WATERLOO REGION LOCAL IMMIGRATION PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL (LIPC) FINAL REPORT (April 2010) LIPC Lead Cmmunity Partners LIPC Funder 1
WATERLOO REGION LOCAL IMMIGRATION PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL FINAL REPORT APRIL 2010 CHAPTER 1 BACKGROUND INTRODUCTION This reprt is the culminatin f ver ne year f cllabratin acrss many sectrs within Waterl Regin. It began with the Immigrant Settlement Supprt Grup (ISWG), a standing cmmittee f the Waterl Regin Immigrant Emplyment Netwrk (WRIEN) asking ther rganizatins t cllabrate in respnse t a Request fr Prpsals (RFP) frm Citizenship and Immigratin Canada (CIC) and the Ontari Ministry Of Citizenship. The purpse f this initiative was: t enhance existing partnerships t establish a cmprehensive Lcal Immigratin Partnership and develp a cllabrative strategy that includes slutins fr successful settlement and integratin f immigrants and refugees in Waterl Regin. The lead rganizatins n this Phase 1 prpsal were: Reginal Municipality f Waterl as the lead applicant with verall accuntability fr the LIP prject and fr any funds received. Immigrant Supprt Wrking Grup (ISWG) f the Waterl Regin Immigrant Emplyment Netwrk (WRIEN) cnsisting f all f the CIC and the prvincial Ministry f Citizenship (MIC) funded settlement and immigrant service prviders in the Regin. Expanded, this grup became the Interim Lcal Immigratin Partnership Cuncil (LIPC). Centre fr Cmmunity Based Research, an independent, nn-prfit rganizatin, as the facilitatr f all aspects f the Lcal Immigratin Partnership (LIP) Phase 1 prject. Regin f Waterl Interim LIP Cuncil Legal Accuntability & Funding Management Advice, Input & Directin Center fr Cmmunity Based Research Cmmunity Facilitatin and Prject Crdinatin 2
After the LIP prpsal was accepted fr funding by CIC, ver 200 peple cntributed t the prject thrughut the year (beginning fficially in March 2009). The results reflected in this reprt culd nt have been achieved withut their intensive cntributin. The purpse f this reprt is t share the results f the LIPC s wrk. Thse results include a Settlement/Integratin Strategy and Actin Plan fr Phase 2 (please see Chapter 2 f this reprt) and a prpsed structure that will cntinue the cllabrative nature f the LIPC (please see Chapter 3 f this reprt). BACKGROUND: WELCOMING NEWCOMERS A COMMUNITY RESPONSE Waterl Regin is a cmmunity that has always welcmed and benefited frm immigratin. Presently, 22.3% f Waterl Regin residents are immigrants r refugees frm diverse regins f the wrld, with expected grwth t 30% by 2031. Our regin is ne f the tp seven cmmunities in Canada fr recent immigrants/refugees 1 n a per capita basis (2006 Census) The challenges and barriers faced by ur newest citizens are varied and cmplex including: understanding varius Canadian systems (health, educatin, justice, scial services, etc.); accessing needed services; finding emplyment in their field and getting their freign credentials recgnized; learning a new language; learning hw t integrate with lcal cultures and hw t adapt family r persnal ways with a new envirnment; facing discriminatin. There have been initiatives thrughut Waterl Regin ver the past several years t develp strategies t address these challenges and systemic barriers faced by new immigrants. Fr example, the Waterl Regin Immigrant Emplyment Netwrk (WRIEN), currently in its fifth year f peratin, has facilitated the creatin f several prgrams t assist with immigrant emplyment. Hwever, there is still much t be dne in rder t develp a cmprehensive and strategic apprach t settlement and integratin fr ur cmmunity. It is planned that, thrugh the LIP prcess, existing partnerships will be expanded t d that. PURPOSE OF THE LOCAL IMMIGRATION PARTNERSHIP (LIP) The purpse f this initiative is t enhance existing partnerships t establish a cmprehensive Lcal Immigratin Partnership. Thrugh the crdinatin and wrk f this partnership, a cllabrative strategy that includes slutins fr successful settlement and integratin f immigrants and refugees in Waterl Regin has been develped. 1 While the term immigrant is ften used t describe all peple cming t Canada frm ther cuntries, in this reprt we will refer t immigrants as thse wh cme t Canada after being apprved as permanent residents, having either passed Canada s pint system as an independent ecnmic applicant r having been spnsred by clse family members. Refugees may be gvernment assisted r spnsred by ther grups in Canada, r may be claimants wh arrive here and apply fr prtectin. 3
