Don Valley Local Immigration Partnership

DON VALLEY LOCAL IMMIGRATION PARTNERSHIP

SETTLEMENT STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN

Lead Agency: Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office

Final Report

March, 2011

LIP Extension Final Report

Acknowledgement…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3

Executive Summary…………………………………………………………………………………………………………4

Introduction ...... 5

Key Developments since Phase 1 Report…………………………………………………………………………6

Regular LIP Council Members/Partners ………………………………………………………………………… 15

Research Process Phase 1 Extension …………………………………………………………………………….. 19

Community Engagement ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 22

Local Immigration Partnership (LIP) Strategy………………………………………………………….……… 42

Implementation Action Plan…………………………………………………………………………….……………. 50

Conclusion and Recommendations for Implementation………………………………………………… 57

Appendices

Acknowledgements

Developing a Settlement Strategy and Action Plan that addresses newcomer needs, improves labour market outcomes for newcomers and service coordination among a number of agencies has taken combined efforts of community partners and settlement agencies in the Don Valley area. In particular, we acknowledge:

• The willingness of local partners to participate and share in a novel way of service planning. • The commitment of a dedicated Project Management Committee which was a de-facto Executive Committee giving the project clear direction and enabling community ownership of the process. The Project Management Committee is made up of representatives from the City of Toronto, Flemingdon Neighbourhood Services, Labour Federation of Ontario and Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office. • Key members of the Council who have offered space, resources and staff time to share ideas and information outside of the regular Council meetings. • A broad-based LIP Council member reflecting the diversity of the neighborhood and bringing in external resources like the City Public Health Unit and representatives from the provincial and municipal levels Citizenship and Immigration Canada. • Clear linkages of the local strategies with the broader settlement strategy for Toronto through the Toronto Newcomer Initiative and other Toronto LIP Councils through the Inter-LIP Group • A visionary Lead Agency (Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office) that has allowed the project to have a life of its own and be community owned. We are also indebted to the many newcomers who shared their stories, challenges and triumphs in making Canada their home.

Prince Sibanda Project Coordinator Don Valley Local Immigration Partnership

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report is a summary of the activities of the DVLIP Council between October 2010 and March 2011. It also outlines the changes made to the proposed settlement strategy in light of the new Hub for community services at Victoria Park Avenue and Eglinton Street, increased engagement of service networks that operate in the area, the work of the Toronto Newcomer Initiative and other Inter-LIP initiatives.

The extension phase of the project (October 2010 – March 2011) also presented an opportunity for the project team to research more the service and information gaps identified in Phase 1 of the project. The DVLIP Council also resolved, at the October 2010 meeting, to start implementing some of the recommended strategies, especially in the area of employment of newcomers and/or labour market integration strategies for newcomers. This report therefore reflects the focus on that aspect of the proposed strategies while also looking at the other 2 broader working areas in the proposed strategy (Community Engagement and System Access).

While the proposed settlement strategy and implementation plan will continue to be a work in progress as DVLIP working groups and ad-hoc committees continue to evolve, we believe the proposed action plan is a sound basis and reflects the views of community agencies, newcomers and the research that has gone into the project in the last 18 months. It also seeks to work more with the service networks that already exist in the community and have been a hallmark for service delivery for quite some time in this neighbourhood. Building on those networks will ensure that DVLIP maximizes the community networks and initiatives that already exist. The service Hub at Victoria Park Avenue and Eglinton Street is also timely and presents an opportunity to penetrate a previously underserved North-end and Victoria Village community. DVLIP strategy has to be flexible and responsive to these and many other initiatives coming into the community. There is also an opportunity to work with various greening initiatives that have started up in the community, not only for potential job development opportunities for newcomers but also in engaging newcomers more and linking them to settlement services through the informal interaction opportunities that these sort of initiatives present.

INTRODUCTION

This report has 2 objectives

1. Present a summary of the activities conducted by the Don Valley Local Immigration Partnership (DV-LIP) in the period October 2010 to March 2011, also known as LIP Extension Phase 1

2. Present the proposed local settlement strategy and the action plan for Implementation reflecting the changes since the Phase 1 report.

The report builds on the accomplishments of Year 1 of the DV-LIP activities and as such, this report should be read as building on this work. There are a number of cross references between this and the previous report “Don Valley Local Immigration Partnership: Settlement Strategy and Action Plan”. This report combines elements from that report with new material from the extension of Phase 1 (October 2010 – March 2011). Activities within the Phase 1 Extension should be viewed as a hybrid – both an extension of the research and development of a viable strategy and the implementation of some sustainable components. The hybrid involved resources dedicated to research and system development and resources required to develop an expansive new system. It also involved building sustainability for the longer term – creating system efficiencies, exploring potential implementation areas, building broader partnerships to provide a larger resource base for sharing costs and a more efficient system.

RESEARCH PROCESS PHASE 1

LIP Phase 1 was primarily needs assessment focused, with an emphasis on profiling the Don Valley neighbourhood while developing the LIP Council. In particular, a Terms of Reference for the LIP Council was developed (Appendix A), a research and analysis of the demography of the DVLIP neighbourhoods undertaken; key informant interviews held with service providers and other stakeholders and, finally, gathering insights from secondary research regarding settlement and mainstream system-wide issues. The purposes of the latter activities were to help determine areas of focus for primary research, and in particular, to develop a strategy for community engagement and consultation. These latter objectives were accomplished in Extension Phase, which is the focus of this report. Readers wishing to familiarize themselves with the neighbourhood profiles and other census data for this LIP are encouraged to refer to the Phase I Report.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS SINCE PHASE 1 REPORT

COUNCIL DEVELOPMENT

The LIP Council met regularly to develop the settlement strategy and share information and resources. The planning process focused on recent developments since the Phase 1 Report, with particular emphasis on issues related to access to settlement services in the North-end and employment. The service gaps mainly dealt with how and where newcomers access services in the North-end. The challenge continued to be to build an inclusive LIP council that was representative of the range of stakeholders identified by early partners and/or further research. As such, outreach at various network meetings and referrals from individual service providers supported growing attendance at the DVLIP Council meetings. In particular, the LIP Project Team and PMC focused on getting faith communities and grassroots organizations more engaged in the LIP process. The Council decided at its first extension meeting in October 2010 to focus its efforts on employment as a settlement challenge for newcomers.

Employment was chosen as an area of focus because it had been identified as the biggest challenge newcomers interviewed in Phase 1 indicated. Employment is currently housed within the Service Development Working Group under the current governance structure of the DVLIP but it is recognized that it is an issue that cuts across the other proposed working groups (System Access and Stakeholder Engagement Working Groups). In the Council meetings between October 2010 and March 2011, the Project Team therefore met with both the Project Management Committee and individual Council members to further develop the “employment” piece. The DVLIP Council also resolved to function as a working group at this stage (LIP Extension) of the process to address the issue of employment.

Council development activities involved meeting with individual Council members to identify areas in which member agencies were willing to work on or contribute resources and/or expertise. The extension of Phase 1 also allowed for the Council to function as a working group on employment and related issues. A much more detailed discussion on these Council activities follows.

SERVICE DEVELOPMENT: EMPLOYMENT

In discussing the issue of employment and how it is going to be rolled out in the Implementation Phase, a number of issues came up:

1. What would an Employment Task Force entail in terms of membership, role and terms of reference? 6

2. How are the local and regional market players to be engaged in the process?

3. What are the challenges that are specific to this community that affect employment outcomes for newcomers?

4. What can individual member agencies commit to the process of improving employment outcomes for newcomers?

In addition to community consultations and the research, a facilitated employment focused planning session was held with the LIP Council on December 08 2010. The above questions were used as a guide to unpick the challenges with “employment” and labour market integration for newcomers. The outcomes of the planning session are tabled below:

Employment Task Force Planning Objective – 1 BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT INTEGRATION FOR NEWCOMERS IN THE DV LIP AREA Findings from the Research

1. Social/Cultural Barriers i. Limited social/business networks ii. Limited positive role models iii. Cultural obstacles iv. Lack of personal motivation/confidence 2. Information: Newcomers may not always have information on service 3. Resident turnover is high 4. Lack of connectivity (especially North-end) 5. Lack of social gathering places (faith communities not very engaged in settlement services delivery) Input from the Planning Session

1. Newcomers’ challenges for accessing childcare and other facilities in the community that prevents caregivers from accessing employment related services 2. Newcomers’ lack of awareness of employment services and lack of systems among services providers to promote services to newcomers 3. Lack of opportunities for newcomers to build and/or engage networks, gain volunteer and/or professional experience 4. Challenges for newcomers to gain accreditation of former formal education, training and professional experience 5. Challenges for newcomers to build local references for employment purposes 6. Challenges for employers to verify or accredit foreign qualifications and professional experience 7. Health issues connected to low income and accessibility that prevent newcomers from accessing employment services and opportunities fully 8. Employers’ apathy and indifference to foreign trained skills and foreign qualifications 9. Challenges for newcomers to progress beyond entry level or survival employment 10. Newcomers’ lack of appropriate language skills and workplace cultural competencies 11. Lack of up to date labour market information for newcomers 12. Lack of definition and understanding on the side of newcomers on the ‘Canadian Experience’ 7

factor 13. Misuse of the ‘Canadian Experience’ requirement by some employers 14. Lack of opportunities for newcomers to evaluate employability skills and identify gaps for improvement 15. Lengthy and complicated accreditation process for designated and licensed professions 16. Resource challenges, lack of appropriate tools and systems for employment service providers to fully engage and serve newcomers

Employment Task Force Planning Objective – 2 EXTERNAL ISSUES IMPACTING NEWCOMER EMPLOYMENT IN THE DV LIP AREA Findings from the Research

1. Low-skill, entry-level employment opportunities i. Hospitality & Tourism ii. Retail & Consumer Services iii. Publishing, Print & Media iv. High school graduation opens doors to broader range of opportunity 2. Canadian experience 3. Mismatch between skills and demand 4. Language barriers Input from the Planning Session

1. Geographical location of certain industrial sectors (away from the DV LIP area); Major employers moving out of the area 2. Relocation challenges for newcomers that prevent them from moving to areas where employment opportunities exist 3. Intrinsic cultural practices within ethnic newcomer groups that challenge accessing all types of employment opportunities 4. Unstable demand & supply in the GTA’s economy for labour and skills 5. Changing dynamics of the labour market and its impact through the time lag in the immigration process (skills approved for immigration are no longer in demand by the time the person arrives in Canada) 6. Changing model of job structures within Canadian employers (shift to part-time and contract employment) 7. Barriers to collaboration among employment and settlement service providers 8. Inter-provincial licensing requirements that challenge labour mobility 9. Lack of provincial and federal government’s investment in labour market infrastructure 10. Global business and economic issues that impact GTA’s labour market 11. Lack of follow through and continuity from the side of newcomers while accessing employment services with a service provider

Employment Task Force Planning Objective – 3 STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE NEWCOMER EMPLOYMENT INTEGRATION IN THE DV LIP AREA Findings from the Research

1. Train individual agencies how to access data and be able to use it. 2. Work at addressing women’s issues who are not highly “skilled.” Overcome the gender bias in training programs, which tend to focus on skills that relate to trades, etc. Need to consider specific interventions that target the training needs of women. 3. Coordinate the employer engagement strategy 4. Understanding of employer needs, and barriers, as perceived by employers as to why newcomers may not be successful, and what helps them to succeed Input from the Planning Session 1. Combined comprehensive newcomer initiative by all DV LIP newcomer service providers focusing on: i. Advocacy for newcomers’ employment integration ii. Influence city wide, provincial and federal policies to support newcomer employment integration iii. Identify and develop political and corporate entities who would champion the cause for newcomer employment integration 2. Increase coordination among newcomer employment service providers, settlement service providers and community service providers in the DV LIP area to increase access for newcomers to their services 3. Develop a DV LIP area wide orientation system that would orient newcomers on all the employment & settlement services in the DV LIP area 4. Develop and coordinate informal support systems for newcomers 5. Map current services and community groups and ensure their collaboration 6. Develop partnerships with other local bodies (ex.- OPSEU, libraries) in engaging them to serve/assist newcomers 7. Five geographical areas to outreach to North-end communities 8. Advocacy to funders and government to support sharing of resources among service providers 9. LIP and DV newcomer service providers to focus and enhance holistic engagement of employers in and around the DV LIP area 10. Develop/engage socio-professional networks for newcomers in the area to access (ex.- Iranian Engineers Association, Canadian Filipino Accountants Association) 11. Identify businesses with a corporate social responsibility mandate and engage them in newcomer employment integration initiatives 12. Create networks between employment service providers (ex.-job developers network) 13. Develop resources for fast tracking employment services to newcomers who are adequately accredited and qualified 14. Identify ‘BIA’s and engage them through LIP 15. LIP to collectively engage and advocate to employment services funders

This information, together with the demographic profiles and labour market analysis done in Phase 1 needs a structure to take it forward, which in the LIP Council governance model would be the Employment Task Force. See LIP Governance Structure below:

Figure 1: DVLIP Council Governance Structure

EMPLOYMENT TASK FORCE

After the December 8, 2010 planning session, a working group of LIP Council members have been in consultations to form a working group which will evolve into an Employment Task Force. The group met on 27 January 2011 to draft priority issues and figure ways of collaborating and sharing information and resources. The group is still in formative stages but is currently composed of representatives from the Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office- TNO, Skills for Change, Centre for Education and Training – CET, Ontario Federation of Labour – OFL, Labour Education Centre – LEC. It is expected that this group will expand to include Toronto Employment and Social Services, educational institutions, Woodgreen Community Services and the Ontario Science centre among others. The group will also work with the LIP Project staff to create a much more robust data collection system for service inventory, demographic, labour market etc. DVLIP will assist in linking the group/task force to local and regional labour market players. It is also hoped that with time, the group will feed into the Service Development Working Group to develop more employment related programs.

