Province-wide Rollout

The ministry recognizes the uniqueness and complexities related to the demographic, geographic and population densities of Toronto and the Northern catchment areas.  This is why implementation for these locations happened later in the schedule and were included in Phase 3 of implementation.

The ministry used the time prior to rolling out Integrated Employment Services in Toronto and the North to make thoughtful considerations to developing a delivery approach to best meet the unique needs of those communities.

Decisions on system design requirements and service delivery improvements was informed through engagement with key stakeholders including, municipalities, District Social Services Administration Boards, Indigenous partners, Francophone stakeholders, our service provider network and community groups.

The ministry initiated a Market Sounding Exercise with partners, stakeholders, and potential vendors, which included a Market Sounding Document and Vendor Engagement sessions. The market sounding and vendor engagement process was open to community partners, Indigenous organizations, service provider network, municipalities, and other stakeholders interested in providing feedback to the ministry.

The market sounding document offered an opportunity for organizations to provide written feedback to the ministry about how to improve service delivery and client outcomes in complex Phase 3 catchment areas of Toronto, Northeast, and Northwest. The vendor engagement sessions provided an opportunity for direct discussions between the ministry and organizations.

Based on the feedback received through consultation with service system managers (SSMs), stakeholders and partners, the ministry has incorporated adjustments to the design and delivery requirements to improve service delivery and outcomes. These include refining performance indicators, establishing service delivery zones to protect access to in-person service in rural and remote communities, outlining enhanced partnership requirements for SSMs, and implementing additional expectations around service delivery for Indigenous clients.

These service delivery improvements will be implemented as part of Phase 3.

As well, as part of a commitment to ongoing improvements within the Integrated Employment Services model, the ministry continues to engage with stakeholders and partners to seek feedback to inform refinements to the model.

Employment services delivered in First Nations communities (on-reserve) are exempt from the Employment Services Transformation model until further work is done on how to address the unique concerns of these communities.

Service system managers (SSMs), however, are responsible for undertaking Indigenous cultural competency training and offering culturally relevant/sensitive services to Indigenous clients that are seeking employment services from the SSMs. Additionally, SSMs are required to provide an “active offer” to Indigenous clients that wish to be served by Indigenous service providers.

The ministry is committed to engaging with key stakeholders, including our municipal partners, service delivery partners, Indigenous partners and umbrella organizations, advocacy groups, and community-based organizations among others.

As well, the ministry remains committed to providing regular communications to help our stakeholders, Indigenous partners and the public understand and prepare for any changes.