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Halton Region: Citizen-Centred Service Initiatives New Frontiers and Best Practices in Citizen-Centred Service IPAC/ICCS Symposium November 14, 2001 Presentation Outline Overview of Halton Region Halton’s Partnership Experience Examples of Single Point Access: to targeted groups across organizational boundaries Peel York Halton Hamilton Toronto Niagara USA Halton Region Regional Municipality located between Toronto and Hamilton 4 Area Municipalities (2 urban, 2 rural) 387,000 people one of Canada’s fastest growing areas Halton Region Services Public Health (including ambulance) Social and Community Services (children’s services, income & employment services, housing, seniors) Waste management Water and Wastewater Regional roads & transportation Planning services Business Development Centre Museum Emergency Planning Halton Partnerships Halton has pursued partnerships internally among departments and with other organizations to deliver services more effectively to our citizens >25 years Nature of 2-tier local government Spirit of collaboration - alive and well in Halton Examples of Halton Partnerships Apprenticeship Advisory Council Joint Purchasing Initiative Business Development Centre Resource Centres Integrated Intake Services for Children and Families Halton Government Access Centre Halton Integrated Services Service clusters around targeted groups: small business entrepreneur children and families unemployed Single entry point for services: across departmental boundaries across organizational boundaries Business Development Centre One-stop service for entrepreneurs Comprehensive information and counselling services on starting a small business in Halton Ontario Business Connects Canada Ontario Business Service Centre Integrated Intake Services Centralized system of intake, information and referrals for children and families in Halton Multi-disciplinary team - shared expertise (nursing, social work, early childhood educator professionals) Operational efficiency (response time, duplication of effort, improved linkages) Integrated Intake Services Single point of access to various health and social service programs: Healthy Babies, Healthy Children Making Services Work for People Child Health Reproductive Health Speech and Language Children’s Assessment & Treatment Centre Child care Children’s Resource Services Ontario Works Further Integration Opportunities Social Housing has been transferred from Province to Halton Within 6 months will add housing information and referral Resource Centres Halton/HRDC share office space in 4 locations - one in each area municipality Tri-level government arrangement in Burlington (Halton/HRDC/MCSS) Formal partnership - 6 years integrated income and employment services for the unemployed Impetus for Change Historic relationship with HRDC Liaison meetings - client profile/needs Some technology sharing and shred program delivery Leases due Senior Management desire for more synergistic co-location arrangement Service Delivery Model Coordinated delivery of employment services One location: one-stop shopping for clients Easy to get to: one in each area municipality Service Delivery Model One professional contact: one case manager (employment, social assistance, child care) All necessary resources easily available Remove embarrassing aura of social assistance office New Partnership In each office client can: drop in to talk to professional staff drop off and pick up documents access computer tools, prepare resume, job search attend workshops and training sessions apply for employment insurance, Federal income programs meet with a child care staff How Have Employment Services Changed? More services, more accessible, more often One customer counter in all locations Staff more aware of tools and how they are used - Regional and Federal staff rotate provision of assistance to anyone in office Less frustrated clients Customer Feedback Halton part of Government Single Window Services Survey sponsored by IPAC preliminary findings - 88% satisfied with service they received (Business Development Centre, Resource Centres) Halton Single Window Primarily in service delivery business 45,000 inquiries/month about regional services number of calls about area municipal, provincial and federal services worked with area municipalities to analyse misdirected calls - 14,000/year A Changing Environment Provincial shift in service delivery responsibilities to Regions Local Government Reform in Ontario Federal and Ontario initiatives Citizen expectations - 79% believe we should make all government services available in same office Halton Single-Window Halton developed proposal for seamless access to local government services in Halton in 1999 approved by 5 CAOs and endorsed “in principle” by 5 Municipal Councils developed basic telephone linkage May 2000 Halton Single-Window Timing issues Halton moving forward alone: ensure own house is in order ensure compatible technology for future initiative with area municipalities pursuing partnerships with Federal and Provincial Governments Halton Government Access Centre Concept: basic facts and information all 3 levels of government convenient and seamless for citizens Comprehensive internal review Customer Service Strategy Customer Service Strategy All program areas included New tools, processes, practices 3-year timeframe Centralized customer service function by January 2004 One-stop shopping for all Regional government services and information Provincial Links Provincial funding to establish Government Information Centre in Halton Regional Centre hard copy of database document dissemination future initiatives to improve ease of access Federal Links Waiting for Cabinet approval to establish Service Canada Centre at Halton Regional Centre Received access to Government of Canada database Halton staff completed training - can navigate through database disseminating federal documents Forecast for the Future in Halton We are persistent We believe it is the right thing to do recent survey results Know we will succeed and hope our partners will join us in the future to truly develop one-window to all government services in Halton