SYSTEM ACCESS WORKING GROUP

While this working group has not yet been set up, a lot of ground work was done to find out more about the point of access needs in the community. In particular, community consultations through focus groups and survey questionnaires explored the challenges to accessing newcomer services in the North-end. The System Access component of the strategy is meant to include community agencies in developing harmonized intake, assessment and referral system and in distributing a point of arrival information package. In the implementation phase, it is anticipated that this point of arrival package will be developed and distributed to member agencies.

In community consultations, with regard to system access, newcomers described needs that go unmet by settlement services, such as soft skills training, mental health support, family counseling, business start-up and self-employment support. It was however important that a number of these “unmet” services, especially with regards to soft skills training, are available at local agencies but there is a lack of awareness among newcomers on these services. Part of the settlement strategy has to address how these information asymmetries can be resolved. The North-end, as already discussed, is in a worse situation with newcomers having to travel far to access settlement and settlement support programs. Seniors and youth were disproportionately affected by the recession, with a greater need for developing programs aimed at getting these 2 groups back employment. General health also came up as an issue with limited drop-in clinics in the area, even though East York General Hospital is located in the community. Some of the system access issues are language related. A more detailed list of findings affecting access to services is in the Stakeholder Engagement section below.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

DVLIP Project staff continued to engage with other stakeholders outside the LIP Council. A number of key informant interviews/discussions were held with the housing, health, education and employment sector. DVLIP also met with the business community, local employers at various community events and connected with partners in the broader City-wide LIP (the Toronto Newcomer Initiative). A detailed summary of the stakeholder engagement activities over the last 6months is presented below.

THE NORTH-END

The North-end is defined as the area north of Lawrence, up to highway 401 and between Bayview Avenue and Victoria Park Avenue. This area was identified by the research and

settlement workers in the community as disconnected from mainstream settlement services. Using the mapping data from Phase 1, the LIP project team surveyed the neighbourhood to uncover any previously unidentified settlement services working the area. This was done through the triangulation of key informant surveys, a newcomer survey (Appendix E-Survey Questionnaire) and focus group discussions (Appendix F-Focus Group Questions) with community residents in the North-end. The results of this environmental scan are detailed in the community engagement section of this report but the key highlights confirmed that:

1. With the exception of schools and faith communities, there are not many community based settlement services in the North-end. Working Women Community Centre (WWCC) and the Centre for Information and Community Services (CICS) do provide settlement in the area. CICS is located outside the area and offers limited services through a settlement worker in schools. Given the size and ethno-diversity of the area, it has also been a challenge for WWCC to provide services to all newcomers. Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office also offers services at Victoria Park Public School once a week. 2. Newcomer residents in the North-end have very little knowledge on available services within the Don Valley area. 3. The few respondents who accessed settlement services through the schools and faith communities had problems getting around (transportation, due to disjointed public transit routes and lack of transportation money to travel outside their area). 4. Schools and faith communities, unlike most community services, have frequently provided no transportation money for newcomers to access any of their services.

THE HUB AT VICTORIA PARK AVENUE AND EGLINTON STREET

With regards to access to services, the new Hub at Victoria Park Avenue and Eglinton Street dominated these discussions, with service providers expressing a desire to promote the Hub as one-stop shop for settlement services, particularly for residents with limited access to settlement services in the North-end. Previously home to a pool hall in a strip mall, this newly renovated building is the third to open among eight Community Hubs planned for Toronto’s 13 Priority Neighbourhoods. The Hub was developed to address inadequate access to relevant programs, services and opportunities for residents in Victoria Village, a priority neighbourhood. It also addresses the lack of community space for residents to use in the Flemingdon Park– Victoria Village priority neighbourhood. The location of the Hub also makes it the logical entry point for newcomers’ access to services in the North-end. The Hub officially opened its doors to the public on December 16, 2010.

TORONTO EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL SERVICES (TESS)

The City of Toronto has always been active in the DVLIP with representation from Public Health, Community Development and Toronto Employment and Social Services (TESS). Since the Phase 1 report, the TESS centre has expanded to a new state-of-the-art employment drop-in centre with a number of new social and employment services. Most of the new programming is in the area of employment. It is recommended that the TESS-DVLIP partnership be leveraged so that DVLIP Council members are better able to connect newcomers to the various employment and social services resources that the City of Toronto has to offer.

ANIMATORS

The Project Management Committee, on review of the Phase 1 draft settlement strategy and action plan, recognized that community animators would be essential to the implementation of the plan. The building of linkages with informal systems, the development and testing of the materials and systems required to move the strategy forward, would be challenging to accomplish without the knowledge, experience and relationships of the community animators.

The first phase of the DVLIP (the current contract) implemented an extensive survey and a number of focus groups that explored the experiences newcomer populations and people further into the settlement process. Even in neighbourhoods within the LIP that already had a solid service network the animators were able to identify and connect with residents who had not utilized many or any services. In addition they were able to begin the process of identifying and engaging with relevant population groups in those neighbourhoods within the catchment that were underserved by settlement services.

The extension period allowed the LIP Project to work with community animators again to fill the information gaps identified in DVLIP Phase 1. In addition, however, it allowed for the development of linkages with the grassroots and informal settlement sector in the DVLIP catchment area. This is a pathway to sustainability. Once links are established, and the informal systems are included in the information systems and ongoing activities of the Council, these should be self-perpetuating. The animators are the bridge to this element of a sustainable framework. In the new Council structure, it is expected that the animators will bring in the newcomer viewpoint through their participation in Council meetings as most of them are recent newcomers themselves.

The animators were utilized as they were in the first phase of the project, to recruit participants for focus groups and/or Town Hall sessions where elements of the emerging system could be

“workshopped” to test and develop their effectiveness. The animators who participated in the Extension Phase had been trained in the following:

1. Community Engagement as (but is not limited to):

a. An approach that is appropriate in term so language, culture, safety, time, location, and accessibility. b. Meaningful to the people involved, showing respect and interest for what they have to say. c. Giving those who contribute a commitment that they will find out how the information and ideas and experiences they are sharing will be used.

2. How to best engage residents a. Where to find them b. How to approach them c. What to ask (interview skills)

Interview questions were developed and revised in collaboration with community animators, whose own experience was essential to determining the approach to engagement. (Appendix E-Survey Questionnaire).

Unlike in Phase 1 whereby animators worked in teams of 2, 3 or 4 individuals, this time they were sent out as individuals. This was partly due to familiarity with the area and the experience on various neighbourhoods and demographics (based on language, age, gender, ethnicity, country of origin) from the Phase 1 research. Periodic meetings between LIP project team and the community animators ensured a continuous feedback loop and refinement of approaches that supported meeting of all demographic targets for survey outreach and focus group recruitment. The diversity of the animator team also supported the DVLIP’s success in engaging the community beyond existing community leadership and community service structures. Because of the limited scope of the LIP Phase 1 Extension, only 5 community animators with specific language skills were engaged for this phase of the project. However, all the 20 animators were invited to a focus group where they were also de-briefed on the accomplishments of LIP Phase I.

REGULAR LIP COUNCIL MEMBERS/PARTNERS

The following is a list of other community stakeholders and agency partners who were involved in the planning and continued success of the project. The project owes much of its accomplishments to the agencies and the staff who not attended regular meetings but offered meeting space, shared resources and contributed to the improvement of newcomer service coordination in the community.

SETTLEMENT-BASED ORGANIZATIONS

Each of the following organizations providing settlement services in the DVLIP catchment continue to be members of the DVLIP Council. Many provide support through participation on the DVLIP Project Management Committee and each contributed staff time and facilities to support DVLIP community animators for survey outreach and focus group facilitation.

• Afghan Women’s Organization

• Flemingdon Neighbourhood Services

• Flemingdon Health Centre

• Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office

• Working Women Community Centre

In addition, some smaller community organizations serving newcomers in specialized capacities also attended regular Council meetings and supported community animators with their outreach. These include:

• New Circles Community Services

• Toronto Intergenerational Partnerships

• Turtle House Art/Play Centre

• Community Catalyst Action Centre

• Community Care East York

MAINSTREAM SERVICE PROVIDERS AND INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

Each of the following mainstream and institutionally based organizations participated regularly at DVLIP Council meetings and sent several representatives to the expanded LIP Council 15

meeting; some have initiated special partnerships with the LIP such as health research and new community program development as a result of their engagement.

• Better Living Health and Community Services

• Flemingdon Community Legal Services

• Toronto Catholic District School Board

• Toronto Community Housing Corporation

• Toronto District School Board

• Toronto East General Hospital

In addition, several city-wide institutions with a close proximity or interest in the DVLIP also sent representatives to several LIP meetings and/or the expanded LIP Council meeting, hosted focus groups and initiated discussion about new programs and partnership possibilities. These include:

• Evergreen Brickworks

• Ontario Science Centre

• Diversity and Toronto East- Live Green Toronto

• Toronto Regional Immigrant Employment Council

LOCAL NETWORKS

Attendance at local network meetings was a notable activity of the LIP Project team. A dynamic initiative of diverse community stakeholders, network meetings includes much of the activity that the DVLIP Council seeks to address – information sharing, joint initiatives and greater collaboration. A list of local networks who were engaged through the DVLIP project is listed below:

• Flemingdon Inter-Agency Network

• Seniors Service Network

• North-end Partners

• O’Connor Community Partners

• Early Years (0-6) Working Group

• Youth Service Network

Project team attendance at these meetings was central to Council membership expansion, recruitment of community animators and insights into existing collaborative efforts. As such, LIP settlement strategy development is recommended to build upon these ongoing initiatives. Other new initiatives that would work with various networks have been key partners in the extension phase include:

• HUB- Victoria Village

• Action for Neighbourhood Change

LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT PARTNERS

With leadership from Labour Community Services as a key member of the Project Management Committee, the DVLIP also engaged several employment service providers to join the LIP Council over the course of the project. These include:

• Access Employment

• Don Mills Employment Resource Centre

• Labour Education Centre

• Skills for Change

• Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office

• Unite Here Training Centre

• WoodGreen Community Services

• Centre for Education & Training

• Toronto Intergenerational Partnerships

GOVERNMENT PARTNERS

Government and funding partners were regular participants and ex-officio members of the DVLIP. These include representation from:

• Citizenship and Immigration Canada 17

• Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration (Ontario)

• City of Toronto

o Community Development o Toronto Public Health o Toronto Employment and Social Services o Toronto Parks Forestry & Recreation

LOCAL POLITICIANS

Support and participation of several politicians within the DVLIP supported outreach to private sector partners. These offices include:

• Office of John Parker, Local City Councillor

• Office of Yasmin Ratansi, MP Don Valley East

• Office of Rob Oliphant, MP Don Valley West

• Office of Kathleen Wynne, MPP Don Valley West

PRIVATE SECTOR, INDUSTRY AND EMPLOYER

The DVLIP was able to engage private sector participation through the following methods: attendance at the March expanded LIP Council meeting; individual key informant interviews and/or participation in an industry/employer focus group. Representatives from the following organizations participated with the DVLIP:

• Campus Logix • Davis & Henderson • Focussed Consulting • Indo-Canadian Chamber of Commerce • Lincoln Electric • Phillips Corporation • Royal Bank of Canada • Ryerson University, Accounting-Finance Bridging Program • Schulich School of Business, Career Services • TD Bank • Tremco

Research Process Phase 1 Extension

Building on the work completed in Phase 1, the DVLIP focused its research on identified gaps in information and services. The LIP Project team focused on these gaps: services for seniors and youth, access to services in the North-end (defined as the area north of Lawrence and up to Highway 401 within the DVLIP catchment area) and updating neighbourhood profiles. At its first meeting in October 2010, the Council agreed to also focus on Employment as a priority item. To that end, key informant interviews and a facilitated discussion with LIP member agencies were convened. Key informants who work primarily in the employment area were also contacted to solicit what they could contribute to the process and what extra resources were needed to coordinate employment and related activities within the DVLIP. More information is in the Employment Task Force section. In addition, more economic planning and labour market related data was compiled to assist the DVLIP members to better serve newcomers.