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF PHASE 1 Establishing a Lcal Immigratin Partnership Cuncil and develping a cmprehensive and strategic apprach t settlement and integratin will deliver significant benefits t Waterl Regin. The first phase had tw gals: 1. T develp a cmprehensive Lcal Immigratin Partnership Cuncil. One primary gal f this initiative has been t develp a cmprehensive Lcal Immigratin Partnership Cuncil. This wuld include: I. T develp a structure fr the LIPC including terms f reference. II. T identify future rles and respnsibilities f the LIPC. III. T determine the membership f the LIPC. It was envisined that the Partnership wuld be, and indeed fr the mst part was a dynamic cllabratin f cmmunity stakehlders frm many sectrs, including the immigrant service prvider cmmunity, business sectr, yuth, emplyment, cmmunity based rganizatins, health, gvernments and educatinal institutins. 2. T develp a cmprehensive and cllabrative settlement and integratin strategy. This strategy is part f planning fr future grwth in Waterl Regin, but it is als abut creating a welcming and sustainable cmmunity. It was envisined that this strategy wuld address three bjectives: A. Imprve access t and crdinatin f effective, strategic and cmprehensive services/prgrams that facilitate immigrant settlement and integratin B. T imprve access t the labur market fr immigrants. C. T strengthen awareness and the capacity f Waterl Regin t integrate increasing numbers f immigrants and refugees. Given that a lcal immigratin partnership n labur market access already exists in the regin (WRIEN - Waterl Regin Immigrant Emplyment Netwrk), the emphasis f Phase One has been n bjectives A and C under Gal #2 abve. WRIEN is ENTERING THE 5 TH year f its mandate and is in the prcess f identifying future directins fr the netwrk. The evaluatin f future rles fr WRIEN has been integrated with, and has prvided input int, the Lcal Immigratin Partnership planning, parallel t the develpment f the cllabrative settlement and integratin strategy (see diagram belw, which represents the parallel planning prcess between WRIEN and LIPC). The utcme r prduct f this prcess has been a cmprehensive immigratin strategy that addresses immigrant settlement, emplyment and integratin. 4
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PHASE 1 PROCESS ENSURING COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Phase ne activities f the LIP included expanding crss-sectr cmmunity invlvement in nging cnsultatins with and feedback frm a variety f cmmunity stakehlders. This invlvement was undertaken thrugh: Establishing an Interim LIP Cuncil thrugh expansin f the Immigrant Supprt Wrking Grup f the Waterl Regin Immigrant Emplyment Netwrk, t guide the wrk f this planning phase; Hlding tw cmmunity strategy sessins t explre majr thematic areas needing attentin in rder t becme a mre welcming cmmunity fr immigrants and refugees. Thse themes determined the Task Grup structure fr Phase 1 f the LIP prcess; Invlving all sectrs in a variety f immigrant settlement and integratin Task Grups t explre the issues and gaps and develp Strategic Directins and Actin Strategies t be implemented in Phase 2; Ensuring key sectr invlvement thrugh specific fcus grups with immigrants, refugees and emplyers; Evaluating the ne year develpment prcess and utcmes; Seeking lcal cmmitment t Phase Tw and beynd thrugh a brad based Cmmunity Frum where participants received a cpy f the draft reprt and had an pprtunity t respnd t the verall directin and structure f the future LIP Cuncil. The prcess and results f each f these activities is utlined in this reprt. COMMUNITY STRATEGY SESSIONS - PROCESS AND RESULTS There were many ways fr rganizatins and citizens t get invlved in the identificatin f the issues and slutins related t crdinated immigrant and refugee settlement and integratin thrughut Phase 1. They included cmmunity strategy sessins, thematic and structure task grups, fcus grups and a final cmmunity frum. Prcess fr Cmmunity Strategy Sessins Tw cmmunity strategy sessins were held (April 14 & May 14 2009) with the purpse f: Explring issues, gaps and pprtunities related t immigrant and refugee settlement and integratin, Based n this explratin, identifying 4-5 theme areas that task grups wuld explre in mre detail. The first sessin, held in Waterl, cnsisted f 44 participants frm a variety f sectrs as nted in the chart belw: 6
After an intrductin by Mike Murray, CAO fr the Regin f Waterl, participants were asked t place themselves physically alng ne wall n a cntinuum frm Very Much t Nt at All in answer t the questin: T what extent are the needs f recent immigrants/refugees being met in ur cmmunity? Participants generally placed themselves frm near the middle f the cntinuum tward the end Nt at All, indicating in discussin that while prgress had been made there was still a lng way t g fr this cmmunity t be satisfactrily meeting the settlement needs f recent immigrants and refugees. Participants nted particularly needs related t infrmatin, mental health, language and the unique needs f refugees. In answer t the secnd questin - T what extent are immigrants/refugees integrated in all aspects pf ur cmmunity? - participants mved much mre tward the Nt at All end f the cntinuum. Mst agreed with ne participant wh said: Basic needs are met; peple are getting help t be