Futures 2015
“Ontario Works in an Integrated World”
Presented by
Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board
Facilitated by
Gilles Plouffe, Ontario Works Program Supervisor
Mission Statement
The Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board (DSB) is a municipal service management
organization created by the provincial government to oversee the local planning,
coordination and delivery of a range of services and programs divested to the municipal order
of government.
The specific programs our DSB is responsible for are: Ontario Works, Social Housing, Emergency
Medical Services (Land Ambulance), and Early Learning and Child Care services.
District Social Services Administration Boards (DSSABs) are unique to Northern Ontario. The
Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB is one of Ontario's ten DSSABs. They, along with thirty-seven County,
Upper Tier or Regional governments make up what is often referred to as Ontario's forty-seven
Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs).
The Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB is responsible for the delivery of its services to the residents of the
districts of Manitoulin and Sudbury.
Manitoulin- Sudbury DSB
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Quick facts / Demographics
The DSB provides services to 18 member municipalities and Territories
Without Municipal Organization (TWOMO) in the Districts of Manitoulin
and Sudbury.
Geography: 45,000 square kilometers with a population of 28,044
residents.
No public transportation except Via Rail and Greyhound
Main office in Espanola and 4 satellites:
(Excluding the Greater City of Sudbury)
Warren –Covering Sudbury East,
Noëlville –Covering Sudbury East,
Little Current –Covering Manitoulin Island
Chapleau –Covering Sudbury North
Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB
Larger than 117 countries in the world
Vatican (.44 sq km)
Israel (20,770 sq km)
Rwanda (26,338 sq km)
Haiti (27,750 sq km)
Belgium (30,528 sq km)
Taiwan (36,193 sq km)
Encompasses the Districts
of Manitoulin and Sudbury
(excluding the City of
Greater Sudbury).
Switzerland (41,284 sq km)
Fiji (18,272 sq km)
Denmark (43,094 sq km)
Monaco (2 sq km)
An area of over 45,000 sq.
km
Bermuda (54 sq km)
Liechtenstein (160 sq km)
Singapore (710 sq km)
Lebanon (10,452 sq km)
DSB Coverage
Area
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Jamaica (10,991 sq km)
Integrated Approach
• Applications are processed locally
• Interested Individuals can inquire, apply
and update their application at their local
DSB office
• Full Integration of Services at each office
allow ease of information sharing across
all available programs. One stop – all
services
Programs Offered by DSB
Ontario Works - Caseload 497
Employment Ontario - 97 Cases
EO Incentive / YEF – 21
COJG – 2 employers / 12 employees
Jobs for Youth - 101 students placed
Our Kids Count - 302 Children Served
Children Services - 840 Licensed Spaces
Social Housing Services - 392 units
Healthy Community Fund - 141 Cases
Direct Shelter Subsidy - 50 Cases
Service Manager System
Stable
Housing
Skills
Training
Recreation
Subsidies
Employment
Services
Client/Employer
Community
Partners
Housing
Services
Children’s
Services
Financial
Assistance
Brief overview of “Ontario Works”
The Ontario Works Program provides income and employment assistance for people who are in
temporary financial need.
To be eligible for Ontario Works, an applicant must be:
-a resident of Ontario;
-in immediate financial need; and
-willing to participate in employment assistance activities.
The amount of money that someone receives from Ontario Works varies depending upon housing costs and family size. Clients
may also be eligible for drug and dental coverage, eyeglasses, hearing aids, and community and employment start-up benefits.
All recipients of Ontario Works are required to participate in one or more employment assistance activities as a condition of
eligibility for financial assistance. This helps people move as quickly as possible to a job and to become self-reliant.
Ontario Works provides practical help in finding a job. It helps people determine what they need to become employed. Because
different people have different needs, Ontario Works has a number of ways to help its clients. Some participants need to update
or upgrade their skills. Some need to complete their basic education or training for a particular job. Others simply need help in
finding a job and staying employed. Ontario Works addresses these needs through a range of employment assistance activities
based on individual skills, experience and circumstances
New Ontario Works rates
Maximum Monthly Benefits
As of November 1st , 2015
The Ontario Works Program provides income
and employment assistance for people who are
in temporary financial need.