Another area of focus was on housing. The Don Valley LIP worked closely with the Ontario Metropolis Centre, CERIS, to explore housing challenges for newcomers in the Don Valley area. CERIS was already conducting research into the Housing Experiences of Immigrants and Refugees in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver and there was an opportunity for the DVLIP to partner with the LIP Coordinator being part of this research committee. Results from this research will only be available after April 2011 but preliminary results from community consultations and key informant interviews of service providers are listed in the housing section.

HOUSING AND INCOME

In terms of research, effort was spent on exploring 2 areas identified in Phase 1 as needing more attention: Housing and Health. Initial discussions were held with East York General Hospital and researchers at York University (CERIS) to look into these issues. East York General Hospital has since expressed interest in having a student of medicine work with the DVLIP to explore health challenges for newcomers in the area. On the housing front, DVLIP worked with colleagues at the City of Toronto’s Immigrant and Refugee Housing Committee in addition to CERIS staff working on a similar project, albeit across Canada, exploring housing challenges for immigrants and refugees in Canada. Housing was identified as both a systemic and neighbourhood based issue. The results from the extension phase of the project seem to contradict the initial findings that housing issues are most concentrated in the area of Victoria Village south of Eglinton Avenue. Our research in the North-end of the DVLIP neighbourhood (north of Lawrence Avenue) point to housing as just as significant a settlement issue, if not worse than in the southern areas of Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park which were

identified as areas where housing issues were significant. In these areas, people may find housing as a major challenge that may be impacting other aspects of their lives.

HOUSING CHALLENGES IN THE NORTH-END OF DVLIP

• Expensive: affordability is major cause of core need

Rents increasing slowly but faster than incomes

Limited rental stock

Little new stock, either private or social housing

Toronto Social housing waiting list of 87,175 households in 2010

Aging and isolated apartment towers are 40% of rental stock

The survey also revealed that most immigrants in the area use coping mechanism such overcrowding, with doubling up being a common strategy. The area has a large number of big families households who don’t fit into rental stock and can be discriminated against on those basis. Lack of language fluency and information gaps compounds the lack of housing services in the north-end, with Flemingdon Neighbourhood Services being the sole agency dedicated to housing services and outside the catchment of most newcomers in the northend.

THE INTERSECTION OF FOOD, CLOTHING AND HOUSING AS SETTLEMENT CHALLENGES

In key informant discussions with some LIP members, it was evident that housing intersected with food and clothing in compounding the settlement needs of Don Valley residents. A key player in that area in the community, New Circles, conducted a survey of its clients to explore the impact of food and clothing needs on the settlement outcomes of their clients. Among some key findings in the survey of people accessing food and clothing banks at the New Circles centre were the following:

• Most had a higher than average number of at risk populations: visible minorities, recent immigrants and lone-parent families

• Unemployment rates for population age 15+ in 12 of the 13 PAs are all higher than the city average (exception being Lawrence Heights)

• From 2001-2006, the number of unemployed in the city grew from 92,365 to 102, 610 an increase of 11%. Change in the number of unemployed is reflected in Toronto’s overall unemployment rate, which rose from 7.0% in 2001 to 7.6% in 2006.

• While these areas show higher than average rates of visible minorities and new comers, most also have higher than average proportions of residents with post-secondary education from outside of Canada- compared against the higher rates of unemployment and low income rates, it is reasonable to infer that many of these Torontonians are having difficulties finding employment and/ or matching their skills and training to employment.

More specific to the research on 202 clients who access the centre for food and clothing:

• 72% of the Service Users had been in Canada for less than 5 years, which is what Stats Canada classifies as “recent immigrants”. This speaks to the new comer/ settlement needs in the community and New Circles ability to provide aid to people while they are trying to establish themselves in Canada.

• As well the predominant language subgroups of Dari/Farsi/Russian; Creole/ French; and Spanish speaking clients represent the top 4 countries of origin- Columbia, Mexico, Haiti and Afghanistan – at New Circles.

• 89% of the clients surveyed were unemployed. This point need to integrate food and clothing to settlement services so as to help these clients better integrate into the job market when the opportunities present themselves. Additionally, this would also speak to the barriers one might face immigrating to Canada and trying to find work, despite level of education.

The full report is available upon request from either New Circles or the LIP Project Team. In several LIP Council discussions, the intersection of food and clothing on other settlement challenges was highlighted. It is recommended that DV-LIP Council recognizes this as a settlement challenge and a potential barrier to immigrant employment. The Council needs to develop strategies that take food and clothing into consideration and looking at ways of supporting innovative initiatives like New Circles.

Community Engagement Initiatives

FOCUS GROUPS AND INDIVIDUAL SURVEY INTERVIEW

In the extension phase of the DV LIP project, six focus group discussions were held and 100 individual survey interviews were conducted. The intent was to capture residents representing the Parkwoods-Donalda, Victoria Village and Banbury-Don Mills as these groups represent small sample sizes from the survey interviews conducted in Phase I. There was also an indication from the service mapping report completed under Phase 1 that there are gaps in terms of accessibility and availability of services in Parkwoods-Donalda and Victoria Village. Focus group discussions with seniors and youth were also conducted separately to document their specific needs. Sample size in both the survey and focus group sessions is limited.

Five individuals were hired as part-time community animators. The languages spoken by the animators are as follows: Arabic, Tamil, Urdu, Dari and Pashto. Two of them were community animators from Phase 1. The community animators were requested to administer individual survey questionnaires from newcomers from the above-mentioned neigbourhoods. They were also requested to help organize and identify participants for focus group discussions. To prepare the community animators, an individual orientation session was conducted, where they were given instructions and the necessary background information to assist them in the surveying process.

Table 1: Animators

Neighbourhoods Languages spoken

Victoria Village Arabic, Tamil

Don Mills & Parkwoods-Donalda Urdu, Dari and Pashto

In total, there were 59 participants who participated in the five focus groups conducted.

- Age o Youth, middle aged adults & seniors (14-76 years); o Women- 39 o Men- 20 - Country of Origin: Afghanistan (15), Iraq (9), Pakistan (11), India (5), Iran (4), Philippines (4), Bangladesh (3), Colombia (2), Guatemala (1), Sri Lanka (1), Turkey (1), Korea (1), Somalia (1), China (1)

- Languages: Arabic (15), Dari (8), Urdu (11), Filipino (4), Farsi (4), Spanish (3), Bengali/Bangla (4), Persian (2), Pashto (1), Korean (1), Mandarin (1), Turkish (1), Sinhala (2), Somali (1), Tamil (1) - Average length of time in Canada – less than 5 years - Neighbourhood o Thorncliffe- 9 (seniors and youth) o Flemingdon- 5 (youth) o Parkwoods-Donalda-16 (adults, youth,) o Victoria Village- 15 (adults, seniors) o Banbury-Don Mills-12 o Others- 2 Table 2 Focus Group Discussions

Date Focus Group Participants Location Neighbourhood

Brookland Parkwoods- Tamil (1), Urdu (6), 9 Adults Library Donalda Sinhala (1), Mandarin (1), Youth 210 Brooklands

135 Fenelon Parkwoods- Urdu (4) Bengali (3) 7 Youth Drive Donalda

Victoria Victoria Village Arabic (13) 13 Adults Village Seniors Public School 88 Sweeney Drive

55 Overland Don Mills, Spanish (2), Dari (3), Drive Victoria Village, Turkish (1), Korean (1), 12 Adults Flemingdon Arabic (1), Farsi (4)

TNO 28 Thorncliffe, Urdu (1), Persian (2), Overlea Blvd Flemingdon, Filipino (4), 7 Seniors Don Mills

TNO 28 Thorncliffe, Spanish (1), Dari (5), Overlea Blvd Flemingdon, Bangla (1), Arabic (1), 11 Youth Don Mills Somali (1), Pashto (1), Sinhali (1)

Minor changes were made in some of the focus group questions to give focus on the following themes: barriers, identification of needs and concerns of seniors, youth, refugees, and single parents, information sources, gaps in settlement services, accessibility of services and proposed solutions to improve delivery of settlement services.

The findings were similar to the data obtained from the first-phase focus groups. The top three main barriers identified were related to employment, language and access to accurate information and settlement and other services. The participants also identified the lack of Canadian experience and difficulty in having their credentials evaluated and assessed as barriers. Seniors believe that they are in a more disadvantaged position because of the limited employment opportunities available for them. Culture shock was also a barrier to accessing services. Some of the seniors indicated their frustration in using automated telephone systems especially in contacting various government offices such as Wheel-trans, Ministry of Health and Long-term Care offices, etc.

It is very interesting to note that majority of the youth participants expressed concerns that their parents can`t find jobs. Single parents and refugees faced more challenges that make them struggle more.

The main concern of the Arabic-speaking participants from Victoria Village is in terms of accessing interpretation and translation services. Participants pointed at the lack of language services, with reportedly only few settlement workers that speak Arabic. The school settlement worker who speaks Arabic only works once a week at Victoria Park Public School. They need to take three buses to see another Arabic-speaking settlement worker in another agency. Geographical proximity of service providers has been identified by many participants from Victoria Village and Parkwoods-Donalda as a major concern. They mentioned that they wanted

services to be offered in their local communities and expressed concerns on the gaps in access to services. Because of the limited number of services in their community, they always ended up having to travel far to get services from nearby neighbourhoods. They have difficulty finding basic information including the following: directions, information on how to apply for OSAP, how and where to find volunteer and placement opportunities, bridging programs, etc.

It was suggested that the information package being distributed at the airport should include list of office locations of various settlement agencies as well as list of various ethnic organizations. Information materials should also be translated in different languages. In the absence of that, a central clearing house for information and services needs to be established in the community, along the lines of the Newcomer Information Centres being run by the YMCA. LIP staff noted that the Hub offers such a potential and this will be explored at future meetings with the Council and the Hub.

A number of focus group participants expressed their disappointments with the continuing problems and challenges that newcomers faced especially in terms of employment. They said that too many studies have been done. They wanted to see immediate, positive and concrete changes that will provide solutions to unemployment and other challenges newcomers faced.

FOCUS GROUP SUMMARY FINDINGS

Barriers Newcomers Faced

Seniors Youth Adults

Employment Limited Employment Difficulty navigating on-line Lack of Canadian experience and Skills Opportunities because of age job search Development discrimination Limited information about Youth focus group evaluation of credentials and - feel that employers participants from jobless skills upgrading think that they are families are anxious because too old to engage of their parents’ Discrimination jobs that require unemployment. certain physical Difficulty finding placement activities and volunteer opportunities

Resume Writing. Financial difficulty because of unemployment - Expressed concern what to write in Difficulty adapting to a new resume; never culture created one before

Access to Public Transportation Lack of knowledge and Lack of affordable child care information, - Could be a major barrier information about school services support and especially for those seniors culture and the banking mainstream who are financially system Lack of affordable recreational activities for services dependent to their children They are more hesitant to adults and kids Difficulty contacting access services in settlement Lack of access to dental government offices to access agencies. services (Wheel-trans, services (children, seniors) Ministry of Health and Long- Lack of information about the legal system in Canada, Lack of access to translation term Care, etc. and interpretation services - Seniors feel intimidated Canadian History. and frustrated in using Distance between their place automated telephone of residence and the location systems; of settlement agencies or community centres Difficulty obtaining driver’s Lack of Access to 26

license information and services in the community - Settlement Services (filling up of CCTB and other forms, follow up sponsorship application, etc.) - Canadian Culture - Adjusting to cold weather - Affordable housing - Laws in Canada

Language Feel that they are too old to Difficulty communicating Number of students on ESL learn English very well in English classes are very high making it difficult for some students Lack of English language to learn English language skills effectively The language barrier makes them feel more isolated

Loss of confidence during job interviews because of language barriers

Differences among groups? (E.g. age, immigration, country of origin, gender etc.)?

Young versus Old The senior focus group participants believe that young immigrants are more in an advantageous position in terms employment opportunities. Seniors faced more barriers- language, health accessibility, transportation, etc. Women versus Men Some male focus group participants claimed that women can get jobs more easily than men because they are more organized and tidy. Single Parents Single parents faced more challenges and barriers. Country of origin Country of origin was a factor in determining the ease of transition to the labour force. While the exact causes for this are unclear at this stage, immigrants from certain countries integrated faster into the job market than immigrants from other countries. Immigration Status Refugees also faced more barriers and challenges because they cannot access some services because of their immigration status.

