Social Policy Forum Action Groups
Federation members have developed ten courses of action to help bring about social policy change in BC. The Federation is providing support to each. Now it’s time for you to get involved.
The Federation’s 2016 Social Policy Forum took place in Victoria, BC over two days in February. With the help of facilitator Chris Corrigan, and graphic recorder Avril Orloff (see her graphics below) participants spent Day One asking wide-ranging questions: How do we get human beings to value difference, as just difference? How do we ensure diversity and inclusion in the sector? How can we either create space or get out of the way? How do we shift the conversation from “doing more with less” to “doing more with more”? How can we get from aging out of care to aging into community?
This document is a collection of raw reports that were completed by each Open Space session on Day One. This report documents the highlights of each conversation and, in some cases, detailed points raised in the discussions. You can also read Al Etmanski’s speaking notes from the first day of the Social Policy Forum.
Day Two was an opportunity to address those issues and a chance to answer some of the hard questions that came up on Thursday. Ten people came forward wanting to turn their ideas into action. Those ten people proposed next steps – plans that they would be willing to champion over the coming weeks. Email addresses were shared, meetings were scheduled, others in the room signed up and committed to help. And now you can too.
Those ten ideas are below. Take a look and find one that resonates with you. Find one that can benefit from your energy and experience. If you want to join one of the groups below, contact Rebecca at The Federation office to get in touch with the project’s champion.
Social Policy Initiatives
The Federation is providing support to each of these initiatives. Successes will show us all where important inroads can be made and where policy can be shifted, but we are approaching all of these with a safe-to-fail attitude. Initiatives that falter or fail to make headway will teach us just as much about where we should focus our energy, which institutions aren’t ready to evolve, and which questions we need to approach from another angle.
1. Changing the reference from “aging out of care” to “aging into community”.
We want to change the legislation’s wording and implications. UVic will partner and host two forums for youth in care on this topic.
Champion: Bernadette Spence, Vancouver Aboriginal Child & Family Services Society.
Watch the video
2. Valuing the people we serve and those who serve includes fair compensation.
We’re going to organize a monthly, recurring meeting. Wedlidi Speck has offered to guide a conversational path to get the group started.
Champion: Ingrid Kastens, Pacific Community Resources Society.
Watch the video
3. Create a “hearts & minds” PR campaign to shift public perceptions.
We need to raise awareness about the work the sector does and the people we serve.
Champion: Michel Pouliot, Burnaby Family Life.
Watch the video
4. Identifying channels to include youth voices as advocates in the political system.
First, we’ll convene a conversation with young people about what this could look like and how this could work.
Champion: Jules Wilson, Federation of BC Youth in Care Networks.
Watch the video
5. Teaching younger generations of CYC social service workers how to do “social policy”.
We want to talk about current social issues and create space for conversation about current issues.
Champion: Janet Westcott, Child and Youth Care Association of BC.
Watch the video
6. Creating a framework to support communication and engagement between government and the sector.
We’ll start with setting up a call to discuss engagement methods and the type of shift the framework will work towards.
Champion: Kathy Powelson, The Federation.
Watch the video
7. The Fed as learners and leaders around reconciliation in the sector.
We will be sitting in uncomfortable space and developing relationships to move things forward. We will investigate the opportunity to host this work at The Federation’s October Conference.
Champion: Michelle Fortin, Watari.
Watch the video
8. Fostering Change public campaign.
We’ll start with planning and organizing focus group to test the Fostering Change campaign messaging.
Champion: Kris Archie, Vancouver Foundation.
Watch the video
9. Social Policy as it relates to outcomes and collective impact.
Linking agencies across communities will help us increase our impact.
Champion: Deborah Joyce, District 69 Family Resource Association.
Champion: Andrea Mears, PCRS
Watch the video
10. “Reciprocityship” – Joining with young people to learn from each other and grow the movement.
We want to start with exchanging knowledge between generations and across generations.
Champion: Carla Alexander, Douglas College.
Watch the video
