Provincial Government Updates

The Provincial Government has been busy with a number of announcements and initiatives that affect people with disabilities and social service agencies.

Innovation and Sustainability Roundtable:  This was a gathering of 45 representatives from agencies, government and unions that was tasked with developing strategies to assist the social services sector deal with the outcome of the collective bargaining process – a five year agreement to raise wages 11% – but very limited government funding available to respond to increasing demand for services.  How can services change the way we work in community to do more, to do better, without increased funding?
Three pilot projects proposed:
  • Strategic Human Resources Initiatives:
    • better information gathering on wages and benefits levels, particularly in the non-union sector where CSSEA does not currently collect data.
    • Explore benefits opportunities – pooled plans to control costs
    • Cross agency Recruitment and Retention
  • Contract Flexibility Pilot
    • Focus more on outcomes
    • Multi Year Contracts
    • Agreements on reinvesting efficiencies
  • Effective Community Tables
    • Pilot 2 or 3 Collective Impact Initiatives – for example: Transitioning Youth in Vancouver
      • Agencies, governments, community groups all commit to
  • Full Report Here: http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/service_providers/pdf/innovation_sustainability_roundtable_proceedings.pdf
White Paper on Accessibility for People with Disabilities – Six month process of community consultation – created a white paper released in May, and a 10 year Plan Accessibility 2024
Three key strategies:
  1. Consultation on options for a made-in-B.C. approach to accessibility legislation.
  2. Committing to address income-assistance issues raised in the disability consultation through policy reforms, including separating disability assistance from income assistance to recognize the requirement for longer-term financial support.
  3. Improving supports leading to increased employment opportunities.

Full report here:
http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/downloads/Accessibility_Summit.pdf

New CEO hired for Community Living BC

From a bulletin from Denise Turner, Board Chair of Community Living BC:

I am absolutely delighted to let you know that Seonag Macrae will join CLBC effective August 11 as Chief Executive Officer. We are thrilled to have Seonag join the CLBC team and I know you will join me in welcoming her as she transitions to the job this summer.

Seonag is a seasoned executive with extensive experience working in the Ontario and British Columbia human services sector. Her recent Ontario experience spans large academic hospitals such as the Hospital for Sick Children and a multi-service community agency, WoodGreen Community Services. Seonag is also the Vice-chair of the Board of Directors at Greater Toronto’s Surrey Place Center, a large provider of services to individuals with developmental disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Earlier, in British Columbia, Seonag worked for six years at the BC Children’s Hospital and almost 12 years at the BC Institute of Technology where she travelled the province extensively. She received her BSN from UBC and holds an MS (Nursing) from the University of Portland and an MBA from the University of Western Ontario, Richard Ivey School of Business.

With her return to British Columbia, Seonag brings a passion for helping vulnerable people realize their full potential and a particular skill of developing networks and partnerships as part of the process of building inclusive communities.

Seonag will help us continue to leverage the momentum created over the past few years by you, your colleagues, dedicated individuals, family members, volunteers, our valued service provider partners and a provincial government committed to ensuring the people we serve can live good lives in welcoming communities.

 

If you have any questions about these announcements, don’t hesitate to call me at 604-323-1433 x 109 or email me at ernie@spectrumsociety.org

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