LITERACY AND BASIC SKILLS (LBS) PROGRAM

2016-2017 Regional NetworkLiteracy Service Plan

Regional Networks are required to conduct Literacy Service Planning and Coordination as part of their agreement with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

The Literacy Services Plan is developed annually by Regional Networks and identifies community literacy needs based on demographic and labour market information, including projections on the number of learners to be served, service gaps, service improvements and services to be delivered by service providers.The focus is on improving service coordination by enhancing linkages to Employment Ontario programs and other community services and supports.

The Literacy Service Planning template along with the 2016-2017Service Delivery Charts will complement the Literacy and Basic Skills program Consolidated Municipal Service Manager (CMSM) data reports, provided to Regional Networks via the Employment Ontario Partners Gateway ( The Literacy Service Planning template and the Service Delivery Charts are required to be completed by each LBS Regional Network and submitted to their respective ministry consultant for their approval.

The completed Literacy Service Planning template and Service Delivery Charts will form the Literacy Service Plan for the Regional Network for 2016-2017.

The purpose of this template is to ensure that the minimum key elements expected in the Literacy Service Plan are addressed and to ensure consistency among Literacy Service Plans for all Regional Networks across the province. Literacy Service Planning will also assist regional networks as they prepare for LBS Business Planning to identify activities that will benefit the network of LBS service providers to continue to deliver high quality services to learners.

2016-2017Regional NetworkLiteracy Service Plan

INSTRUCTIONS
PROCESS:
Responsibility of Regional Networks:
  • Regional Networks are to engage with LBS service delivery organizations as part of their literacy service planning and coordination activities. When answering the questions in this template, regional networks are to roll up the feedback and present to the ministry a strategy/plan of actions they will take to support the service providers in their catchment area during the fiscal year.
  • The Literacy Service Plan should include the activities that the regional network will undertake to address specific issues (e.g., gaps, performance) in their community.
  • All Regional Networks are to complete Literacy Service Planning and Coordination activities throughout the year. This template should be considered a mechanism to report local trends, results and strategies to the ministry and is only one part of an overall Literacy Service Plan.
  • All Regional Networks are to complete the Literacy Service Planning template, by answering all the questions.
  • Answers should be brief and in point form where possible.
  • Supporting documentation such as data reports, tables, charts, other references materials must be attached as appendices.
  • The completed Literacy Service Planning template must be forwarded to your respective MTCU Employment and Training Consultant via e-mail as an attachment, by close of business on October 9, 2015.
  • Once Literacy Service Plans have been approved by MTCU, Regional Networks are to distribute the Literacy Service Plans to the Literacy and Basic Skills service providers within their catchment area.
  • During Literacy and Basic Skills business planning, service delivery sites will acknowledge that their business plans align with the community’s Literacy Service Plan.
  • The 2016/2017LBS business plan for Regional Networks should be reflective of the Literacy Service Plan.
  • In addition to the Literacy Service Planning template, the Service Delivery Charts are to be completed and submitted as part of the Literacy Service Plan to the Ministry.
Important: The MTCU approval page is for the internal use of the ministry and the regional network and is not to be posted online or forwarded.
How the Literacy Service Plan (LSP) is used:
  • LSP identifies the community’s literacy needs, based on demographic and labour market information, the number of LBS learners to be served and the client focus, including the OALCF complexity levels and learner goal paths.
  • LSP identifies gaps and how they can be addressed, as well as specific services and improvements that will be provided in the coming year.
  • LSP is a living document that is updated to reflect changes in the community as they occur.
  • The LSP is rolled up in a regional analysis for ministry staff at all levels to review.
  • ETCs may use the LSP as a reference tool when considering requests for additional funding to ensure the request for service delivery expansion meets an identified need.
  • The LSP is verified against service provider business plan submissions for accuracy and consistency.
Responsibilities of the Literacy and Basic Skills Service Provider:
  • To be prepared for literacy service planning discussions with statistical and demographic information.
  • To participate fully in the literacy service planning discussions.
  • Working alongside its regional network partner, ensure that literacy services needs are identified, discussed and included in the local literacy service plan.
  • To ensure their individual business plan submission reflects the information provided to the Literacy Network used in the local service plans and the literacy service chart.
  • As in-year changes are made to business plans, notify regional network partners up-to-date so that local service plans can be revised and kept up-to-date.
Responsibility of MTCU:
  • MTCU will review all Literacy and Basic Skills Literacy Service Planning Templates from Regional Networks, ensuring all questions have been answered.
  • Questions with “not applicable” responses will be considered incomplete and as such will result in the Literacy Service Plan not being approved by MTCU.
  • MTCU will review for approval the Literacy Service Planning template byclose of business onOctober 23, 2015.
  • Once the Ministry has approved the LSP, the Regional Network will be notified by their consultant through email and can proceed in sharing the LSP with the Service Delivery Network.
Reference Materials available on the Employment Ontario Partners’ Gateway ()
  • Literacy and Basic Skills program Consolidated Municipal Service Manager (CMSM) data reports
  • Literacy and Basic Skills program service delivery sites and service providers by CMSM chart
  • Literacy and Basic Skills program Service Delivery Site Map

