Branch Description

Form Completion Date: September 8, 2005

DEPARTMENT: Community Services

BRANCH: Social and Recreation Services Branch

2005 Operating $: 20,306, (tax levy)2005 Capital $: $8,164

($000) 36,788 (expenditures)

2005 FTEs:185.1

  1. Branch Description:

The branch purpose is to enhance quality of life through community capacity building. The branch supports communities and individuals, and provides social, recreational and cultural opportunities. The primary work responsibility is in the area of services to people within the context of their community. Goals include:

*Accessible and affordable services and programs

*Effective community and citizen engagement

*Social and physical well-being of individuals and families

*Increased community capacity

*Safety of citizens

*Valued workforce

Business Drivers

Form Completion Date:September 8, 2005

DEPARTMENT: Community Services Department

BRANCH: Social and Recreation Services Branch

Key Result Area: Social and Recreational Programs

1. Description: The provision of social and physical development programs by working in partnership with community organizations. If partners are not available, the branch provides the programs directly. The recreation programs are targeted to pre-schoolers, children and youth. The social programs are targeted to youth and adults. Programs are run city-wide and are in response to a community (geographic or community-of-interest) need. The focus is to provide recreation programs at low-cost or no cost to participants removing the barrier of fees to residents with low incomes.

Community Recreation Coordinators (CRCs) and Social Workers (SWs) provide support and resources to community organizations wanting to offer programs. Recreation Technicians provide the logistic support such as producing publicity about programs, hiring leaders and developing new programs.

2.Business Driver / Title / Approved By / Date
Legislation (Act/Section/
Regulation) / Provincial Family and Community Support Services Act and Family and Community Support Services Regulation (FCSS), F-3, RSA 2000 / Province of Alberta / January 1, 2002
Bylaw / Community Investment Grants #C211E / City Council / 2002
Agreement
City Policy
Major Plan
(Adopted by Council) / Integrated Service Strategy / City Council / July 2000
Resolution
Other / Co-Sponsorship Agreement with Community Leagues

Describe how the business driverrequires or enables this service, program or initiative. Is it mandatory or discretionary?

Although this KRA is discretionary, the activities are a key component in supporting the local needs of communities and citizens.

Community Investment Grants provide funding to local recreation organizations to offer programs and services. Integrated Service Strategy gives the direction to provide free and low-cost recreation programs in neighborhoods with a higher proportion of families with lower incomes.

FCSS funding is provided to social service organizations offering preventive social services programs.

Business Drivers

Form Completion Date: September 8, 2005

DEPARTMENT: Community Services Department

BRANCH: Social and Recreation Services Branch

Key Result Area: Organizational Development

1. Description:

Organizational Development is a dynamic values based approach to systems change in organizations and communities; it strives to build the capacity to achieve and sustain a new desired state that benefits the organization or community and the world around them. The values Organizational Development is based on include: Respect and Inclusion, Collaboration, Authenticity, Self Awareness and Empowerment. It is a comprehensive process that is supported by theory, systems focused, process focused, uses action research extensively, informed by data, client/group centered, and focused on effectiveness and health.

The services provided by the branch staff in this process to their assigned groups include:

Assessment –coaching and assisting in the design, implementation, analyzing and interpretation results of assessment

Problem solving –coaching and assisting in the examination of the options and determine a realistic and workable plan of action with and for the group

Implementation –assist and coach in the practical application of intents as outlined in the plan of action

Evaluation – assist and coach with the group of their progress from initial starting point to completion

2. Business Driver / Title / Approved By / Date
Legislation (Act/Section/
Regulation)
Bylaw / Plan Edmonton, Edmonton’s Municipal Development Plan Bylaw #117777 – Services to People / City Council / August 1998
Agreement
City Policy
Major Plan
(Adopted by Council) / Parks and Recreation Management Plan (specific to CRC’s “primary contacts”)
Integrated Service Strategy / City Council
City Council / December 1985
July 2000
Resolution
Other

Describe how the business driver requires or enables this service, program or initiative. Is it mandatory or discretionary?

The Management Plan of 1985 required the skills of Primary Contacts “CRC’s” to work with an assigned geographical community or a community of interest to ensure the ongoing strengthening and evolution of a not for profit community that was committed to improvement/nurturing the quality of life of all Edmontonians thru their efforts. Plan Edmonton left it to the discretion of Departments on how to provide services to people in a way that added value to the “quality of life”. Community Services with the development and subsequent approval of ISS brought rigor and ongoing commitment to considering Citizens First; CommunityBuilding (of which OD is a large part); Focused Efforts; Urban Wellness; and to a lesser extent Ribbons of Blue and Green. Many of the targets identified in each of these service themes are dependent on the staff in Social and Recreation Services (Social Workers and Community Recreation Coordinators) and their required skill set to provide, at the willingness and the needs of the community, the following types of services:

  • Organizational needs assessment
  • Long and short term planning/strategic planning
  • Volunteer recruitment and management
  • Board orientations/job descriptions and roles/effective committees
  • Team Building/time management/conflict resolution
  • Bylaw creation/bylaw revision/effective meetings
  • Grantsmanship/fundraising/networking
  • Public Consultation/resource materials

Key Business Drivers

Form Completion Date: September 21, 2005

DEPARTMENT: Community Services Department

BRANCH: Social and Recreation Services

Key Result Area: Community Development

1. Definition

Working from a strengths and capacity building perspective, staff work with community members to identify issues and strengths in the community, explore and understand issues in the community, and plan and develop community based, community driven and community controlled actions.