Information Sources

- Friends - Neighbours - Relatives - Libraries - Newspapers - Community agencies - Ethnic associations Recommended Outreach Strategies

- Distribute flyers translated in different languages and do outreach in malls, places of worships, consulates, ethnic grocery stores and ethnic association gatherings, apartment buildings - Advertisements should be made on TV and community boards - Post flyers and announcements in bulletin boards in apartment buildings laundry room - Post flyers in advance - Settlement workers or mentors should be also at the airport explaining and guiding the newcomers when printed materials are being distributed - Develop a newcomer peer mentorship program similar to the HOST program GAPS in settlement services

• Employment services were insufficient to help newcomers get jobs • Access to services and information should be made available immediately. Most of the participants agreed that they need to get appointment from settlement workers before they could see them and oftentimes they have to wait for a couple of days. • Limited settlement services in Parkwoods-Donalda neighbourhood. YMCA offices are located outside the neighbourhood but cater to the needs of the residents. Any role for the Hub? • So many studies have been done about experiences and challenges faced by newcomers. Newcomers wanted to see improvement in terms of access to services and employment opportunities • Some services offered for seniors are not free. • Lack of Arabic-speaking settlement workers in Victoria Village • Lengthy process for family reunification (refugees) • No youth centre in Parkwoods-Donalda that would cater for youth 11 years old onwards Proposed Solutions to Improve Delivery of Services

Employment:

- Develop more job search programs for youth - Provide skills development training for seniors and newcomers - Provide more employment opportunities for seniors such as by starting a community-based catering business - Initiate more apprenticeship programs for newcomers - Employers should be mandated by city and provincial government to hire newcomers; Incentives to be given to local employers who will give priority to hire newcomers from the community

Language:

- Number of students for each ESL class should be limited to ensure access to quality education - Interpretation and translation services should be made available in medical and doctor’s clinic - There should be more English and other skills development training classes to be offered in the evening - English classes for seniors should be more less structured - Offer more Employment or Occupation-Specific Language training

Access to information, settlement and other support services:

- Setting up of satellite office of settlement agencies in Parkwoods-Donalda and Victoria Village neighbourhood to provide settlement and other related services - Case management approach - Hire more Arabic-speaking settlement workers at Victoria Village - Services for seniors should be free - Services should be made available under one roof - More childcare facilities with affordable or subsidized rates should be made available - Shorten waiting period for processing of subsidized housing application - More affordable recreation programs and activities for newcomer families, seniors and youth - More support and services for single parents - Conduct of information sessions on various topics (how to build credit history, sponsorships, update on changes on immigration laws, etc.) - Conduct of orientation sessions for newcomers (where to shop, how to take public transportation, Canadian workplace culture and etiquette etc.); Sessions to be offered in different languages; - Printed materials distributed at the airport should be explained to the newcomers by the settlement workers or case workers; list of community centres and ethnic organizations should be included in the package

Advocacy

- Community centres and settlement agencies should advocate for the newcomers. They should push the government to develop interventions to address their challenges and concerns. - Creation of women’s groups and associations that can address women’s issues and provide advocacy support to marginalized and disadvantaged women - Residency eligibility for seniors should be reduced from 10 years to 5 years or government should provide supplemental allowance for those who have been sponsored and had difficulty finding jobs - It was also suggested that Citizenship and Immigration Canada allow isolated seniors to sponsor a relative abroad to provide support and companionship to them. - Government should regulate cost of apartment rents

Community Connections

- Conduct of community consultations should be held at least once a month. Results and findings of the consultation should be presented to the government. - Develop mentorship program to be coordinated by various ethnic associations

Survey Interviews

A total of 100 individuals surveys were completed by the community animators. The survey was administered to selected residents of Parkwoods-Donalda and Victoria Park Village neighbourhoods.

The age of the majority of respondents ranges from 30-44 years old with 46% followed by 45-59 years old with 22%. Those within the age bracket of 20-30 years old are 21% while those between 60-75 years old and 16-19 years old are 3% and 8% respectively.

Sixty-two percent of the respondents are female and 38% are male.

The ethno-cultural origin of majority of the respondent groups includes the following: West Asian countries—Arab, Persian and Afghan, Iran, Iraq (53%); South Asian countries—Indian, Pakistani, Bengali, Sri Lanka (37%).

Figure 2. Ethno-Cultural Origin of Respondents

Arabic is the most common language spoken by the respondents followed by Dari, Urdu and Pashto and Tamil languages.

Forty-three percent of the respondents were permanent residents while 22% were refugees. The rest were citizens (13%) and International students and temporary residents (10%). About 12% did not answer the question on immigration status.

Survey Interview Findings

The survey findings demonstrates a great deal of similarities with the findings of the Phase 1 research in terms of identification of the five most important support needed by newcomers in the early stages of settlement. However, respondents (87%) of the extension phase survey identified support in obtaining housing as the most priority need of newcomers. The other support needs identified were in terms of education (72%), employment support (71%), health (68%) and language training (60%).

Respondents also identified the following needs of newcomers:

- 50% of respondents felt that there is need for support in navigating unfamiliar transit system. - 39% expressed concerns with support with immigration issues for their families and themselves. - 37% identified a need for support around accreditation and training. - 26% indicated a need for some support in dealing with banking and financial institutions.

As stated in the DVLIP Phase 1 research report, many of the support needs identified by the respondents were vital to social inclusion, adaptation and successful integration of newcomers.

Informal and Formal Supports

Ninety-two percent of the respondents indicated that newcomers receive information from informal sources such as friends, family, neighbours and faith groups. Over 70% of them relied on any type of formal assistance from government offices, settlement agencies and employment organizations.

Reasons for Selecting a Service

55% of respondents indicated that the common reason why they would select a service is because it is the only service they knew about. 46% of respondents felt that they would select a service if it is recommended by their friends while 34% claimed that they will choose services that were nearby. 27% concerned about language-specific services while 15% felt that cultural fit is a big consideration in choosing services.

Community Agencies Providing Help for Newcomers

53% claimed that community agencies don’t provide services to newcomers when they first arrive in Canada. The respondents were asked to give their additional comments why and 50% of them claimed that they are not aware of any community agencies in their area.

The respondents claimed that faith-based organizations, friends, family, neighbours and ethno- specific organizations are providing help and information to newcomers.

Accessed to Settlement Workers

42% indicated having accessed settlement workers but 1/4 (30%) of them were not able to get the help that they needed; 57% did not access settlement workers and indicated that they preferred to seek help from friends, families and neighbours. The reason why they did not access settlement workers is that they don’t know of a community-based worker who provides settlement services.

Accessing Services outside their Areas

54% of the respondents claimed that people they know don`t travel outside of their area to meet their needs. They felt that the reason is because of accessibility to transportation. However, 24% indicated that some are travelling outside area to get services such as seeing a doctor/specialists; attending ESL or LINC classes or going to adult learning schools; accessing employment-related programs such as employment counselling, job search workshops, etc. 33

Referrals

28% of respondents claimed that they did not get referral from anybody while 13% indicated that they got referral from their friends, classmates and family members to access programs, services and opportunities. About 13% stated that they were referred by ethno-specific organizations, school settlement workers, social workers and case workers, settlement agencies, CIC, etc. 18% of respondents claimed that it is not easy for them to access services and programs because of the following reasons: transportation issue, navigating unfamiliar transit systems, long process of waiting for appointment with settlement workers, without immigration status and no nearby services available.

Interpretation and Translation Services

34% of respondents indicated that there are no interpretation and translation services available for them when they needed it. 30% claimed that sometimes they can get translation and interpretation service. 24% claimed that they were able to access interpretation services when they needed it. Majority of the respondents who can’t access interpretation services relied on the help from their friends, family members and church members. They have identified three important areas where interpretation and translation services are much needed: Doctor’s office, banks and lawyer’s office.

Respondents have identified barriers that people faced when finding employment. 74% of them indicated that Canadian experience is a major barrier followed by lack of networking and connection with 68%. 60% of respondents claimed that language is a main barrier while 35% indicated that lack of training could also be a major concern; 27% of respondents felt that lack of access to child care could also be problematic for newcomers while 25% of respondents indicated that lack of access to accreditation as a major issue. The following were identified as practical help that newcomers need: skills training, volunteer jobs related to their field, education, language improvement and networking and connection.

Suggestions for Improvements

1. Increase accessibility of programs, services (housing, health care, child care, dental care, mental health, transportation, translation and interpretation, education and training) and information (TTC, banking, apartment rental, financial institutions, Canadian legal system, )

- Settlement services should be made available in each local community - Workshops and information sessions to be offered in different languages

2. Increase access to labour market - Connect to employment services/employers - Help coordinate the certification and accreditation application process - Support newcomers to form social networks and access mentoring programs (professional ethnic associations, etc.)

3. Improve outreach strategies - Outreach materials should be translated in different languages - Advertise on TV and newspapers

4. Enhanced Language Training for newcomers - Offer more Occupation-specific language training

OTHER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

EMPLOYERS

As indicated in the DV LIP Phase 1, one of the most common suggestions from newcomers is to improve employment by enhancing employment opportunities for them through the involvement and participation of employers. A breakfast session with local employers is being organized to brainstorm with them and explore possible collaboration.

TABIA and BIA

The DV LIP team also met with the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Area (TABIA) to provide information about the project and discuss possible collaboration. TABIA is a non- profit umbrella organization representing the City of Toronto`s 64 Business Improvement Area and therefore suggested that it is more strategic for the LIPs to directly contact the local BIAs. TABIA will send endorsement email to all BIAs to give them background information about LIPs and encourage them to collaborate. LIP Information package will be provided to TABIA.

Prior to the meeting with TABIA, the DVLIP Project Team attempted to contact the following BIA offices: Danforth Mosaic, Danforth Village, Wexford Heights and Pape Village. There was no BIA located in the catchment area of DVLIP project. It was very challenging to engage Danforth Mosaic and Danforth Village. The project staff requested to meet with Wexford Heights BIA and DV LIP project-materials have been sent to the coordinator. The Pape BIA Coordinator agreed to put the website link of the Don Valley LIP project on their website.

TORONTO BOARD OF TRADE

DVLIP participated in a Toronto Board of Trade networking event held at the Royal Ontario Museum on the 18th of January 2011. The LIP was there in a research capacity, reaching out to employers. It was also an opportunity to put general information about the LIPs on the table. Employer leads from the networking event who expressed a desire to work with the DVLIP were added to the database.

DON VALLEY INFORMATION PACKAGE

We have revised and updated the Don Valley LIP flyer and developed a snapshot of the project background. We also designed and ordered DVLIP folders. We are also planning to print and include a catchment area map in the package.

COLLECTION OF EMPLOYMENT-RELATED STATISTICS & EMPLOYERS PROFILE

We were able to obtain data from the City of Toronto Planning Division on the Business Establishment and Employment Distribution by Six Sectors of five neighbourhoods: Victoria Village, Thorncliffe Park, Flemingdon Park, Parkwoods-Donalda and O’Connor Parkview.

We were not successful in obtaining employer`s profile in the neighbourhoods but were able to get a copy of the 2008 Toronto Business Directory which will be shared with the Council members.

TIEDI PROJECT YORK UNIVERSITY

DVLIP project staff worked with the Toronto Immigrant Employment Data Initiative (TIEDI) based out of York University to update its statistical data and pass on some analysis on various aspects of immigrant labor market integration to Council members. The goal for passing this information and/or using it in our monthly newsletter is to help organizations access the quantitative data they need in order to: identify priorities, develop programs and services, compose proposals and reports, and carrying out advocacy and public education endeavours. DVLIP is committed to this partnership and will facilitate the information flow for data between TIEDI and DVLIP member agencies on as-needed basis.

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

The first issue of the Don Valley LIP Newsletter came out in January 2011. The idea of having a newsletter is to keep the Council members informed about project updates as well as various community events and activities of member agencies and to share other relevant information.

REENGAGING INACTIVE COUNCIL MEETING MEMBERS

DVLIP staff attempted to reconnect with inactive council meeting attendees and members by sending updates about the project and encouraging them to attend and support the project by attending council meetings.

TORONTO NEWCOMER INITIATIVE AND OTHER REGIONAL INITIATIVES

DVLIP continues to work with other LIPs in the Toronto area. In addition, the project works in close collaboration with the Toronto Newcomer Initiative to address some of the wider systemic issues. DVLIP has also participated in the activities of the Welcoming Communities Initiative. The following activity times may change but this reflects the general work plan and activities of the Toronto Newcomer Initiative. The City-wide LIP has 17 Neighbourhood based Councils (of which DVLIP is one), each developing local strategies. The City-Wide table was constituted to delineate City-Wide strategy and to assist the City of Toronto in developing a “newcomer lens” to City services.

City-Wide LIP: Current Work Plan

Date Activity

September 2010 Finalize (interim) Terms of Reference and work plan

October 2010 Discuss local findings –Issues, trends and opportunities for collaboration/coordination

November 2010 Discuss possible recommendations for CWLIP table activities based on trends

(Follow up discussion of trends)

December 2010 Develop CWLIP Strategy

January2011 Develop CWLIP Strategy

February 2011 Draft report

March 2011 Submit report

Other Considerations: City-Wide and Local LIPs

Coordination

Need for city-wide coordination/sharing of best practices

Differential capacities to develop local strategies and/or engage multiple stakeholders

Governance

Small agencies getting lost

Trusteeship of councils are not systemized

Coverage

Address lack of geographic coverage in some areas –developing full City of Toronto coverage

Custom vs. Standard

Best practices shared among LIPs

Responding to local needs with creativity and innovation

Stakeholder Engagement

Connecting City Divisions to LIP activities

Engaging identified stakeholders

BEST PRACTICES AND STRATEGIES FOR ENGAGING EMPLOYERS

We drafted a list of best practices and strategies for engaging employers. We have also included in the list the apprenticeship and other skills and development training for newcomers. These Best Practices already exist in the community and can be shared for wider reach or adapted by individual agencies to their needs. It is proposed that the Best Practices be integrated into the Implementation Plan through the Service Development Working Group or the Employment Task Force.

