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#CdnImm #7 - Information & Referral (I&R) in Settlement Services
Introduction - Douglas Bastien, OCASI - Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants
● Reviewed past topics, emphasized range of topics
● Importance of linking with other people and learning more together
● Topics come from the sector
● Opportunity to share printed information materials (resource table)
Announcement
● Upcoming stakeholder roundtables at Toronto Public Library
First Speaker - Faed Hendry, Manager, Training and Outreach (CIRS)
Findhelp Information Services / Services d'information Findhelp
Introduction
● #CdnImm events a great opportunity to learn, share, network
● Third event attended by Faed
● Different lenses to look at I&R (e.g. settlement, systemic perspective)
Objectives
● A look at current trends, developments and challenges in I&R
○ Sometimes current practices are the challenges.
Assumptions & Assertions about I&R
● Critical part of settlement work (interwound, component of job)
● CIC Modernized Approach to settlement services: all areas/outcomes relate to I&R
Current Practices
● Additional channels for access
● We have gone from rotary phone, rolodex, cheat sheets, etc. to social media
● How people access information is radically changing
● Challenge for sector: use technology effectively to benefit our clients
Examples of current practices
● OCASI and Ontario 211 Twitter feeds
● Facebook pages as useful tool to get timely and important information out, e.g.
“Goderich Ontario Tornado Victims and Support”
● Social media allow for reaching broader audience more quickly
● Mobile App: search, save, view resources
● Online chat with settlement worker at YMCA of Hamilton/Burlington/Brantford
● Settlement kiosks
● York Region Welcome Centres have outreach van with scheduled stops
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In sum
● Additional access channels provide more choice.
● Main role of technology is to enhance or strengthen human contact, not replace or
duplicate existing role of settlement worker
Standards for Professional I&R (since 1973)
● Establish reference points for practices within the field (standards have 6 areas - some
apply more or less to settlement work)
● Constantly being updated as technology, situation changes
● AIRS currently being updated, particularly around use of social media
AIRS Certification
● Settlement and other I&R specialists
● Ontario has high proportion of AIRS certified people (more than any place in North
America)
● Transition to Computer-Based Testing in 2013
● Showed certification exam composition
211 Ontario
● 7 providers in the province (free, confidential, multilingual information on social services,
government, community organizations)
Changes - How We Learn
● New tools, resources online, e.g. OCASI Learn At Work (free webinars, engaging, selfdirected)
Challenges
● Change in itself
● How do we measure the quality of our I&R service delivery?
● Common (and not so common) metrics:
○ Highlighted ones (Faed thinks are important):
■Client satisfaction
■Cost per call
■Occupancy rate (business of the service)
■Aggregate performance
■First call resolution
Service Quality Measurement (SQM)
● Consulting company that assists call centres
● Challenges of SQM:
○ Mandated by funder (difficult, because people don’t like to answer and staff don’t
like to ask)
○ SFS - Survey Fatigue Syndrome
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Measures client service satisfaction not outcomes (important not to confuse the
two)
It’s not what our clients can do for us...but what we can do for them
Follow-Up
● Primary purpose should be to see if clients needs are being met, i.e. meet needs of
clent, not organization
Data & Information Management
● Huge challenge; lots of work behind the scenes to keep information updated
● OCASI Sectoral Database Study 2004 - fragmentation, inefficiency, hope
○ Findings still more or less true today
Developing Partnerships
● Another challenge
● August 2012 #CdnImm event was on this topic
● Calls for partnerships nowadays in settlement sectors (require mutual trust, respect - can
be difficult, unequal between agencies)
● Agencies encouraged to partner, yet encouraged to compete
● Reasons/benefits:
○ Organizations bring different skills
Conclusion
● Period of rapid change in I&R
● People want information now - elevated expectations
Second Speaker - Andrew Chung, Lead, Innovation Projects
Skills for Change (SFC)
Introduction
● SFC follows FindHelp’s standards - Faed provided good intro, foundation
● Opened in 1982
● 5 service locations (6 locations total)
● Direction: staying relevant and practical by using technology...
I&R is everything we do (internal and external)
● All things lead to employment
I&R Partnerships
● Housing access and support services (Fred Victor Centre, LEF)
● Settlement services (CCLCS)
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Licensing and regulatory bodies (CGAO, CMA, Mothercraft, Multilingual Language
Support...)
I&R Streamlining
● Avoid sending a client repeatedly from one place to another
● Employment, settlement, language (all in one place rather than sending person out and
about)
Social Tech + Internal Capacity
● Social media (FB, Twitter - feed on front page specifically with type of info clients looking
for, LinkedIn, Tumblr)
● Social tech
○ Salesforce, Box.com
○ Eventbrite - course schedule, registration online - instead of printed calendar
○ Google Hangout - testing it out currently, e.g. clients who don’t have childcare
○ Google Apps
● Interactive lobbies (experience-oriented client service and tracking)
○ ”like Apple store”
● Innovative social technologies make organization function as more cohesive unit by
dismantling silos between departments
○ Leads to greater efficiency and effectiveness in delivery of excellent services
● Approach of SFC: go where the clients are, not expect them to come to us
I&R: The Near Future
● Interactive lobbies
● Innovation office; working outside social services paradigm
● Gender-based analysis:
○ Examining systemic barriers immigrant women encountering when trying to
access SFC services and I&R
● Cloud-based tech strategy for a mobile workforce (access all info in one place)
● Research: smartphone usage, use apps...
