Toronto East Quadrant LIP Partnership Council Meeting

Tuesday, November 11, 2012, 9:30am-11:30am

Catholic Cross Cultural Services

55 Town Centre Court, Suite 405

Scarborough, ON M1B 3C6

Minutes

Present: Adeena Niazi ( Afghan Women’s Organization), Amra Acimovic (Toronto Public Health), Amal Mirghani (Progress Career Planning Institute), Ambi Sinna (Scarborough Housing Help Centre), Claudia Coore (City of Toronto Social Development & Finance), Dawna Rowlson (Toronto Public Library), Helen Yang (YMCA Newcomer Information Centre), Leigh Armour (Aisling Discoveries), Glenda Munoz (City of Toronto, Family Residence), Lisa Loong (CCS), Nadia Campbell (Citizenship and Immigration Canada), Mei Tin Lee (Centre for Information & Community Services), Oleg Valin ( East Metro Youth Services), Phil Richards (Career Foundation), Shawn Cadieux (Transcare Community Support Services), Trish Coles (Centennial College), Yvonne Ma (Chinese Family Services of Ontario)Liliane Vicente (TEQ LIP - CCS), Mani Mahadeva (TEQ LIP - ACSA), Martin Kengo (TEQ LIP - Warden Woods), Layla Harrison (TEQ LIP – ACCES Employment), Rebecca Price (TEQ LIP – CCS)

Regrets: Adolphine Mukamanzi (CSDCCS), David Meyers (Birchmount Bluffs Neighbourhood Centre), Hanna Cabaj (Toronto Catholic District School Board), Howard Moriah (East Scarborough Boys and Girls Club), Hyacinth Olbino (Warden Woods), Hanifa Kassam (Agincourt Community Services Association), Helenna Huang (ACCES Employment), Immaculate Umutesi/Eugina Nawwas (Polycultural Immigrant & Community Services), Liben Gebremikael (TAIBU Community Health Centre), Neelu Nagi (TESS), Omar Magre (Family Residence), Nooria Amiri (Afghan Women’s Organization),Rabindra Sabat (Settlement Assistance and Family Support Services), Terry Thompson (Toronto District School Board), Tracy Sheridan (Toronto Public Health), Tsering Tsomo (YWCA), Saima Malik (YMCA Newcomer Programs),

Handouts given to participants:

-  Agenda

-  Partnership Council Meeting minutes – October 9th, 2012

-  Role of Partnership Council

-  Next Steps – Enhancing in TEQ LIP Expansion Neighbourhoods

Meeting commenced at 9:30 and was facilitated by the TEQ LIP Manager

ITEM / DISCUSSION / ACTION /
1. Welcome, Introductions and Updates
Approval of minutes and meeting agenda / Partnership Council members introduced themselves and named their favorite Action hero
Meeting minutes of October 9th, 2012 meeting were approved by the Council. There were no additions to the agenda.
2. Updates / The Settlement Strategy was successfully submitted on October 31st. Everyone received a copy. The annual reporting document was also submitted on October 31st.
Action Group Updates:
Employment:
- They have finished ranking the short-term and long-term activities
- There will be no meeting held in December. The group will host two meetings in January 2013 and begin implementation.
Settlement and Family Supports
- Finalized ranking of activities based on accountability, impact, timeline, and priority
-Implementation will begin at the next Action Group meeting
Housing and Legal:
- Finalized ranking of activities based on accountability , impact, timeline, and priority
- In the process of developing a work plan for the short-term
- Their work plan will be ready on November 30th
Health
-Action Group activities have been finalized and group is working towards developing an Action Plan for implementation
- 15 community health officers met with Marlon Morer to discuss TPH’s citywide involvement. They will be meeting again on November 22. Topics discussed 1. Media campaign on newcomer health 2. Training for frontline staff and clinical workers3. Health Network forum 4. Awareness and navigation
Community Summit:
-  Flyers were available and distributed to partners. Flyers were available in many different languages. The council was advised that the summit will be interactive, the Action Group tables will have space for members to display their information, we have limited capacity, translation, child minding and tokens will be available. All were encouraged to invite their clients.
-  The deadline for RSVP is November 20th.
CityLIP:
Newcomer leadership table. Rebecca Price (LIP Manager) will be attending as an advisor on Friday November 23. / Hard copies are available.
The next Action Group meetings are scheduled as follows:
·  Employment, Education and Training: January 10 and 24th, 2013
·  Settlement and Family Supports: December 5th, 2012
·  Housing and Legal Supports: January 16th, 2013
·  Health: January 7th and 21st
3. Action Plan Activity / Update: CIC approved the submission of the Action Plan for December 21st. TEQ LIP will take this opportunity to include more expansion neighbourhood information.
Martin explained the process that each Action Group has been undergoing to choose our short-term and long-term activities.
Each group had their Action Group activity charts available and highlighted the chosen activities.
After each Action Groups activities were presented the PC was given the chance to walk around and view all action groups activities and volunteer to assist with actions.
4. Brainstorming Session / The PC was asked the four questions on how to improve the TEQ Partnership Council.
1.  What are the strengths of the TEQ LIP and PC?
2.  What are some suggestions to improve the PC?
3.  What would you like to learn?
4.  Benefits
The PC were given sticky noted to answer the questions and place on the flip chart paper with the question listed. The team will review the suggestions in December and are always open to feedback
Also, all PC members were given a print-out of the “Role of the Partnership Council”
5. Expansion
Neighbourhood Rubric Activity / There was a discussion about expansion neighbourhoods and an activity sheet was given to help identify potential service providers in these areas. The TEQ Steering Committee is also discussing further enhancing expansion neighbourhoods. Some expansion neighbourhoods are in need of assistance and are asking for it.
6. Information Sharing / Centennial College
Trish Coles announced the Program Advisory Committee for English for Academic purposes. There are two meetings a year. End of November and in April for 2 hours. Anyone who is interested should contact her.
The Housing and Legal Services Action Group is having a “Bullying Workshop” on Nov 18 at Stephen Leacock Secondary School for Newcomers and Service providers.
Dorset Park HUB is now open at 1911 Kennedy Road (Ellesmere/Kennedy).
The PC will not meet in December and regroup in January 2013. The Action Plans will be circulated before the January meeting.
The TEQ LIP team is working on a Communications Protocol and will begin bi-weekly email blasts in January.
7. Next Meeting / Tuesday January 8, 2012, 9:30-11:30am
Location: TBA

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