ecnmically invlved but nt sci-culturally and plitically. Participants then spent time in small grups discussing the questin: hw d we as a Regin mve tward the psitive end f the cntinuums fr bth settlement and integratin? Results f Cmmunity Strategy Sessins The full results f the tw Cmmunity Strategy Sessins, summarized belw, can be fund in the full reprt LIPC Cmmunity Strategy Sessins Reprt n the CCBR website at: http://www.cmmunitybasedresearch.ca/page/view/lip.html. At the end f the first sessin, participants were asked t determine the tp five pririty issues that LIPC shuld fcus n t wrk twards successful settlement and integratin f immigrants/refugees. The five areas were identified as: : 1. Gaps in settlement services (language, health, husing and educatin) 2. Cmprehensive service prvisin 3. Civic participatin and immigrant leadership 4. Public awareness and acceptance 5. LIPC structure (including relatinship t WRIEN). 7
In the secnd Cmmunity Strategy Sessin, held in Cambridge n May 14, 2009, 34 peple participated with sectr distributin very similar t the distributin in the first sessin. Participants hned the names and definitins f the five theme areas and their respective Task Grups. Fllwing extensive discussin n each area, participants were then encuraged t sign up fr ne r mre Task Grups and t suggest ther names r sectr representatin fr each. THEMATIC TASK GROUPS - PROCESS AND RESULTS Prcess fr Task Grups Five thematic task grups were frmed, with fur based n the settlement and integratin themes identified in the Cmmunity Strategy Sessins and ne based n the need t determine the future structure f LIPC. At the request f WRIEN, a sixth Task Grup was added t explre emplyment needs with the pssibility f WRIEN expanding its rle t address the emplyment needs f all immigrants, beynd thse f the prfessinally trained. All Task Grups were pen t anyne wh wished t participate. Each Task Grup met three times (a ttal f 18 meetings each 1.5 t 2 hurs), identifying needs and gaps within their respective thematic areas, setting pririties fr actin and develping Strategic Directins and Actin Strategies arund tw r three f their tp pririties. The Task Grups and their thematic descriptins are utlined n the next page. 8
TASK GROUPS AND THEIR DESCRIPTION LIPC Structure Emplyment (WRIEN) Immigrant Leadership & Civic Participatin Partnership Structure and peratin (hsting, staffing, sustainable funding, advcacy) Relatinship t WRIEN WRIEN is a lcal partnership presently addressing skilled immigrants emplyment needs Explre emplyment issues fr all immigrants/refugees Fstering immigrant/refugee leadership pprtunities Meaningful invlvement f immigrants/refugees in civic respnsibilities Scial inclusin f immigrants/refugees (including gender dimensin) Mentring pprtunities fr immigrants/refugees Building capacity; mre access fr immigrant/ refugee grups Awareness f Canadian scial nrms and values Public Awareness & Inclusin Building psitive attitudes and behaviur twards immigrants/refugees Fstering change within media, educatin system and ther institutins as well as within newcmer grups themselves Develping appreciatin fr cultural diversity amng the general public Building strategies t stp racism and discriminatry practices Cmprehensive Service Prvisin Crdinated, cllabrated, and integrated services (inclusive f all human services) Facilitating immigrant/refugee access t and input int service prvisin Creating a n wrng dr strategy fr accessing services Research an integral part f creating an effective cmprehensive system (i.e. needs/resurce assessment, prgram evaluatin) Enhancement f Settlement Services Assessing the current settlement services and identifying gaps Strategies fr better addressing immediate pressing settlement needs (including advcacy fr individual and cllective settlement needs) Creating ideas fr filling the gaps in settlement services Current pririties are language, interpretatin/ translatin services, health, husing educatin, and emplyment preparatin (pririties may change ver time) 9
Results frm Task Grups The cmbined ntes fr the three meetings f each f the Task Grups can be fund at: http://www.cmmunitybasedresearch.ca/page/view/lip.html under Task Grup Cmbined Reprts. Each f the five thematic Task Grups develped strategic directins and actin strategies based n tw r three pririty needs/gaps which they chse thrugh a ranking prcess f all f the needs and gaps they had identified in their first meeting. While Task Grup participants agreed that all f the identified needs/gaps are imprtant t sme degree, they felt that thse identified as pririties shuld be the first nes that the LIPC shuld begin t wrk n in Phase 2. The LIPC shuld als review the ntes frm the related Task Grup meetings fr suggestins fr addressing needs and gaps identified in the first meetings. The charts in Chapter 2 f this Reprt entitled Settlement/Integratin Strategy and Actin Plan utline the Strategic Directins and Actin