Supplemental Questions and Answers on Employment Services Transformation - June 8, 2021

MINISTRY OF CHILDREN, COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL SERVICES

Supplemental Questions and Answers on Employment Services Transformation

June 8, 2021

1. How does the expansion of Employment Services Transformation (EST) support the social assistance recovery and renewal work?

This expansion of EST is an important step toward Ontario’s new vision for social assistance, announced February 2021, which sets out plans to build a more responsive, person-centered social assistance system where people will receive the support they need.

The province and municipalities are working together on a new model in which Employment Ontario is focused on employment services while working collaboratively with social assistance to support Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) clients. Social assistance will focus on the integral work of providing income supports and supporting people to stabilize their lives so they can achieve greater independence and employment.

As part of this work, tools will be introduced to support collaboration between social assistance and Employment Ontario, including the common assessment tool, mental health and addictions screener, and action plans.
 

2. Are there impacts to the social assistance recovery and renewal co-design process?

MCCSS will continue to move forward on engagement with municipalities and others as we co-design a renewed social assistance system, including working together to make the progress on initiatives such as EST and recovery and renewal come together in the vision for a transformed system.
 

3. Which local ODSP offices and CMSMs and DSSABs are in included in the nine additional catchments areas?

The MLTSD Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process encompasses nine catchment areas:

• Durham
• Halton
• Kingston–Pembroke
• Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie
• London
• Ottawa Region
• Stratford–Bruce Peninsula
• Windsor-Sarnia
• York

Once the final Service System Managers (SSM) are determined through the RFQ process, the following local ODSP office(s) will potentially be in scope:
 

Once the final Service System Managers are determined through the RFQ process, the following CMSMs and DSSABS will be in scope:

This means in the future that Ontario Works clients accessing employment services in the catchment areas will do so through the new SSM.
 

4. Will there be funding impacts for municipalities?

While timing of the full provincial roll-out of EST is currently unknown, EST transfers will continue to apply to those in prototype catchment areas. CMSMs and DSSABs in the nine catchment areas should plan based on the assumption, and subject to approval of ministry estimates, that Ontario Works program delivery funding levels will remain at 2021 levels.
 

5. Will there be funding impacts for ODSP-ES providers?

As the expansion into new catchment areas takes place, transition agreements may be established between ODSP ES providers and the new SSM. The SSM will be responsible for all contract-related management and oversight activities, including performance monitoring, reporting and flowing payments to service providers.