● Online presence (monitoring website traffic, Twitter “Klout”, FB, LinkedIn)
● Tents vs. Palace
○ Value of being nimble, responsive in times of change (i.e. going out and about in
community)
Third Speaker - Karine Shynkarenko, Team Leader, Newcomer Information Centre
YMCA of Greater Toronto
I&R Practices and Challenges - Introduction
● Presentation aimed at people (frontline workers) working face-to-face with clients
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Still many people who don’t know much about computers, i.e. be careful about moving
too much online
Understanding of Newcomer Profile
● Permanent immigration class vs. temporary visa status
● Important to know in order to provide correct information
● Importance of how we greet, treat clients (respect)
● When immigration status changes, services available change
Importance of I&R Process
● Needs assessment: settlement, health, education, legal, housing, employment/shortand long-term goals, among others
● Make eye contact; avoid just ticking off the list without looking at the person
● Make sure people know/understand rights
● Services: consider accessibility, sensitivity
○ Language
○ Age
○ Cultural sensitivity
○ School environment for children
○ Weather
○ Connection
○ Holidays
○ Food, etc.
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Assess amount of assistance clients need in order to provide more or less assistance as
appropriate
Make sure information provided is up to date
○ Consider not only location but also language, accessibility...
Consider conflicts in other countries - how people might feel interacting with each other
(e.g. client and counsellor)
○ Be sensitive when referring client to culturally-specific organizations/services
Partnerships/Best Practices
● Sharing experiences
● Attending seminars, self-education, sharing practices
● Knowing services in the area
● Guest speakers
● Creating own tools and using existing ones
● Self-training
● (Online) resources
● LIP materials
Challenges
● Think about what can be eliminated from the list by doing your work differently
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Q&A - Panel Discussion
Doug - commented on value of breadth of the three presentations
Faed: how organizations provide I&R is very different; thinks I&R is undervalued (maybe not
specific part of training but rather an assumption)
Andrew: looking at clients as whole people, not just as “person who needs housing”, etc.; SFC
staff have I&R training (should have everyone across agency at 100%, i.e. able to answer
client’s question, regardless of who answers)
Karine: YMCA is only I&R (different from settlement workers - refer to settlement workers);
constantly updating fact sheets, having workshops in different languages
Andrew: SFC benefits from FindHelp information resources (before: binder of resources that
constantly out of date)
Faed: gaps in information - should be aware of our limitations, gaps in knowledge; things
change very quickly, never-ending task
Doug: Does I&R mean different things to different people?
Karine: important to understand what different agencies are doing
Faed: value of I&R standards; I&R different from assessment and referral; important to have
some common understanding, e.g. “putting people and services together”
Doug - varying (quality of) I&R...
Karine: contact person if you realize you’ve made a mistake
Andrew: SFC tracks demographic information to try to deepen knowledge (properly identify true
needs of community serving)
Karine: reputation precedes an agency, clients speak to others, e.g. language schools, colleges
(in a way, this replaces, is more accurate than evaluation forms)
Doug: duplication of services (how to choose which one to refer client to)
Karine: look at client’s specific needs, agency location, hours, etc.; give several options
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Faed: workers are not consumers of services they are referring to; not endorsing agencies; be
careful not to get stuck in a rut (i.e. jump to answer, e.g. WES, before asking enough questions e.g. For what purpose do you need credentials assessed?)
Andrew: sometimes it’s not really a question of duplication (e.g. LINC classes at certain level,
time of day, childminding); find best option for client
Karine: remember specific client needs
Doug: What would you change if you could in the settlement sector?
Andrew: remove certain rules, e.g. don’t prioritize convention refugees over claimants (forget
about stats); don’t assume a citizen here for 10 years is totally settled
Karine: have quarterly training for settlement workers about Canadian social policy
Faed: more PD, support for settlement workers (often the first thing cut when budgets are
reduced); people often fall into the job; important to support them
Questions from the Floor
How to avoid people being asked the same questions at different agencies
● Another audience member mentioned a swipe card
● Faed highlighted OTIS (Online Tracking and Information System); noted barrier to clients
using services when they have to repeatedly answer the same questions
● Jackie (Library Settlement Program): questions people ask are very different depending
on neighbourhood, location (How could this be captured in a database like OTIS?)
How often does 211 update database?
● At least once a year; member agencies also welcome to update information themselves
In light of immigration changes (more people with higher language skills will start
arriving), how will agencies adapt?
Thanks/Closing Remarks - Doug