The document summarizes a 2012 conference presented by Aimee Holmes and Andrew Reddin on improving coordination between settlement service providers and employment service providers to better address client needs. The conference aimed to examine how to increase knowledge sharing and referrals between the sectors, understand challenges, and provide an action plan. It discussed gaps found in a related research project and provided strategies, tools, and case studies to facilitate coordination, including developing common assessment approaches, creating referral agreements, and using information sharing platforms.

1. OCASI PD Conference 2012
Aimee Holmes and Andrew Reddin

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OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

3. To examine how to increase
knowledge and improve referrals
between settlement and
employment service providers to
address the holistic needs of
clients.
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

4. To better understand the challenges and
systemic issues that impact coordination
between sectors.
To leave with an action plan for your agency
to improve information-sharing and referrals
in the immediate and medium-term future.
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

5.  Client experience
 Staff experience
 Organizational standards
 Funder expectations
 Applicable across other sectors
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

6. 1. Challenges
2. Case studies
3. Strategies and best practices
4. Action plan
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

8.  Project managed by OCASI in 2010-2011
 Project funded by Ontario Ministry of Citizenship
and Immigration
 2-day training for settlement workers
 500+ workers trained across Ontario
 Self-directed online training currently available
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

9. OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

10.  Online survey
 Interviews
 Focus groups
 Literature review
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

11. Participation in survey:
 214 settlement workers
 111 employment workers
 Majority of respondents from
GTA and southwestern Ontario
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

12. Three Key Gaps:
 Information
 Employment Needs Assessment
 Referral & Coordination
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

13. SETTLEMENT WORKERS EMPLOYMENT WORKERS
Knowledge of Knowledge of
16 21
services services
Staying current 50 Staying current 56
Appropriate Appropriate
25 17
options options
Eligibility/ Eligibility/
61 25
Usefulness Usefulness
0 20 40 60 80 0 20 40 60
% of respondents who identified % of respondents who identified
these issues as challenges these issues as challenges
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

14.  Providing referrals particularly
difficult for specific groups:
 Francophone newcomers
 Refugees
 People with low literacy skills
 Internationally-trained professionals
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

15.  Lack of assessment tools
 Lack of consistency in how
assessments are conducted
within and between agencies
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

16. SETTLEMENT WORKERS EMPLOYMENT WORKERS
Unstructured Unstructured
79 69
conversation conversation
Structured Structured
24 60
interview interview
Questionnaire 10 Questionnaire 46
Other 16 Other 23
0 50 100 0 20 40 60 80
% of respondents who use this % of respondents who use this
method method
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

17. SETTLEMENT WORKERS EMPLOYMENT WORKERS
Developed by Developed by
12 32
funder funder
Adopted from Adopted from
8 11
other agency other agency
Developed in- Developed in-
79 67
house house
0 50 100 0 20 40 60 80
% of tools developed from each % of tools developed from each
source source
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

18.  Referrals not made
 Poor client feedback
 Lack of suitable referral options
 Boundaries of role – if no suitable
referral, some settlement workers are doing
employment counselling, job
development, etc.
 Referral process/experience is inefficient for
client
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

21. SETTLEMENT WORKERS EMPLOYMENT WORKERS
Formal meetings 34 Formal meetings 35
Newsletters 44 Newsletters 40
Informal networks 56 Informal networks 65
Internal meetings 58 Internal meetings 51
PD/workshops 59 PD/workshops 53
0 20 40 60 80 0 20 40 60 80
% of respondents who use this % of respondents who use this
method method
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

22.  Information-Sharing Activities:
 1 staff member responsible to periodically
scan local resources and bring information
back to all
 Brown-bag / Lunch & Learn series
 Mailing lists, newsletters, discussion boards
 Service provider fair
 Inter-agency referral committee
 Employment networking group
 Twitter
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

23. @nychonline
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

24. #CdnImm Event
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

25.  Online databases:
 211Ontario.ca
 Employment Ontario Search
 Settlement.Org – Services Near Me
 Settlement AtWork Wiki
 LIP websites
 Municipal portals
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

26. Settlement AtWork Wiki
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

27. LIP Services Database
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

28. Municipal Portal
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

29.  Common assessment approach
 Templates available on Settlement
AtWork wiki:
 Basic Employment Needs Assessment
 I&R Intake Form
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

30.  Co-location
 Formalized referral agreements
 Warm referrals
 Managing clients’ expectations
 Follow up
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

31.  Coordination can be:
 Within a specific service sector
(Example: among agencies providing employment services)
 Between two or more service sectors
(Example: between addiction services and housing services)
 Around a particular service program
(Example: around an after-school program)
 Around a particular social issue
(Example: around poverty)
 Around services for a specific client group
(Example: around services and programs for youth)
 Among organizational functions
(Example: around client referral, service delivery, marketing, etc.)
Source: Toronto South LIP, 2012
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

32.  Education
 Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS)
 Library Settlement Partnership
 Housing
 Fred Victor Centre
 Mental health
 Hong Fook Mental Health Association
 Accessibility
 Ethno-Racial Peoples with Disabilities Coalition of Ontario
 LGBTQ-positive services
 The 519 Church Street Community Centre
 Positive Spaces Initiative
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin

34.  What are 2-3 concrete steps that you and your front-line
team can take to improve coordination of settlement and
employment services for your clients in the next 3
months? In the next year?
 What are 2-3 strategic directions that you would
recommend that your agency take to bridge settlement
and employment services in the next 6 months? In the
next 1-2 years?
 What are 2-3 changes in the sector that you would like see
happen in the design and delivery of settlement and
employment services? How might you and your agency
advocate for and support these changes?
OCASI PD Conference 2012 - A. Holmes & A. Reddin