES members are currently working on a draft application for the Partnership Grant Program, which is a province-wide initiative to seek ideas and advice on ways to renew, streamline and modernize the relationship between the government and the Ontario not-for-profit sector.  The Grant will assist in building sector capacity by investing in projects that support intra-sector cooperation, communication and networks.
 
The 2016 Partnership Grant Program will continue to support building the not-for profit sectors' capacity by focusing on three priority areas:
 
1. Program Evaluation:  the Ministry is seeking project proposals that will increase capacity for program evaluation in the NFP sector;
2. Inclusive Leadership:  the Ministry is seeking project proposals that will develop diversity/inclusion in leadership in the NFP sector;
3. Volunteer Management:  the Ministry is seeking project proposals that will enhance capacity for Volunteer Management in the NFP sector.
 
The approach will be sector-wide with the objective to support two-year-long projects, which will have substantive impact on improving the ability of not-for-profit organizations to advance their mandates and operate effectively in communities across Ontario.
 
Program Expectations
  • Projects that support not-for-profit sector sustainability, capacity building, innovation and community building in one of the key priority areas.
  • Projects must benefit as many organizations as possible, communities, and/or more than one part of the not-for-profit sector.
  • Projects that demonstrate the ability to leverage corporate funding.
  • Projects that will have lasting or sustainable impact on the sector.
  • Projects that respond to a demonstrated need in the sector overall in relation to the priority areas listed above

Please stay tuned for an update on this very exciting opportunity! 
Provincial Updates

The Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA) provides a bi-weekly newsletter that provides an update on many of the provinces initiative. The following link will take you to many of the provincial updates specific to human services in Ontario. 
 

As part of Ontario's ongoing work to reform income security and combat child poverty, the province is ending the clawback of child support payments from social assistance.  Read more by clicking the link below:


The province has appointed the Honourable Hugh Segal to provide advice on the design and implementation of a Basic Income Pilot in Ontario, as announced in the 2016 Budget. Basic income, or guaranteed annual income, is a payment to eligible families or individuals that ensures a minimum level of income. Ontario will design and implement a pilot program to test the growing view that a basic income could help deliver income support more efficiently, while improving health, employment and housing outcomes for Ontarians.  Read more by clicking the link below:
 
 
   
Starting in September 2016, people receiving social assistance can use the Ontario Health Card to access the Ontario Drug Benefit program.  Read more by clicking the link below:

 

Ontario has established an Income Security Reform Working Group to help guide the province's efforts to reduce poverty, support people in their efforts to participate in the economy, and provide services in a way that makes sense to the people who need them.  Read more by clicking the link below:
 
Service Promotion
 
The DC MOVES planning committee is interested in finding out if your agency would like to share information about what you do in Dufferin County. Presentation times of 15 minutes are available at all DC MOVES Forums (may depend on Forum agenda and time constraints), which provides agencies an opportunity to share information to the larger group.  If this is of interest to you, please connect with Angela Pollard.  All requests will be brought to the DC MOVES planning table, and reviewed.  
 
DC MOVES 
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