ACCES Speed Mentoring. The ACESS Speed Mentoring is a technique developed to introduce Internationally Trained clients to employers who are seeking talents and skills of people. This would offer immigrants with an opportunity to meet and network in their fields that provide them with sector-specific and occupation-specific information and advice. Mentees will have an opportunity to gain access to prospective employers and acquire expert insight and make important industry connection while mentors will experience the high level of qualifications and professionalism that new Canadians have to offer. 38

A number of the focus group participants from the North-end area accessing services from ACCES. The DV LIP project team is arranging a meeting with ACCES staff to discuss possible partnership opportunities. The project team may suggest that ACCES should organize a Speed Mentoring event in the Don Valley area where Don Valley newcomer’s residents can connect and meet with employers operating in Don Valley.

City of Toronto Employment and Social Services Partnership to Advance Youth Employment (PAYE). This is a joint initiative between private sector employers and the City of Toronto. A group of business leaders is working to increase access to economic opportunities for youth and connect employers that are hiring to a pool of talented young candidates. Last year, PAYE recruited youth from Flemingdon and Thorncliffe Park. Over 175 youth participated in workshops and one-on-one coaching. Activities included a custom Hospitality/Tourism Information Session and Service Excellence Training, two-full day Learning Forums, two interview events and five recruitment initiatives. 16 employers participated in learning and interview/hiring events.

The DV LIP team will help identify and invite private employers and local businesses in the Don Valley area to participate in this program. Information about the PAYE program would also be disseminated to all settlement and youth service providers in the Don Valley area.

TD Bank and TNO Partnership. Last December 2010 at 1 Leaside Park Drive, Unit 7, TNO and TD Bank offered an information session and resume critiquing and guidance for newcomers interested in entering or advancing their careers in the financial sector, particularly the banking sector. TD also prescreened and hired candidates who attended the session. This partnership was born through a community need – a number of our community members seek jobs in the financial sector, yet a number of them lack Canadian experience. The concept of a pre-screened pool of applicants that an employer can tap into is one that can be replicated with different industry sectors.

Skills for Change Career Transitions for International Medical Doctors (CT). The Career Transitions for International Medical Doctors program assists internationally trained doctors in making a transition into long-term alternative employment in the non-regulated health sector. The program is designed to include sector-specific employment preparation program, individual counseling and job development.

The Ontario Science Centre is willing to explore opportunities with DVLIP to recruit internationally trained professionals from various fields. Doctors were discussed as possibility as they are an important part of the off-site initiatives the centre runs such as exhibits related to the human anatomy. The opportunities are not exclusive to doctors; the OSC is open to

exploring other ideas such as to have engineers or other candidates who are willing to take a “build-your-own- roller- coaster” in the K'nex activities and will be expanding the kinds of sciences and endeavors that will be represented. For example, at Word On The Street, there may be an opportunity to add writers, at Caribana. Artists/ costume makers could also be used at Caribana festivals to expose them to the culture and range of opportunities in their field.

The Career Bridge program. This is an innovative paid internship program that responds to Canada`s labour market demand for internationally qualified professionals and to aspirations of qualified immigrants eager to work in the professional fields in Canada. It provides an opportunity for candidates to apply their skills and expertise in the Canadian workforce. Career Bridge internships are mid-level professional paid positions that last 4, 6, 9 or 12 months and are available in a broad spectrum of non-regulated business functions including finance, human resources, marketing, IT and engineering. The City of Toronto has been actively participating in the program. The DVLIP project team will coordinate with the City-LIP and find out how can the newcomers residents from Don Valley can participate and access this program.

The DV LIP staff will collaborate with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities with other educational institutions, private employers, organizations and agencies, etc. to explore opportunities and partnerships to pilot paid internships.

Settlement agencies are also expected to participate and provide newcomers with front desk and customer service training.

ACCES Employment Walk of Fame Celebration (Recognizing Employers Leading the Way) and the TRIEC’s Immigrant Success (IS) Awards. This is a way of recognizing employers and companies that is committed to better including immigrants in the workplace. It is proposed that the DVLIP Employment Task Force identifies and recommends private employers in the Don Valley area who demonstrate leadership and innovation in recruiting and retaining immigrants in the workplace.

ENGAGEMENT WITH INTER-FAITH ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS

Grassroots agencies and communities of faith have been identified as one of the missing pieces in the DVLIP discussions. To that end, the DVLIP project team has made steps towards reaching out to these groups. The Toronto Inter-Faith Council has been contacted. Phase 1 report pointed out the need to engage newcomers who go to informal agencies to access information related to their settlement needs. We have been requested by the Inter-faith Council Coordinator to subscribe in the inter-faith Unity newsletter and possibly promote the DVLIP 40

project in the newsletter. The DVLIP project team already requested to meet with the Coordinator and is awaiting a response.

Efforts have been made to arrange consultation meetings with grass-roots organizations (Rehma Community Centre, O’Connor Community Centre, ANC, Moms of O’Connor, Community Round tables, Thorncliffe Filipino-Canadian Seniors` Club, Afghan Seniors `Association, Thorncliffe Park Women`s Committee, etc.).

COMMUNITY EVENTS AND MEETINGS

Attended December 2- Live Green Toronto 1:30-3:00 p.m. Attended Launching of Victoria Village Hub- December 16, 2010 1-3 p.m. Attended Inter-LIP Strategic Meeting –December 16, 2010 3:00-5:00 p.m. December 10- AYCE Employment Service Meeting with the Victoria Village hub outreach worker • The DVLIP project team met with the outreach worker of the Victoria Village hub. The outreach worker shared information about the partner organizations and gave a tour of the hub. Meeting with TNO Settlement Worker who works with newcomers at Victoria Park Public School Attended various network meetings (Seniors Services Network, Youth Services Network, North-end Area Service Providers Network, O’Connor Partners Network) Inter-LIP meeting and City-LIP Meetings Meeting with Toronto Employment and Social Services office at Golden Mile office, Ontario Science Centre, Skills for Change, Job Developers` Meeting TNO Internship Program Committee Meeting

SETTLEMENT STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

THE SETTLEMENT STRATEGY PROPOSED IN PHASE 1 IS TO BE IMPLEMENTED AS IS WITH A FEW PROPOSED CHANGES THAT REFLECT THE NEW REALITIES OF THE DON VALLEY COMMUNITY SINCE THE PHASE 1 REPORT.

Developments since Phase 1

THE HUB AT EGLINTON STREET AND VICTORIA PARK AVENUE

The proposed settlement strategy has engagement, liaison and capacity building as one of the strategy elements. The Hub at Eglinton Street and Victoria Park Avenue, opened after the initial version of this proposal, is well situated to be an essential component to this strategy element. The Hub brings together a variety of programs from community development and settlement services, to programs for children and seniors, to crisis counseling and intervention. It is in a predominantly underserved part of the community and offers space for community gatherings and meetings. DVLIP views a strong partnership with the Hub as key to connecting newcomer residents in the Victoria Village and parts of the North-end to services.

SERVICE NETWORKS

While not new to the DVLIP area, the service networks in this area are key components of service delivery. Service networks are a unique feature of this community and have the potential to reach wider audiences and have greater impact than individual agencies. The Phase 1 report pointed to the continued need to build on these ongoing networks. The networks are however not mentioned in the implementation plan and in discussions with the LIP Council and members of various networks; the consensus was that these should be integrated into the strategy. This is partly due to the fact that the notion of "direct connect" is fading as access to services is less dependent on geographic boundaries than on the target population. Networks that work directly with youth and seniors for example can organize activities that cut across agency boundaries and reach more newcomers. The following networks operate in the DVLIP area • Flemingdon Inter-Agency Network • Seniors Service Network • North End Partners • O’Connor Community Partners • Early Years (0-6) Working Group • Youth Service Network

It is recommended that in the Settlement Strategy and Implementation Plan these networks are used as instruments for information sharing, pilot projects, community connections and information flow. While they will not constitute part of the governance structure of LIP, it is recommended that DVLIP facilitates an annual or bi-annual meeting of all the six networks to share information and resources. This meeting will also connect the network to the broader settlement sector. Effectively, linking the networks and the DVLIP will evolve over time, but a new level of engagement can enable service providers to optimally manage resources and is an essential component of the future sustainability of the LIP process beyond the funding period.

Based on analysis of all research and consultations, the DVLIP identified the following essential and interdependent components of a local settlement strategy:

THE 9 ELEMENTS OF THE STRATEGY

There follows a description of each of the elements, outlining: -

a. The Rationale for the identification of the element – how it links with the project research. b. Functions – the principal activity areas. c. Roles and resource requirements. 43

It is important to note that the following were identified as elements that must be considered and addressed in developing an effective, overarching strategy to improve settlement and integration outcomes. However, the viability of implementation of the model is contingent on a number of factors, the most crucial being availability of resources, some of which would be required to support the development of the infrastructure and systems of the LIP and others. The model outlines the elements and their primary functions. The action plan/implementation plan lays out a sequence of actions that, with the additional resources identified to support the process, would provide a viable pathway to positive impact on service access, service response and capacity across the formal, informal and mainstream sectors.

1. LOCAL IMMIGRATION PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL AS PRIMARY VEHICLE FOR COORDINATION, COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP

Rationale: - Research indicates necessity for and the successful development of the Council for the LIP initiative determines the viability of a local settlement strategy utilizing an inclusive, collaborative partnership structure. Functions: - • Connects all formal and informal service providers. • Provides structure for collaborative decision-making (ad hoc and standing committees) • Structured linkages with local formal and informal networks1, with mainstream services and systems and with regional settlement-related initiatives. • Inter-LIP/regional network linkages and reporting. Roles/Resource Requirements: - • Requires time, human resources and commitment to the model from partners. • Ongoing Management/Executive committee. • Working group participation.

2. HARMONIZED INTAKE, ASSESSMENT AND REFERRAL MECHANISMS

Rationale: - • Individuals face intake and assessment processes for each service they attempt to access.

1 These include City of Toronto priority neighbourhood networks (Neighbourhood Action Teams/Partnerships); local networks and coalitions (North-End Partners, Youth Vibes etc). 44

• Cross-system access dependent on each organization’s knowledge of and relationship with others. • There is unnecessary duplication in intake systems across related services – intrusive for clients and inefficient use of resources. Functions: - • Develop, implement, monitor and refine system ensuring seamless access across the system of service and supports for newcomers. • Develop and implement a shared intake and referral tool and infrastructure. • Support multiple, diverse access points and personalized, individual contact. • Extend harmonized system to mainstream services. • Inter-LIP linkages: Potential for regional systems development with local implementation linked to broader system.* Roles and Resource Requirements: - • Participating organizations required to share information systems and be prepared to modify and participate in new model. • Requires human resources and expertise for development of the model, of I.T. systems to support its operation and resources for sustainability. *

3. POPULATION, SERVICE AND ECONOMIC AND LABOUR MARKET MAPPING

Rationale: - • Coordinated system requires ongoing monitoring of demographic, settlement, labour market and related trends as well as a “live” service inventory of formal and informal services, networks and access points in order to maintain relevance of and linkages between services. Functions: - • Maintains local database of formal, informal and mainstream services. • Monitors relevant population, economic and related trends requiring system change. • Linkages with regional systems and planning bodies.* Roles/Resource Requirements: -

• LIP members share information about their organizations and data on their client populations/communities. • Resources to develop refine and input data while maintaining the service inventory and environmental profiles.

4. ENGAGEMENT, LIAISON AND CAPACITY-BUILDING WITH FORMAL AND INFORMAL NETWORKS WITHIN NEWCOMER AND IMMIGRANT POPULATIONS

Rationale: - • 59% of survey respondents and supporting research suggests that similar percentages of newcomers utilize formal/informal networks as their information source • Formal/informal networks have varying degrees of information about service system. • Timely access to relevant information and services could be substantially improved through collaboration and capacity-building with this relatively untapped and unsupported sector. Functions: - • Networking/engagement. • Open and maintain dialogue with access points to informal networks. • Capacity-building Roles and Resource Requirements: - • LIP partners participate in ongoing engagement strategy. • LIP partners commit to capacity-building support. • LIP partners contribute resources where possible to on-line, phone support to networks utilizing existing systems. • Potential for additional resources to build infrastructure.

5. LIAISON AND COLLABORATION WITH MAINSTREAM SERVICES AND INSTITUTIONS

Rationale: - • Research indicates major access barriers for newcomers to mainstream services • Settlement sector does not have the capacity to address need • Equitable access to generic, mainstream services is a measure of effective integration Functions: -

• Formalize linkages with mainstream services – health, mental health, education, employment, housing etc. • Training and joint initiatives with mainstream services.