REGIONAL NETWORK CORPORATE INFORMATION
Regional Network Legal Name: / Regional Network Business Name:
Regional Network Reference Number: (Site #) / CRA Business Number:
Region:
Central East North West
Please indicate which Stream(s) and Sector(s) are represented in this Literacy Service Plan:
Sector: College School Board Community Based Agency
Stream: Anglophone Francophone Deaf Aboriginal
Regional Network Website address (if applicable):
Business Address
Apt/Suite: / Street 1: / Street 2:
City: / Province:
ON / Postal Code:
Mailing Address ( Same as Business Address)
Apt/Suite: / Street 1: / Street 2:
City: / Province:
ON / Postal Code:
Additional Contact Information
Primary Phone Number: ( ) - / Fax Number: ( ) -
Preferred Contact Language: English French
REGIONAL NETWORK SIGNING AUTHORITY
Name: / Title:
Primary Phone Number: ( ) - / Fax Number: ( ) -
Email Address:
Signature
I certify that the information provided in this Literacy Service Plan package submission is true and correct. I have authority to submit the information on behalf of the organization.
Signature: / Date:
LITERACY SERVICE PLAN
  1. List the Community(s) which this Literacy Service Plan represents.

  1. List all the Service Delivery Sites, along with the number of learners on their waitlist as of September 30, 2015 and the average number of weeks on the waitlist (if applicable), reflected within this Literacy Service Plan (include as an attachment in table format).

Service Delivery Site ID’s / Service Provider Name / Waitlist
(Yes/No) / # of learners on waitlist as of September 30, 2015 / Average # of weeks on waitlist
  1. List which reports were used to complete this Literacy Service Plan (e.g. Census Reports, LBS CMSM data reports, etc.).

  1. LITERACY SERVICE PLAN

Describe the current trends in your community and the profile of learners in your community.What strategies are being implementedto ensure this Literacy Service Plan will address the trends and profile of literacy services within your community?
  1. LITERACY SERVICE PLAN

  1. What are the challenges with service coordination and what continuous improvements are being made to strengthen service coordination between Literacy and Basic Skills program service providers and other community services?

  1. Please describe the network’s plan to ensure that learners can continue to access services throughout the year regardless of seasonal adjustments to service delivery.

  1. What strategies are being implemented to ensure learners seamlessly transition to their next step destination (i.e. employment, further education and training, etc.)?
For example, Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities Employment Ontario programs such as Employment Service, Apprenticeship, Adjustment Advisory Program, Second Career; Ministry of Community and Social Services: Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program; Ministry of Education; Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Programs and any other services related to housing, mental health, English as a Second Language/French as a Second Language services.
  1. LITERACY SERVICE PLAN

Describe current changes in the local labour market and what is being done to address the impacts of these labour market changes on the literacy needs of the community.
  1. LITERACY SERVICE PLAN

What strategies are being implemented by service providers to respond to the identified goals of learners in your community?
  1. LITERACY SERVICE PLAN

How do clients access Literacy and Basic Skills services in your community for the following?
  1. In–person learners, e-channel learners, blended learners

  1. Employment Ontario Self Service, Community Organizations, etc.

Describe your referral process for each. Where are clients being referred to for the above and why?
  1. LITERACY SERVICE PLAN

What strategies will be put in place to support the Literacy and Basic Skills Program service providers to meet each of the core measures of the Performance Management Framework – Phase II A (i.e.: customer satisfaction, service coordination, suitability/learner profile, learner progress, learners served)?
  1. LITERACY SERVICE PLAN

Describe any gaps or duplications within your literacy service planning community. What strategies are you planning to address these gaps or duplications?
  1. LITERACY SERVICE PLAN

List the names of all LBS service providers from all sectors and streams as well as other community services (such as EO’s Employment Service, Apprenticeship, Second Career, Ontario Works, Local boards, other service related to housing or mental health, labour adjustment services and ESL/FSL services) who were consulted in the yearly Literacy Service Planning process.
  1. LITERACY SERVICE PLAN

What strategies are being planned to address the literacy and basic skills needs of Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program clients in your community?
  1. LITERACY SERVICE PLAN

Describe the strategies being implemented to ensure each of the LBS program business priorities will be met.
2016-2017LBS Business Priorities will be released in the fall.
FOR MINISTRYONLY
Approved:
Yes No
Notes
MTCU Employment and Training Consultant
Name
Signature
Date
MTCU Service Delivery Manager
Name
Signature
Date

Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities

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