4/14/2022: Member Support and Information Recap

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This month’s Member Support and Information Exchange meeting focused on a number of important topics—Admin and Technology Costs, Policy Sharing, Mask Mandates and included a guest presentation on the MCFD Social Work Oversight Engagement process. You can find a summary of the member discussion below.

Member Support and Information Exchange meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of every month.
Upcoming meetings are: May 12th: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Topic 1: Administrative and Technology Costs

  • Costs and requirements of data security and data protection have increased.
  • Two-factor authentication is costly, and this is just for the basic protection of data.
  • Contracts don’t reflect increasing IT costs.
  • Protection of “highly sensitive information” as defined by funders is very costly and would require extensive permissions that would affect the flow of work within agencies.
  • Social Services Sector Reference Group advocating around issues of increasing technology costs and administrative costs; considering potential research and corresponding policy paper on the subject.
  • Work done in Alberta regarding this topic that the sector can potentially draw from.
  • Members observe that Federal Government funders recognize increasing admin costs, and cover 15%; federal contracts subsidize provincial contracts where admin funding is too low.

Topic 2: Sharing Policy

  • Members exchanged contact info so vaccine and communicable disease policies could be shared with one another.
  • Shared policies can also be found on the Members section of The Federation website, under “COVID-19 Updates, Policies and Information.”
  • For info on how to access the Members section of The Federation website, please contact The Federation office at 250.480.7387 or email info@fcssbc.ca.

Topic 3: How has the shift in vaccine and mask mandates affected service delivery?

  • Member shared that they are slowly making changes, and requested clients and staff to wear masks.
  • Careful thought into how to move forward safely.
  • Sharing space and running programs at outside agencies can be confusing for clients, as policies may differ across agencies.
  • Move from pandemic protocols to communicable disease protocols.

Topic 4: Monique Gray Smith Interview

The Federation’s Indigenous Advisor Riley McKenzie conducted an interview with author Monique Gray Smith, as part of The Federation’s Reconciliation Dialogues series.

Guest Presenter: MCFD Social Work Oversight Engagement

MCFD is launching a public engagement on the oversight of social work in BC. The goal is to explore the current state of social work oversight, including what is working well and opportunities for improvement and transformation. They plan to engage with social and education sector partners, community partners, social workers and the public. This engagement will explore the oversight of all social workers in BC, including social workers employed through private practice, health authorities, non-profit organizations, Indigenous and other communities, and public-sector employers.

This engagement is intended to develop a better understanding of the diverse range of needs, perspectives and opinions surrounding social work oversight. Engagement findings will be used to prepare a “What We Heard Report” which will reflect key topics and messages brought forward during the engagement.

If you would like to participate in a half-day engagement session, please reach out to quinn.macdonald@gov.bc.ca with your general availability during the week of May 9th–13th and/or the week of May 16th–20th. For more information, please visit the Social Work Oversight Engagement website.

June Event & AGM

June’s conference is our Current and Emerging Issues Conference, happening Thurs. June 16th. This year we’re welcoming Dr. Bruce McIvor and Cathy Taylor as speakers. Our AGM will take place the following morning, on Fri. June 17th. Registration details are on our website.

MCFD Engagement: Child & Family Services Reform

MCFD is planning sector and community engagement on transforming child and family service legislation. The changes aim to better support the rights of Indigenous Peoples, including Indigenous Governments and will promote prevention supports. The Federation is working with MCFD to schedule an engagement session for members on Tues. May 17, 10am-12pm via Zoom. More details will be sent by Michelle Bell (Federation) soon.

Regional Meetings

Agendas for The Federation’s May (Virtual) Regional Meetings will be emailed to members soon. A reminder that members can send questions for our MCFD guests to Catherine at catherine@fcssbc.ca. Regional Meeting Dates:

  • North: Wed. May 4, 9:00AM-10:30AM
  • Interior: Wed. May 4, 1:00PM-2:30PM
  • Vancouver Coastal: Wed. May 11, 9:00AM-10:30AM
  • Fraser: Wed. May 18, 9:00AM-10:30AM
  • Vancouver Island: Wed. May 25, 9:00AM-10:30AM