• Identify and address services not accessible to newcomers with precarious status (OW, RGI, child care subsidies, Homes for the Aged, business licenses etc.).* Roles/Resource Requirements: - • LIP partners participate in planning, linking with mainstream services and offering training and other supports (e.g. settlement information, interpreting/translation). • May require resources for development, delivery and evaluation of pilot initiatives.

6. ADDRESSING SERVICE GAPS

Rationale: - • Service and demographic mapping, engagement and council process facilitates identification of service gaps. • Solutions more viable with breadth of LIP partnership. Functions: - • Collaborative programmatic responses within settlement service network • Linkages with mainstream systems • Language needs analysis/correction • Out of district collaboration for specific populations. • Council driven resource development for service delivery, capacity-building, research • Linkages with Inter-LIP and other regional initiatives to build system-wide strategies/solutions.* Roles and Resource Requirements: - • All LIP partners commit to collaborative solutions to service gaps. • Additional operational resources for new programs, for capacity-building

7. COMMUNICATIONS/DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS

Rationale: - • Addressing identified lack of access to relevant, comprehensive and timely information for newcomers and further into the settlement process. • Need for public and institutional education regarding exclusion and LIP as vehicle to address it.

Functions: - • Maintaining accurate, relevant print materials, distributed cross-sectorally to all relevant access points. • Development and maintenance of on-line multilingual information service • Information access for informal systems (print, on-line and potential for LIP phone- line).* • Participation in point of arrival information access (potential for Inter-LIP/regional initiative to locate settlement information/staff at appropriate locations).* Roles/ Resource Requirements: - • LIP partners participation in materials development (print and on-line); • LIP partners participation in development of point of arrival system (including potentially participating in staff rotation for phone-line and point of arrival locations). • Resources for regional point of arrival and related communications systems and materials.*

8. EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVES

Rationale: - • Access to appropriate employment was the single highest settlement challenge identified in survey, focus groups and through secondary research. • Issues present clear opportunity for LIP and inter-LIP action: – pre-arrival; employment specific language instruction; accreditation; receptivity; Canadian experience; child-care; internships and bridging etc.* Functions: - • Develop strategies to address language barriers – e.g. • Employment related language instruction. • Targeting programs to key language-barrier groups. • Building receptivity in relevant employment sectors. • Development of mentoring, internships and bridging programs. • Participation in inter-LIP and related regional employment strategies • Addressing pre-arrival issues • Accreditation

Roles/ Resource Requirements: -

• Partners participate in strategy development, collaborative service delivery initiatives where feasible. • Partners participate in working group as appointed. • Partner delegates participate in inter-LIP/regional initiatives.

9. LINKAGES WITH INTER-LIP AND OTHER REGIONAL INITIATIVES

Rationale: - • Many issues require local intervention to be linked to/part of regional strategies (e.g. pre-arrival settlement information and intervention; point of arrival information and intervention; accreditation, Canadian experience, service mapping/inventories, demographic info, labour market info etc.). • Pooling human and other resources for research, program and service development. Functions: - • Participate in inter-LIP and related regional initiatives: - • Data collection, analysis and distribution (service inventories, settlement related data – global displacement patterns, settlement patterns, mobility, labour market etc.) • Research and public education initiatives • Pre-arrival and point of arrival initiatives • Communication • Employment and labour market initiatives. • Feed information back to DVLIP. Roles/Resource Requirements: - • Commitment of LIP members to participate on an ad hoc basis with Inter- LIP/regional initiatives. • Inter-LIP will require significant resources for implementation of agreed priorities.

IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PLAN

Process for Establishing and Maintaining Collaborative Community Planning

This action/implementation work plan takes the elements of the strategy outlined above and groups them into specific activity clusters, to create a structure that is led by the continuation of the Don Valley Local Immigration Partnership Council and supported for an initial 1 year period by 3 working groups. This structure allows for maximum collaboration and efficiencies in implementation. It should be noted that while there are elements that can be implemented within the existing resource base of the partners, there are others (information systems for example) that would require considerable additional resources, both “start up” and ongoing operational resources to support the model, and resources to address service gaps. Overall the system would require at least 1 staff position dedicated to supporting the Council operations and at least Community Engagement Coordinator/Community Engagement Worker to support the Working Groups and the community networks. The Council would be responsible for resource development and sustainability. The structure is as follows: -

Figure 1: DVLIP Partnership Council Structure

Working Groups/Task Force

The Council comprises the first of the 9 elements of the strategy. The remaining 8 are clustered to form the three working groups: -

The three working groups and the employment task force would report to the Council, and would develop work plans (initially for 1 year with quarterly targets). The Employment Task Force would work over the first year to support the Service Development Working Group in exploring further various employment related initiatives as identified as a priority in the research. The Council would meet on a quarterly basis, with an appointed Executive Committee (similar to the Project Management Committee that supported the development of the strategy) to meet monthly with executive authority as mandated in the revised terms of reference referred to below.

The focus of each working group is listed below and a comprehensive action plan for each group follows.

SYSTEM ACCESS

• Harmonized intake, assessment and referral system development. • “No Wrong Door” access model. • Point of arrival strategy.

ENGAGEMENT

• Settlement services • Formal/informal networks • Mainstream Services • Communications systems (on-line, phone, print etc.)

SERVICE DEVELOPMENT

• Data collection systems (service inventory, demographic, labour market etc. local and linked to regional). • Program development

Action Plan for Council and Work Groups

Action plan activities have been listed by Task, Activity, Role, Resource and Timeline.

NOTE: - *represents where additional resources are required for implementation of the plan

A.COUNCIL DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATIONS

TASK ACTIVITIES ROLES RESOURCES TIMELINE Governance structure - Review MoU - Full Council: - Partner staff Months 1-4 - Review/revise ToR - Executive time - Strike committees Operating Plan - Develop Logic Model - Designated - Partner staff Months 1-4 partners time Operationalized Work - Work Group Terms of Ref. - Committees - Partner staff Months 1-4 Groups - Committee Work plans time Full Council - Review membership/ develop and - Full Council - Partner staff Months 1-4 Membership implement inclusion expansion - Engagement time strategy Working Group Sustainability - Identify resource requirements - Full Council - Partner staff Months 1-4 Planning short, mid and long-term time - Develop strategy Evaluation plan - Research partner identified - Executive - Partner staff Months 1-4 - Build measures - Research time Partner - Consultant*

B. SYSTEM ACCESS WORK GROUP (INTEGRATION/HARMONIZATION OF SERVICES)

TASK ACTIVITIES ROLES RESOURCES TIMELINE Terms of Reference - List mandate, functions, - Initial - Partner Months 1-3 membership, process committee Staff/student membership time Development of - Review and input all partners’ - Led by work - Partner staff Months 1-4 harmonized intake, systems (intake, assessment, group time assessment and referral) members - Student referral model - Dedicated staff position* - Consultant* - Research partnership - Inter-LIP liaison re system design/ - Work group or - Work group Months 1-4 - Implementation Council rep member - Identification of minimum necessary - Led by work - Partner staff Months 5-12 data to satisfy cross-system group time referral/intake members with - Student research/ - Dedicated staff - consulting position* support - Consultant* - Research partnership

TASK ACTIVITIES ROLES RESOURCES TIMELINE - Identify and link with mainstream - As above - As above Months 5-12 referral sources/ destinations - System design (tools, info systems - As above - As above Months 5-18 etc.) - Implementation - All LIP - As above Months 12-24 participants No Wrong Door access - Liaison with engagement working - 2 work groups - Partner staff Months 1-6 model group re engagement / information time systems/ communications - Work plan development – - As above - As above Months 1-4 (information systems, communications, systems for point of access liaison - Interim strategy design – - As above - As above Months 5-8 communication systems re service - Council - I.T. support infrastructure (phone-line/on-line (partner or etc) consulting)* - Implement interim strategy - Work group - Partner staff Months 9-18 time - Consulting - Work plan for year 2 - Work group - Partner staff Months 9-12 - Council time Point of arrival - Work plan development - Work group - Partner staff Months 1-4 strategy time - Inter-LIP liaison - Work group or - Partner time Months 1-4 Council - Dedicated staff designate position* - LIP-specific data collection - Work group - Partner staff Months 1-4 time - Dedicated staff position* - Identification of priority locations - Work group - Partner staff Months 1-8 for distribution - Dedicated time staff position* - Dedicated staff position* - Materials development and - Work group - Partners Months 5-8 production - Dedicated - Dedicated staff staff position* position* - Design/printing costs* - Interim distribution/ - Work group - Partners Months 5-12 communications plan and - Dedicated - Dedicated staff implementation staff position* position*

C. ENGAGEMENT WORK GROUP

TASK ACTIVITIES ROLES RESOURCES TIMELINE Terms of Reference - List mandate, functions, - Initial committee - Partner staff Months 1-4 membership, process membership time Work Plan - Develop work plan – tasks, - Work group develops - Partner staff Months 1-4 timelines, and resource - Reviewed by Council time requirements. Linkages with - Liaison with service - Designates from the - Partner staff Months 1-4 formal/informal development work group re two work groups time networks access to and development of service inventory - Survey service network to - Work group designs - Partner staff Months 5-8 identify all known access points - Designate from work time to formal and informal group and/or - Dedicated networks (faith communities, dedicated staff* staff position* community leaders, gathering places, events etc. - Engagement strategy (task - All partners - Partner staff Months 5-12 allocation) with - Dedicated staff* time formal/informal networks - Dedicated staff position* Linkages with - Identify all mainstream services - Work group - Partner staff Months 1-4 mainstream services relevant to catchment area - Dedicated staff* time (within and external to LIP - Dedicated boundaries) staff position - Develop and administer survey - Work group - Partner staff Months 5-8 to identify current access and - Dedicated staff* time barriers to LIP residents - Dedicated staff position* - Summarize findings and report - Work group - Partner staff Months 9-12 to council to determine - Dedicated staff* time priorities and strategy to build - Dedicated capacity of mainstream staff position* services Communications - Develop strategy for effective, - Work group - Partner staff Months 9-12 systems sustainable communications - Dedicated staff* time - Dedicated staff position*

D. SERVICE DEVELOPMENT WORK GROUP

TASK ACTIVITIES ROLES RESOURCES TIMELINE Terms of Reference - List mandate, functions, - Initial committee - Staff/ Months 1-4 membership, process membership volunteer time Work Plan - Develop work plan – tasks, - Work group - Partner staff Months 1-4 timelines, and resource develops time requirements. - Reviewed by Council Data collection - Define priority data streams and - Work group - Partner staff Months 1-4 systems sources (service inventory, time demographic, labour market - Dedicated etc.) staff* - Liaison with inter-LIP systems - Work group/ Council - Partner staff Months 1-4 development designate and/ or time dedicated staff* - Dedicated staff* - Determine sustainable system - Work group - Partner staff Months 5-8 requirements + resource needs - Dedicated staff* time - Dedicated staff* - Source funds for system - Work group - Partner staff Months 9-12 development - Dedicated staff* time - Dedicated staff* - Full implementation - Work group - Partner staff Contingent on - Dedicated staff* time resources* - Dedicated staff* Determine service - Review engagement findings - Work group - Partner staff Months 1-4 needs - Dedicated staff* time - Dedicated staff* - Review secondary data - Work group - Partner staff Months 1-4 (demographics etc.) - Dedicated staff* time - Dedicated staff* - Review Service Mapping - Work group - Partner staff Months 1-4 - Dedicated staff* time - Dedicated staff* - Analysis of all data to identify - Work group - Partner staff Months 1-4 capacity and service gaps - Dedicated staff* time - Dedicated staff* - Test with Council (and in - All Council members - Partner staff Months 5-8 communities through partners - Dedicated staff* time and formal/informal networks) - Dedicated staff* System adjustment/ - Strategy to address identified - Work group reports - All partners Months 12 - service responses needs (satellite services to to Council - Existing 24 address geographic issues, - Council determines partner collaboration re priorities resources linguistic/cultural gaps, resource - Partners implement through development for new with Council support collaboration/ 55

TASK ACTIVITIES ROLES RESOURCES TIMELINE programs/services etc.) capacity- building (staff, space, operating costs etc.) - Development and implementatio n costs for new programs (capital and operating – capacity- building and service delivery)* Capacity-building - Identify supports for partners - Work group - Partner staff - Months 1- and formal/informal networks - Council time 8 (interpreters, space, equipment, - Dedicated staff training, back-office services, time* etc) to address service gaps/access issues. - Implementation - All partners - Partner staff - Months 9- time 24 - Dedicated staff time* - Training, materials, equipment and other operating costs*