Community Development is a collaborative model that mobilizes community leadership and strengths to help communities respond to local issues. It supports the use of an integrated service model, maximizing the resources of the community, the Community Services Department, the City of Edmonton and ultimately other levels of government.

Community Development is a dynamic approach to systems change in communities and organizations; it strives to build the capacity to achieve and sustain a new desired state that benefits the community and the world around it. It is a comprehensive process that is supported by theory, systems focused, process focused, uses action research extensively, informed by data, client/group centered and focused on effectiveness and health.

Community Development and capacity building includes increased knowledge, skills, leadership, more informed decisions, enhanced connections to others and strengthened structures for community organizations, city advisory boards and community development groups. Through developing community capacity, citizens will assume responsibility for decision and actions which affect them.

Description

  • The services provided by the Branch staff in this process include:
  • Assessment – coaching and assisting in the design and implementation, and analyzing and interpreting the results of assessment.
  • Problem solving – coaching and assisting in the examination of the options and determine a realistic and workable plan of action with and for the community.
  • Implementation – assist and coach in the practical application of intents as outlined in the plan of action.
  • Evaluation – assist and coach to evaluate the group progress from initial starting point to completion.

Social Workers and Community Recreation Coordinators (CRCs) assist community groups to identify and respond to community issues. For example:

  • Assist groups and organizations wishing to improve quality of life in communities affected by social issues such as poverty, spousal violence, elder abuse and youth development and conflicts, isolation, etc. Depending on the nature of the community, the issues which are usually multi-dimensional in nature and the readiness of the community the assistance could take the form of:
  • Needs assessment of a whole housing complex
  • Development of a gardening program to bring people together to sort through issues
  • Development of food co-operatives
  • Development of youth forums, recreation and anti-bullying programs
  • Facilitating community response to homelessness
  • Facilitating development of new community leagues
  • Facilitate community dialogue that problem solves around priority community issues, such as gang violence or drug abuse. Facilitation includes the skill set to design and manage processes that are inclusive and often highly diverse. Facilitation concentrates on the process by which the participants are all able to contribute their knowledge and expertise on the content whilst not being focused on the process. Examples of this service include:
  • Design and implementation of the Community Solution to Gang Violence – 250 participants and 25 facilitators over a 3 month period and an ongoing involvement for 6 Branch facilitators who work with the established work groups
  • Design and implementation of the Drug Strategy that brought over 200 people together to provide input to the Steering Committee. This initiative utilized the skills of some 20 Branch facilitators
  • Ongoing facilitation of the Integrated Service Teams in the 3 areas of the City – Alberta Avenue, WestEdmonton and Old Strathcona. Each of these teams are developing and managing specific tools and mechanisms to address specific issues identified by those communities.
  • Partner with community agencies and groups to provide programs that address diverse unmet social needs, such as youth mentoring, support groups for victims of family violence, collective kitchens, child-centered programs in high-needs neighborhoods, support for low-cost housing groups, and support for families with aging parents. The initiation often comes from small non-profit agencies (Mill Woods Resource Centre) or informal groups (residents of the Capital region Housing Corporation) as well as from concerned individuals who become connected to others with similar concerns through their participation in other Departmental programs (Pride Through Play). Unmet needs are identified in numerous ways, including findings from our Assessment and Short Term Counseling services (housing), agency requests (Leefield community programs), telephone surveys (seniors support services), door knocking (children’s recreation, arts and homework support program).
  • Partner with 145 community leagues and other community groups to ensure the provision of year-round neighborhood social and recreation programs, including more than 175 summer playground programs, registered week-long summer camps and youth leadership training and mentoring programs.

2. Business Driver / Title / Approved By / Date
Legislation (Act/Section/
Regulation) / Provincial Family and Community Support Services Act and Family and Community Support Services Regulation, F-3, RSA 2000 / Province of Alberta / January 1, 2002
Bylaw / Plan Edmonton, Bylaw 11777 / City Council / August 1998
Agreement
City Policy
Major Plan (Adopted by Council) / Parks and Recreation Management Plan (specific to CRC’s “primary contacts)
Integrated Service Strategy / City Council
City Council / December 1985
July 2000
Resolution
Other / Annual Budget Approvals / City Council

3. Describe how the business driver requires or enables this service, program or initiative. Is it mandatory or discretionary?

The Management Plan of 1985 required the skills of Primary Contacts “CRC’s” to work with an assigned geographical community or a community of interest to ensure the ongoing strengthening and evolution of a not for profit community that was committed to improvement/nurturing the quality of life of all Edmontonians through their efforts. Plan Edmonton left it to the discretion of Departments on how to provide services to people in a way that added value to the “quality of life”. Community Services, with the development and subsequent approval of ISS, brought rigor and ongoing commitment to considering Citizens First; CommunityBuilding (of which CD is a large part); Focused Efforts; and Urban Wellness. Many of the targets identified in each of these service themes are dependent on the staff in Social and Recreation Services (Social Workers and Community Recreation Co-coordinators) and their required skill set to provide the various types of services based on the needs of the community.

