1/27/2022: Member Support and Information Recap

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This second meeting in January was arranged in response to feedback from the last meeting and recent regional meetings. Based on members’ requests, we facilitated a discussion around promising practices for creating safety plans and continuity plans.

We were pleased to welcome Fiona Senyk from the Community Social Services Health & Safety Council, to support our navigation through WorkSafeBC resources, as well as Bill Scott, Shawn Hawkins, and Peter Mulholland from Project Management Volunteers (PMV).

Safety Planning Discussion

The discussion focussed on the WorkSafe BC COVID-19 Safety Plan. Overall, members who had used this guide found it useful; they were able to adapt the template to suit numerous programs at their organizations, and appreciated the direct support they received from WorkSafeBC in doing so.

Members were able to create plans that took into consideration the different comfort levels of staff since everyone’s experience with safety is different. Some members drew from policies and procedures they have developed as required through accreditation bodies.

Continuity Planning Discussion

This discussion focused on the Service Continuity Planning Guide for Community-Based Organizations produced through the Victoria Community Council. This guide primarily focuses on what to do in the case of a pandemic. While this is timely, members also noted the need to factor in other crises, like those related to climate change. Members discussed how they found this template useful, noting an interest in an updated guide that includes a financial section.

Continuity planning could help organizations determine the minimum staffing level needed to sustain program operations and operations in general during times of crisis. One observation was that MCFD is monitoring their staffing levels with this in mind.

Members noted that funding sources impose specific operating and reporting requirements on organizations that are difficult to accommodate during crises when strict health and safety restrictions are in place. This must also be factored into continuity planning and requires careful reflection on program development, implementation, and reporting. The Federation is following up with MCFD regarding HUB screening and member staffing challenges; please expect additional communication on this in the coming week.

Another challenge raised was accessing staffing coverage when an organization employs union and non-union staff. Many members have planned for cross-job training and cross-departmental resource sharing where possible with the least amount of program loss.

While members recognize the value in creating a Continuity Plan, organizations may lack the administrative capacity to do so. People are doing fantastic work and yet they must do this kind of planning off the sides of their desks. Members found it helpful to pull together ideas and strategies that have worked, including templates for work-from-home agreements and averaging agreements for staff.

Useful Resources: Please visit the Members section of the Federation website, scroll down to COVID-19 Updates, Policies and Information, and you will find many useful resources shared by Federation members on a wide range of topics, including COVID-19. You will need your member login info to access the webpage; if you do not have this info, please let us know. The Federation team will pull together a list of best practices while in a pandemic as requested.

Meeting Outcomes

If you have questions regarding the work of the Community Social Services Health and Safety Council, please contact Fiona Senyk at FSenyk@cssea.bc.ca.

PMV representatives, Bill, Shawn and Peter, offered two ideas based on the needs expressed:

  1. PMV could support individual organizations by helping them bring their safety and continuity plans together.
  2. A Project Management volunteer could work with a group of organizations with similar needs to develop a general plan that could be adapted by each organization. Interested members can contact Shawn Hawkins shawn.hawkins@pmv.org.

A suggested topic for a future meeting was Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion policies and curriculum. Please continue to share your ideas and emerging issues with the Federation.

Next Meetings

February 10, 2022, 10:00–11:00 AM
Please note, we will open the room at 9:50 for informal chatting and gathering.

February 24, 2022: Federation 2022 Social Policy Forum
There will be no Member Support & Information Exchange meeting on February 24. The Federation will host the 2022 Social Policy Forum on this day. We hope to see you there!

Please watch for a meeting reminder from Stephanie Martin the week of the next MSIE meeting.

Documents and Resources

Related public documents from this and previous gatherings can be found on the Federation’s public website:

Accreditation Circle

Reminder, the Accreditation Circle meets on the third Friday of every month. The next call is Friday, February 18th, from 11:00-12:00. Please contact Pam or Stephanie for more information at pam@fcssbc.ca or stephanie@fcssbc.ca.

Support to Practice Supervision Training (S2P)

There is still space in Cohorts 7 and 8. Information and registration are done directly through the Federation website.

 

Until we see you again, wishing you wellness 😊    

 The Federation Team