Local Immigration Partnership (Don Valley) WORK PLAN

Activities Components Schedule (by Deliverables Progress to Date Responsibility month & date) Community Engagement Working group Task: Link with formal and informal networks Outreach and Develop outreach Months 1-6 Information Resource Mapping Community build materials and package/ resource (need to be Engagement partnership information guide and updated) Work Group with formal package outreach Members and informal materials organizations Creation of Outreach and Community (grassroots subcommittee to engagement Engagement and faith- oversee the strategy Coordinator/Com based outreach initiatives List of faith-based munity Worker agencies) with grassroots & and grassroots faith-based organizations in organizations the community Regular meetings of subcommittee Progress/Status report on outreach initiatives Task: Linkages with mainstream services Liaise and Identify all Months 3-12 List of main Community collaborate mainstream contacts within Engagement with services relevant to agencies providing Work Group mainstream catchment area- mainstream Members service health, education, services providers and employment, Community city-wide housing Report on Engagement institutions Facilitate and collaboration Coordinator coordinate efforts dialogues between Regular meetings newcomers and mainstream providers and proposed strategies on how to address barriers and challenges newcomers faced in accessing mainstream services

Task: Link with local employers and private/sector, local and regional labour market, post- secondary institutions, assessment organizations, professional bodies, Inter-LIP and other regional initiatives Outreach and Organize breakfast Months 1-12 Mapping of local Breakfast session Community engage local meeting with local employers with local Engagement employers employers employers is being Coordinator/Com and Promote to the Updated organized munity Worker private/sector local employers statistical data on Community , local and the benefits of some analysis on Review existing Engagement regional hiring immigrants various aspects of local and regional Work Group initiatives and encourage immigrant labour initiatives on Members (TRIEC, TWIG, them to move market newcomers TIEDI, Toronto beyond the integration integration on the DVLIP Project Board of Canadian work labour market Coordinator and Trade), post- experience Regular meeting Community secondary requirement and Engagement institutions, develop human Coordinator/Com assessment resources planning munity Worker organizations that include and processes specific professional to the hiring of bodies newcomers Review existing research, public education, employment and labour market data Participate in ongoing communication of regional-related strategies Connect with ‘Employment Work Group‘ Task: Creation of Welcoming and Inclusive Communities and Promotion of Civic Engagement and Participation, Volunteerism, Multi-Culturalism and Diversity Increase Identify Months 1-12 Research and test Reviewing best Community capacity of opportunities and promising practices on Engagement settlement barriers for practice models welcoming Coordinator/Com agencies to effective for inclusive and communities munity Worker develop community welcoming Community innovative engagement communities Engagement ways for the Facilitate and model Work Group creation of coordinate the Community Members inclusive and conduct of Information welcoming community Committee DVLIP Project communities development and Community Coordinator and including leadership training Engagement Community promotion of for front line Framework Engagement 58

civic workers Conduct of Coordinator engagement Create a community and Community development and participation, Information leadership multi- Committee that training culturalism, will provide basic Newcomers diversity and information to representation in volunteerism enable newcomers the DVLIP council to become familiar ‘Civic talks‘ with the Regular meeting community & of the Committee Events/Heritage Information Committee Committee and Review promising Events/Heritage practices for a Committee more inclusive and welcoming communities Recruit and train volunteers Encourage newcomers to be involved in the DVLIP Council Encourage ‘civic talks‘ among newcomers System Access Working Group Task: Development of harmonized intake, assessment and referral model Review and Inventory of Months Harmonized intake Obtain copies of Community input all intake and 1-6 forms intake forms and Engagement partners’ assessment tools Needs Assessment needs assessment Coordinator/Co systems and referral Tools tools and referral mmunity (intake, models Inter-agency systems from Worker, LIP assessment, Development of (settlement, partners agencies Coordinator referral) harmonized mainstream, non- intake forms, formal) referral Identify and inter-agency system link with referral system, System design (tools, mainstream needs info systems, etc) referral assessment tools sources/ destinations Task: No Wrong Access Model Develop work Organize Months 1-6 Brainstorming Community plan brainstorming sessions and Engagement (information sessions on how to meetings Coordinator/Co and effectively Work plan mmunity communicatio implement the No Training Program Worker 59

ns systems) Wrong Access Report on LIP Coordinator Model capacity building Provide capacity Directive on the building, training, implementation support, of No Wrong mentoring and Access Model supervision to partner agencies particularly front line staff and volunteers Issue directive to partners regarding implementation of No Wrong Access Model Develop Hold consultation Months 3-12 Monitoring mechanism with members of mechanism for ongoing the work group in monitoring developing the monitoring mechanism Task: Point-of-arrival Strategy Identify Liaise with formal Months 2-6 List of priority Had a debriefing Community priority and informal locations and session with Engagement locations for agencies upon contacts and community Coordinator/Co distribution identification of existing outreach animators to mmunity and provide priority locations sites and places initially discuss and Worker equitable and priority identify prior access to all contacts locations materials Provide equitable written in access to resources various languages Develop and Resource and Multi-lingual Collect existing Community produce service mapping Months 3-12 outreach information Engagement multi-lingual Hire consultants materials materials being Coordinator/Co information to develop and Monitoring used by settlement mmunity materials and translate materials System works Worker user-friendly Develop system Updated Resource Resource Mapping quick how to monitor Guide User- & Service Inventory reference effectiveness of friendly Quick from LIP Phase 1 checklist and outreach materials Reference resource Checklist guide with up- to-date and relevant information Develop Implement Months 4-6 List of priority LIP Coordinator distribution/ communication contacts for communicatio and distribution distribution of 60

ns plan and plan communication implementatio Develop plan n monitoring system Monitoring how to measure system effectiveness of Report on the communication status of plan implementation Service Development Working Group Task: Coordinated and Integrated Approach to Service Delivery Enhance joint Develop a work Months 1-12 Work plan Contact with local Community service plan and a toolkit Framework to networks and Engagement delivery/joint Build on existing monitor delivery of regular DVLIP Coordinator/Co partnerships local networks services Council members mmunity among and enhance Report on joint Worker settlement partnership of service delivery and agencies, regular DVLIP joint partnership employment council members initiatives organizations, Replicate List of existing professional promising community-based bodies, post- practices on networks secondary service Toolkit for a institutions and coordination coordinated and professional (Flemingdon integrated ethnic Inter-agency approach to service associations to Network, etc.) delivery leverage Develop a link Protocol on on- capacity and between going pool expertise settlement communication workers and case with TESS case workers from workers Toronto Employment and Social Services Develop a framework how to monitor and evaluate delivery of services Provide professional development training for front line workers Provide capacity Identify resources Months 1-12 Report on capacity- Community building (interpreters, building initiative Engagement assistance and space, Coordinator/C support to equipment, ommunity partners and training,) to Worker formal and address service informal gaps networks 61

Task: Reducing and addressing barriers and challenges faced by Don Valley residents Develop a Review DVLIP Detailed work plan Draft Work plan Community detailed work research findings and strategies on Engagement plan on how Create sub- how to reduce Coordinator/C to reduce committee to work barriers and ommunity barriers on reducing address gaps Worker barriers and Regular meetings of challenges faced sub-committees by newcomers Barrier 1 Communication and language barriers of newcomers Provide Review of Months 3-12 Establishment of Collect and update capacity- promising interpretation and outreach materials building practices already translation to be translated support to being undertaken services in all partner to address partner agencies agencies in language barrier setting up Multi-lingual interpretation Translate outreach information and and materials in outreach translation different languages materials services in Hire consultants and translators to develop and translate materials

Provide Printed guides Months 3-12 Annual training LIP settlement distributed to all provided to staff Coordinator agency staff staff Community with improved Engagement training on Coordinator providing language access including accessing professional interpretation and translation services

Provide Train volunteers Months 3-6 Resource pool of Creation of flyer to Community support to on diversity and volunteer recruit volunteers Engagement partner cultural interpreters and Coordinator/C agencies to competence translators ommunity create a Worker volunteer Allocate resources interpreter for the training program and and transportation standing pools support for of translators volunteers 62

and interpreters Identify Members of Work Months 3-6 List of possible Community potential Group to funding agencies Engagement further brainstorm about Coordinator/C sources of the preparation of ommunity funding to the proposal Worker support provision of translation and interpretation services Build on Connect with Months 3-9 Inventory list of Community formal and universities within informal and Engagement informal the City of Toronto formal English Coordinator/C English whose expertise is classes for ommunity literacy Language newcomers Worker classes to Development Popular Education tailor-fit needs including Second Learning Materials of newcomers Language and see Promising how we can Practices on enhance English teaching English Learning with language to people who don’t newcomers have literacy in Monitoring their mother mechanism language Regular meetings Create inventory of language sub- list of informal and committee formal English literacy classes including promising practices on teaching English language to newcomers Review existing instruction materials for LINC/ESL

Develop attractive, creative an-user- friendly materials on how to improve English language skills Develop more creative and non-

structured English lessons (popular education) Review monitoring mechanism for LINC & ESL classes Develop monitoring mechanism for informal English classes Barrier 2:Lack of access to affordable and supportive housing Develop a Liaise with Months 1-6 Don Valley LIP strategy that community Community Coordinator provides engagement work Housing Strategy Community direction in group in engaging Engagement addressing FMTA, OLA, LTB, Regular meeting Coordinator/C housing issues etc. of the coalition ommunity and concerns (lack of Invite TCH Priority list of next Worker understanding representative to steps of newcomers join the DVLIP on the types Council Inventory of local of housing initiatives available, unavailability Roles and of affordable responsibilities of housing, etc) the members of Form coalition the coalition of various organizations such as Federation of Metro Tenants’ Association (FMTA), Ontario Landlord Associations (OLA) , Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), Ontario Metropolis Centre, CERIS, Toronto Community Housing (TCH) and other advocacy 64

groups to oversee the implementatio n of strategies Facilitate joint Distribute Months 3-9 Discussion Community discussions materials on sessions with Engagement with tenants, Tenants’ Rights tenants, landlords Coordinator/C landlords and and and service ommunity service Responsibilities providers Worker providers and provide List of landlords training to and property tenants about managers rights and responsibilitie s of tenants and to landlords about newcomers’ concerns and needs Barrier 3: Lack of access to settlement services and affordable transportation Contact Hold community Months 3-6 Community Working Toronto consultations with consultation Group transportation newcomers and meetings Community authorities facilitate dialogues Engagement and negotiate with TTC Coordinator/C if they can ommunity offer discounted Worker TTC pass for newcomers (similar to seniors and students pass) Establish Meet and develop Months 3-12 Community satellite strategies with Engagement settlement North-end Coordinator/C offices to partners and other ommunity underserved service providers Worker (North-end) in the community communities on addressing or have accessibility issues mobile Contact service settlement providers services bus (libraries, schools, etc) and negotiate for joint service delivery Convince all 65

funders to approve funding provision for transportation support for newcomers Barrier #4: Lack of awareness and knowledge to navigate the health system and access to health care including difficulty of depressed and isolated newcomers and non-status immigrants to find support and services for themselves Identify Do an inventory of Months 2-3 Inventory of Community additional existing services specialized Engagement psycho-social for newcomers services and Coordinator/C support for from war zones programs ommunity newcomers Connect with Worker and assist Canadian Centre them to for Victims of access Torture services

Identify and Hold dialogue with Months 2-10 Dialogue with Community promote the Ministry of health-related Engagement existing Health and Long- institutions Coordinator/Co community- term Care and the mmunity based health City of Public Inventory of Worker programs and Health and other existing LIP Coordinator services in DV health institutions community-based neighbourhoo to develop health care ds and intervention and services collaborate approaches to with address issues Develop community newcomers face in information health centres terms of accessing material -- (Doctor’s on health services “Where can I get call, (long waiting times health care if I Telehealth to health care, don’t have OHIP?” Ontario, etc.) difficulty finding and list of family doctors institutions especially doctors offering low that speak their dental cost language, etc.) Provide Organize mental Months 3-12 Mental Health Community capacity- health awareness Awareness Week Engagement building week Celebration Coordinator/Co support to Enhance Inventory of mmunity settlement partnership with existing services Worker agencies to CMHA and City of related to mental enhance their Public Health health knowledge Develop multi- Review existing base on lingual and cultural local initiatives mental health sensitive and outreach and in information strategies to identifying 66

issues and materials to increase concerns destigmatize newcomers` relating to mental health awareness on mental health issues mental health Advocate for an (TNO Mental affordable or free Health Worker dental services to will be going to the City of Toronto Marc Granue to Public Health celebrate Mental particularly for Health Awareness seniors and Week) newcomer families Inventory of Develop innovative existing initiatives outreach strategies or training how to increase available to awareness of settlement newcomers on workers (OCASI mental health Journey to Mental Health, etc.) Promote Educate and Inventory of other Community health and advocate for more organizations that Engagement wellness accessible provides Coordinator/C initiatives in recreation recreation ommunity DV by activities and programs in the Worker collaborating culturally community with Toronto appropriate sports Parks and activities Creation of Recreation (supporting cricket subcommittee and other sports program) informal Regular meetings organizations Increased to offer awareness of the affordable and health benefits of appropriate physical activity community sports and Meet with Toronto recreation Parks and programs that Recreation are attractive managers to all especially the young people Coordinate Make an inventory the provision of spaces and of access to facilities in the safe spaces community that and facilities are available for for physical physical and activity in the recreational school and the activities (TDSB community After School