City Council, by its annual approval of the Social and Recreation Services budget, has shown its support for branch services, a large portion of which is CommunityBuilding and Community Development.

Business Drivers

Form Completion Date: August 29,2005

DEPARTMENT: Community Services Department

BRANCH: Social and Recreation Services Branch

Key Result Area: Out of School Care

1. Description: The Out of School Care program supports the provision of affordable, accessible, quality care for school age children (6-12 years) in the City of Edmonton.

The program consists of two components:

Subsidy- Subsidy is provided to City approved out of school care programs on behalf of eligible families using established eligibility criteria that include income, family size and the reason care is required; monthly claim forms from the centers are processed based on hours of care provided and the assessed purchase of service rate of each individual centre

Out of School Care Standards-Standards of care are established by the out of school care area and are monitored on a regular basis to ensure on-going compliance and to investigate any complaints pertaining to non-compliance to these Standards

2. Business Driver / Title / Approved By / Date
Legislation (Act/Section/
Regulation) / Provincial Family and Community Support Services Act and Family and Community Support Services Regulation, F-3, RSA 2000 / Province of Alberta / January 1, 2002
Bylaw
Agreement / Annual Funding Agreement / City Council / June 2005
City Policy / C417 – Family and Community Services Program / City Council / 1987 (Currently under review)
Major Plan
(Adopted by Council)
Resolution
Other: Council Report / Out of School Care Standards Review / Council / September, 2000

-Describe how the business driver requires or enables this service, program or initiative. Is it mandatory or discretionary?

-(Cross reference with Community Resources- FCSS Liaison) Out of School Care Services is a component of the discretionary agreement between the City of Edmonton and Alberta Children’s Services and receives funding through the Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) program. Out of School Care has been specifically identified as a permitted use of FCSS funds. The out of school care subsidy program has an annual budget of $6.4 million which is distributed on behalf of eligible families to an estimated 156 approved out of school care centers and nine family day home agencies in Edmonton. FCSS funding is cost shared between the province and the municipality as per the Annual Funding Agreement.

-Staffing for the program consists of four subsidy assessors who evaluate applications from families to determine eligibility and the amount of parental contribution to the fee; 3.6 children’s services consultants who work with the facilities to provide ongoing support and consultation to assist the programs in meeting and continuing to meet the City of Edmonton Approved Out of School Care Standards; a social worker who works with families who have special circumstances; a financial clerk who ensures payment to the centers, a clerical support person, and a supervisor for the program.

-Recent changes to provincial legislation and anticipated changes to the Social Care Facilities Licensing Act precipitated a report to Council, approved on June 21, 2005, that recommended the City review its role in the out of school care program.

Business Drivers

Form Completion Date: September 8, 2005

DEPARTMENT: Community Services Department

BRANCH: Social and Recreation Services Branch

Key Result Area: Community Resources – FCSS Liaison

1. Description:

Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) is a joint municipal/provincial cost sharing program administered by the City of Edmonton. FCSS supports agencies to delivery, preventive social services programs which strengthen individuals, families and communities. Prevention programs represent an active process which empowers individuals and systems to deal constructively with potentially difficult life situations, to keep healthy people healthy and to bolster the strength of those at risk.

2. Business Driver / Title / Approved By / Date
Legislation (Act/Section/
Regulation) / Provincial Family Community Support Services Act and Family and Community Support Services Regulation, F-3, RSA 2000 / Province of Alberta / January 1, 2002
Bylaw
Agreement / Annual Funding Agreement / Council / June 2005
City Policy / C417 – Family and Community Services Program / 1987 (Currently under review)
Major Plan
(Adopted by Council)
Resolution
Other
  1. Describe how the business driver requires or enables this service, program or initiative. Is it mandatory or discretionary?

The discretionary agreement between the City of Edmonton and Alberta Children’s Services provides $9.4 million for the delivery of preventive social services in Edmonton. 70 agencies currently deliver 90 programs within the boundaries of the City of Edmonton. Agencies track their progress by means of performance outcome measures that are reported on an annual basis. This information is aggregated and reported to Alberta Children’s Services. The performance measures that are tied to the FCSS Regulation outcomes include: promote and facilitate the development of stronger communities, promote public participation, promote and facilitate the involvement of volunteers, promote the efficient and effective use of resources, promote and facilitate co-operation and co-ordination with allied service agencies and services provided under the program.

Four full time Social Planners monitor/mentor the progress of the agencies as well as performing social planning functions on behalf of the Community Services Department. Management is provided by the Director of Community Resources within the Social and Recreational Services Branch of the Department. In addition, the staff helps to organize the funding process under the direction of the General Manager of the Community Services Department and in partnership with the Community Services Advisory Board that makes final recommendations to the General Manager regarding the provision of funding to agencies for FCSS.