Single Person
Single Person with
One Child
Couple with Two
Children
2011
2015
2011
2014
2011
2014
Basic Needs Allowance
$227
$305
$347
$342
$448
$468
Maximum Shelter
Allowance
$372
$376
$584
$609
$688
$718
Total
$599
$681
$931
$951
$1,136
$1,186
Employment and Training Services
The Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board provides a number of services
that assist participants to find employment.
These services include:
Workshops on various topics specific to job readiness;
Referrals to job counseling, training or education;
Access to telephones, faxes, computers and job banks;
Information on who is hiring.
Job Specific Skills Training offered by the
Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board
Provided 158 in house training sessions in 2014
Provided over 15 specialized training programs
Emergency First Aid
Service Excellence
First Aid/CPR
Automated External Defibrillation Course
WHMIS
Safe Food Handling
Chainsaw Certification
Traffic Protection Training
Smart Serve
Communication Excellence
True Colors
Overcoming Negativity
Boater Safety
Team Excellence
Ethical Excellence
Employment Ontario Delivered by DSB Staff
Chapleau Employment Resource Centre
Achievements to date (as of March 31, 2014):
Participants - 524
Employment outcome - 80%
Education – 14%
Assisted 1909 in the RC in 2014
Career Fair 2014 – 273 attended with 22 employers
Ontario Works and Employment Services (EO)
•There are six (6) other DSSAB – Municipalities that deliver both
programs under one roof:
•Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board
•MS-DSB
•Municipality of Ottawa
•Municipality of Halton
•Municipality of Waterloo
•Municipality of Windsor
Creativity
•Considering the vast geography that the Manitoulin-Sudbury
DSB covers, transportation is often difficult for Ontario Works
clients in attending any training or upgrading/educational classes.
•The DSB currently has 8 vans that are being utilized to transport
our clients from their homes to their classes overcoming that
barrier.
Children Services
The DSB holds Purchase of Service Agreements (POS)
with child care providers
The POS allows the DSB to support providers via
eligibility for the following funding streams:
- Fee Subsidies
- Wage Subsidies
- Special Needs Resourcing
- Health and Safety Grants
- Best Start Hubs
Best Start Hubs
Manitoulin Best Start Hub
Sudbury East Best Start Hub
LaCloche Best Start Hub
Sudbury North Best Start Hub
We’re in Your Neighborhood
• Social Housing Projects in 11 Communities within the DSB’s
catchment
• Additional units funded for persons experiencing high shelter
costs in their current rental unit
• A range of unit sizes to meet the needs of our communities
from bachelor to 4-bedroom homes
• We house seniors, singles and families with rents that are
affordable
Integrated Tenant Process
• Applicants becoming Tenants may bring their Rent
Geared to Income information to their local office
• Tenants sign leases locally
• Maintenance issues are handled mostly in-house
using Sharepoint to create/track work-orders
• Local contractors are used wherever possible to
support our local businesses
• Integrated approach to rental arrears
• In-house training opportunities extended to local
tenants on site
• Community Partners often bring their services to our
residents lessening the burden of transportation
Play video here
Community Partner –Alpha en Partage•
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Originally only offered French Basic Literacy
English Basic Literacy
Formed partnerships with local colleges to offer ACE
Contact North for credited course through ILC and
Upgrading towards GED.
• Partnership with Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB for Focus
for Change, Computer Upgrading, Quick Start and
Jobs for Youth training (PET)
• Focus for Change Placements
• Partnership with Employment Ontario
Service System Management
Community Engagement
Literacy and Employment Services Coordination
Local Services Providers Network
Member of Local Training Boards
Best Start Network
Local Economic Development
Local Food Security Groups
Thank You
Questions ?