Initiative, etc.) Barrier #5: Newcomers’ lack of awareness and access to information about education and soft-skills and skills based non formal training and lack of knowledge to navigate credential assessment and foreign recognition process, step-by-step OSAP application process, etc. Develop a Collect all existing List of List of employment LIP more print and non-print professional organizations and Community comprehensiv materials about bodies, post- settlement Engagement e approach in foreign credential secondary agencies Coordinator/C providing assessment and institutions, ommunity information recognition professional Worker about foreign process, OSAP ethnic credential application, soft associations assessment skills training List of innovative and offered by promising recognition settlement and practices for and providing employment Integrating social and life organizations, Internationally skills and assessment Trained health and agencies, etc. Individuals and wellness Organize more and Foreign information networking Credential activities among Recognition internationally (Canadian trained individuals Immigration and professional Integration ethnic associations Project managed Sensitize front line by the Association staff on the needs of Canadian of the newcomers Community through diversity Colleges, Ten training Principles to to improve foreign Advocate for the credential provision of pre- recognition arrival information processes, to newcomers initiatives by about credential Credentials assessment and Referral Office foreign recognition and MayTree including Foundation) competency skills requirements Connect with the Office of the Fairness Commissioner to obtain data about credential assessment Develop an Develop a strategy Months 2-6 List of existing Community extensive to ensure that skills-based Engagement 68

inventory of information can be training Coordinator/Co soft skills, disseminated to opportunities in mmunity skills-based newcomers the community Worker and employability enhancement training available in the community Encourage Provide capacity- Months 3-6 List of possible Community settlement building assistance grants Engagement agencies and to partner Coordinator/C employment agencies in Creation of sub- ommunity organization developing project committee Worker to provide proposals aim to employability, develop the broad Regular meetings skills-based range of skills and training on an knowledge of on-going basis newcomers and improve their employability skills Barrier #6: Lack of information (Canadian legal system, school culture, banking systems, Canadian laws and culture, cold weather ) Work and Organize Months 1-6 Inventory of Community collaborate information promising Engagement with sessions that aim practices in Coordinator/C settlement to improve access enhancing the ommunity agencies, of newcomers to delivery of public Worker settlement legal information legal education workers and resources and and information other agencies information in school to services, Creation of sub- develop Develop an committee culturally intensive sensitive orientation materials and program for visual aids to newcomers be used in the parents with the joint assistance of newcomer Ontario Early Years orientation Centre-, TDSB sessions that (Canadian school would include system, weather topics on information, Canadian financial literacy school system, sessions) how to dress on cold Build on existing weather, promising Canadian laws practices and 69

and culture, initiatives how to open a bank account, etc.

Collaborate Arrange field trips Months 6-12 Educational trips Community with cultural and tours Engagement institutions Coordinator/C and agencies ommunity (Royal Ontario Worker Museum, Art Gallery of Ontario, Casa Loma, Toronto Zoo, Black Creek Pioneer Village) to facilitate and determine free entrance pass to newcomers Barrier #7: Lack of access to basic needs such as clothing and food and support services such affordable childcare Do an Review research Months 1-6 Sharing on the LIP inventory of studies findings of the Coordinator research research studies Community studies on Engagement food and Coordinator/C clothing (profile of ommunity hunger in the Worker GTA by Daily Food Bank`s Who`s Hungry, Food Share- Food, Security, Women and Poverty, etc.)

Conduct Contact New Months 1-6 Consultation Community 70

community Circles and Daily meetings Engagement consultations Food Bank Coordinator/Co among List of agencies mmunity community that provides food Worker members and and clothing agencies on needs food and of residents of clothing some of the neighbourhoods in DV

Report on consultation meetings Employment

Establish an Develop Terms of Months 1-3 Terms of Inventory of Community Employment Reference Charter Reference for the employer service Engagement Working Identify Month 1-3 group of Service providers in place staff, Group employment Charter Small core group of Employment service providers Updated list of Employment Task Group within the DVLIP employment Ontario funded Council Months 1-12 service providers agencies already Link employment in the LIP area meeting but service providers 2 breakfast require support to employers in Months 1-3 meeting per year the region with employers Develop a protocol Months 1-12 A tracking of for sharing job ongoing LIP leads support for Implement the employment attached DV LIP initiatives in the Employment area Working Group Strategy

TheThe DV LIP Employment Working Group (LEWG) IntegrationIntegrationIntegration StrategyStrategy Logic ModelModelModel The strategy is to help integrate all Employment Ontario (EO) service providers and Toronto Employment & Social Services (TESS) service providers in the Don Valley Local Immigration Partnership Area in a collaborative partnership.

AREAS OF ACTIVITIES REQUIRED INPUTS / COMPONENTS RESPONSIBILITY INTEGRATION Sharing of information on programs, services, Info-sessions to be organized at each LEWG agencies resources & events LEWG service provider location

Create opportunities for front-line staff from Develop three-way communication DV LIP & respective each service provider in the LEWG to interface process between agency, managers agencies with each other and front-line staff. Present LEWG work plan & service information LIP to develop and implement theme DV LIP at LIP meetings for the larger group based LIP meetings that address

employment Create a shared Don Valley employment Program & service related LEWG agencies service directory to be used by all DV information from each LEWG agency ommunication ommunication

C Organize shared group training sessions on LEWG agencies to collaborate on the LEWG agencies employment resources for community initiative members Organize periodic joint planning meetings for Facilitation of joint meetings. DV LIP managers/EDs of LEWG agencies for the year Cost & resources for hosting shared 2011 to March 2012 meetings Organize shared specialized employer events LEWG agency resources & staff LEWG agencies LEWG agencies to allow for presentations by LEWG agency resources & staff LEWG agencies

other LEWG agencies on specialized programs for clients at Council meetings Develop client referral process for EO agencies Client referral protocol LEWG agencies & DV to refer clients to TESS and TESS agencies to LIP

refer clients to EO agencies LEWG to explore further service collaboration Facilitation of joint meetings. LEWG agencies & DV opportunities through future joint planning Cost & resources for hosting shared LIP

ervice Collaboration ervice sessions meetings S Sharing of staff resources for screening of LEWG agency resources & staff LEWG agencies clients for specialized services LIP to organize joint professional development Cost & resources for hosting shared DV LIP events in the year 2011-2012. joint professional development events LEWG agencies to share space and other LEWG Agency resources LEWG agencies possible agency infrastructure towards joint developmental activities uilding & uilding B evelopment evelopment

oint Capacity LEWG agencies to share appropriate program LEWG Agency resources LEWG agencies D J tools and resources to be adopted by others where relevant LIP to facilitate the joint planning meetings of Facilitation of joint meetings. DV LIP

the LEWG until March 2012 Cost & resources for hosting shared meetings

EWG LEWG to explore further requirements to Facilitation of joint meetings. LEWG agencies & DV L Project ustaining ustaining eyond LIP eyond

S sustain the LEWG collaboration through future Cost & resources for hosting shared LIP ollaboration ollaboration B

C joint planning sessions meetings 72

Sustainability Plan The LIP process is predicated on the understanding that the model would result in positive settlement and integration outcomes. These benefits span every sector and every level of government. Newcomers engaged rapidly with relevant effective linked networks, settlement and mainstream services would avoid the adverse social, economic and health outcomes of a fragmented, silo system. By committing existing human resources and expertise to the first phase of the model participating agencies and institutions have demonstrated the motivation and capacity to participate in collaborate planning. The implementation of the model would require an increased commitment from each partner. The development of new service models, information systems, engagement strategies, and linkages would not be achieved without each partner committing to internal organizational change. In addition, there is no way to avoid the necessity for considerable investment in the implementation of the strategy. Information systems for data collection, harmonizing intake and referral mechanisms in particular will require substantial initial investment in development for the first two years, and ongoing operational supports.

It is anticipated that inter-LIP research and collaborative initiatives would provide an efficient pooling of existing resources, and leverage to secure ongoing operational funding for those elements that will require additional resources. Over time, the reduction in duplication, the efficiencies of harmonized referral across all relevant services, should result in capacity for partners to direct additional resources to sustaining the model.

Conclusions and Recommendations for Implementation Implementation Phase 1 of the Local Immigration Partnership planning framework has been successful in bringing together various stakeholders who work with newcomers in the Don Valley area. The LIP process however has also created expectations for better service delivery and service coordination for newcomer services in the Don Valley area. It also comes on the heels of cuts in funding for some programs in the community that may affect the implementation of the proposed strategy. However, this has not affected the willingness of community partners to see the strategy through to implementation. In the last community briefing/LIP Council meeting, the participation levels and feedback on the interim report, together with the community consultations outlined above, led us to make the following recommendations:

RECOMMENDATION 1:

MAINTAIN LIP AS A VEHICLE FOR SERVICE COORDINATION, INFORMATION AND RESOURCE SHARING TO IMPROVE THE SETTLEMENT OUTCOMES FOR NEWCOMERS TO THE DON VALLEY AREA.

The LIP Council, as a model for service planning is unique in that it has dedicated resources and staffing that allow for flow information and project development in-between meetings. It also has the capacity to bring players together outside of regular meetings and identify opportunities for leveraging resources. To that end, we recommend the continued funding of the DVLIP as a process to keep settlement service providers and LIP partners engaged in creating sustainable solutions for newcomer integration and improving the settlement outcomes of newcomers.

RECOMMENDATION 2:

MAINTAIN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION.

In a debriefing session with community animators held 11th of February 2011, the feedback received was that because of the cultural and religious background of many newcomers in the community, having community animators would be indispensable to the implementation of the strategy. Many newcomers simply do not either have access to information on settlement and related services or have other barriers (language, transportation, childcare etc) identified in the research. Many others stay in immigrant enclaves with a history of not seeking help outside of their own community where they may get good information but most of the times get

misinformation or no information at all. Having a dedicated community engagement team and community animators is key not only to the success but also to the integrity of settlement strategies that are devised for the community to ensure there is ongoing community consultations on the efficacy of the strategies. Settlement strategies are organic and need to be responsive not only to changing demographics in the area but also the changing agency profile in the area. In addition, community animators help us reach where agencies normally would not be able to, right at the doorsteps of newcomers. Building trust and relationships with newcomers in this area takes time and knowledge of the culture. Community animators can filter this intelligence to service agencies while linking newcomers to services, creating a win- win scenario.

RECOMMENDATION 3:

LIP COUNCIL AND WORKING GROUPS PRIORITIZE SETTLEMENT ISSUES IN BROAD CONSULTATION.

The mandate of each LIP is to develop sustainable solutions to local settlement challenges. While there is a role in working with the Citywide LIP and sharing best-practices and intelligence with other LIPs, there will be a missed opportunity if the settlement strategies are not responsive to specific local needs. Issues are neighbourhood specific. An example of this is the challenge of access to food and clothing in the Don Valley area. Elsewhere in the report we reference the work being done by New Circles. While food and clothing may not be priority issues in other neighbourhoods, tentative evidence shows that there is a strong correlation between newcomer settlement success and access to affordable housing, food and clothing in the community. We recommend that DVLIP Working Groups prioritize working areas through a consultative process with all community stakeholders.

RECOMMENDATION 4:

GREATER LINKAGES BETWEEN ONTARIO WORKS AND SETTLEMENT AGENCIES:

LIP consultations with housing and settlement service providers point to a need to build ties between the LIP member agencies and Ontario Works (Social Services) to improve newcomer settlement outcomes. There are lost opportunities to help some immigrant groups like refugee claimants who may meet with Ontario Works soon after arrival but are not linked to community agencies. A protocol or ongoing communication with Ontario Works needs to be established to ensure that community agency staff is updated on any changes that may affect newcomers and

vice-versa, Ontario Works is conversant of newcomer groups in the community and where they can refer them for help.

RECOMMENDATION 5:

PROMOTE AND FUND BEST PRACTICES PILOT PROJECTS RELEVANT TO COMMUNITY NEEDS.

In talking to various agencies, there seems to be a lot of innovative programs that are geared towards improving the labour market outcomes for newcomers. With little support, these projects/programs can be promoted across the community using LIP Council and resources as a vehicle.

RECOMMENDATION 6:

HAVE A FLEXIBLE SETTLEMENT STRATEGY THAT IS RESPONSIVE TO THE CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE NEWCOMER POPULATION IN THE CATCHMENT AREA AND THE CHANGING NATURE OF SERVICE AGENCIES.

Find attached in the appendices proposed priority areas for the settlement strategy. In addition to continually revisiting the relevancy and nature of these needs, LIP Council needs to be continually vigilant to the changing nature of the newcomer service agencies. As outlined elsewhere in the report, there is a need to continually seek opportunities to work with the major networks that operate in the community. There is also a need to work with other partnerships in the community so as not to duplicate services. Some key partners include the Northend Partnership, Action for Neighbourhood Change and the new Hub at Victoria Park Avenue/Eglinton Street.

RECOMMENDATION 7:

ENGAGE NEWCOMERS THROUGH A VARIETY OF CHANNELS, INCLUDING PARTICIPATION IN DVLIP COUNCIL MEETINGS.

Ensuring continued participation of the clients we serve should be at the heart of service planning.