Strategies recmmended by the five Task Grups. In Phase 2, the LIP Cuncil will need t review the Strategic Directins and Actin Strategies and then determine, in cnjunctin with their three Wrking Grups, which Strategies they will begin t address. At that pint they will be able t develp specific timeframes fr actin n thse they chse t address immediately and t flesh ut specific bjectives and perfrmance measures (bth f thse are already embedded in many f the Actin Strategies) and an evaluatin plan. The sixth LIP Task Grup fcused n the future structure f the LIP Cuncil. In the first meeting, participants, representing multiple sectrs f the cmmunity, agreed that whatever structure emerged: LIP must be based n a shared visin, gals and values; it must have cmmitment frm all levels f gvernment and the cmmunity t be able t sustain itself financially; it must be actin riented; it must have cmmunity-wide representatin with stakehlders cmmitted t cllabratin, accuntability and respnsibility. Participants then went n t define varius elements f the structure. Fr the secnd meeting the facilitatrs presented alternative mdels which were based n the varius element descriptins that came ut f discussins in the first meeting. The mdels and thse elements were extensively hned during the secnd and third meetings, with additinal input frm the WRIEN Steering Cmmittee, which met with facilitatrs t respnd t the mdels presented. The final draft mdel was endrsed by the Task Grup and by the WRIEN Steering Cmmittee. The mdel and its varius elements were presented t the Cmmunity Frum held n March 24, 2010. A diagram f the mdel and a descriptin f its varius cmpnents can be fund in Chapter 3 f this Reprt Partnership Cuncil Structure. ADDITIONAL FOCUS GROUPS The Interim LIP Cuncil expressed cncerns arund the number f immigrants and refugees participating in Task Grups. Althugh many service prvider staff wh are/were immigrants r refugees were participating, as well as ther individual immigrants/refugees nt affiliated with service agencies, it was felt that the wrk f the Task Grups culd be enhanced thrugh taking, wherever pssible, their results t larger numbers f immigrants and refugees wh were nt attached t service prviders. T that end, nce the Task Grups had determined the needs and gaps in their respective theme areas, fcus grups were 10
held with immigrants and refugees thrughut Waterl Regin. Nine fcus grups were held, with eight f them being presented with the results f ne r mre Task Grups identificatin f gaps and needs in the areas they had fcused n. One fcus grup with refugees nly was asked a set f questins arund their needs and experiences, which, it was felt, ften differed frm ther immigrants. Where needed, interpreters were used t help facilitate discussin. Similarly, althugh emplyers were represented in sme f the Task Grups, members f the WRIEN Steering Cmmittee felt that, particularly fr the Emplyment Task Grup, it wuld be gd t hear frm mre emplyers. T that end, an emplyers fcus grup was rganized by WRIEN staff. The results f these fcus grups can be fund in Chapter 7 f this Reprt entitled Cnsultatins. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH Immigrant Fact Sheets Additinal research in the prcess f cmpleting Phase 1 f the LIP prcess in Waterl Regin included a series f fact sheets published by the Regin f Waterl as develped by their Public Health Department and the Wrkfrce Planning Bard f Waterl, Wellingtn and Dufferin. Thse fact sheets describing the Waterl Regin s immigrant ppulatins can be fund in Chapter 4 f this Reprt Immigrant Ppulatins in Waterl Regin. Inventry f Settlement/Integratin Services In additin, LIP partnered with the Welcming Cmmunities Initiative, a five year CURA prject, t engage researchers frm the University f Waterl and Wilfrid Laurier University in develping an inventry f settlement and integratin services in Waterl Regin. The reprt frm that research can be fund in Chapter 5 f this Reprt Service Inventry. This data shuld prve t be very useful as LIP mves int Phase 2, especially in cnjunctin with the Strategic Directins and Actin Strategies utlined under Enhancement f Settlement Services and Cmprehensive Service Prvisin. English Language Training (ESL/ELT) Envirnmental Scan A separate research piece was undertaken in the latter days f LIP Phase 1 by the Centre fr Cmmunity Based Research. The purpse was t prvide a cmprehensive listing f existing ESL/ELT services and t identify gaps and barriers which hinder access fr new Canadians t the English educatin which they require. This research is a need lng identified by the WRIEN s ISWG and ne cnfirmed thrugh the identificatin f needs/gaps by the LIP Task Grups during PHASE 1. The results f this research are presented in Chapter 6 ESL/ELT Scan. All f the abve research shuld frm an integral part f the planning prcess as the LIPC, in Phase 2, begins t finalize its implementatin plans fr the Settlement/Integratin Strategy. 11