Welcome to our Inclusion Program
Recreation and leisure activities are a big part of the quality of life for all people. They encourage fun, meeting new friends and the development of different skills and abilities.
The City of Orillia strives to a be safe, fun and welcoming place, for all participants.
If you or your child requires extra support to participate in a City of Orillia program, you may be able to register for our Inclusion Support Program.
Through this program a dedicated staff member called an Inclusion Facilitator will support you or your child for the duration of the program.
If you already have an external support person/facilitator and want them to attend a program at any of our facilities
you are welcome to do so. The support person/facilitator will not be charged any additional fees.
You or your child may require a facilitator if you:
• Have a physical, visual, hearing, developmental or intellectual disability.
• Have attention or behaviour challenges.
• Receive support or special education services at school or, from a community agency.
Type of Support
Option 1: External Support
Individuals may attend any of our programs or facilities with their own external support person or personal mediator that is arranged by the participant. The City of Orillia does not arrange external support workers.
Option 2: City of Orillia Inclusion Support
The City of Orillia may be able to provide one-to-one support staff if required for the day camp setting and some registered programming at an additional cost. We cannot guarantee that we will have support available, but we do our best to find the right fit for you or your child!
Day Camps
No additional charge to the cost of the program.
An external support person can include:
• A parent
• Family member
• Personal support worker
• Other
External Support Persons must provide:
• A recent Police Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening (within 12 months of attending the program).
• Mediator Support Form prior to the participant starting in a program.
All participants have access to three weeks of inclusion support per summer.
Week 1: Free support + cost of camp
Week 2 & 3: $370 for support + cost of camp
Spaces are limited and the Recreation, Youth and Culture Disivion aims to provide equal access to these spots. Registration for our inclusion spots begins at our Inclusion Registration Night (see next page).
We’ll try to keep the same facilitator with your child throughout the program but in the case of external circumstance, such as illness, this cannot be guaranteed. If this does occur, we will do our best to notify you as soon as we are made aware.
Facilitators may require breaks throughout the day. During their break, another staff person will be with your child. This may be a Coordinator, Supervisor or Camp Counsellor within the day camp your child is enrolled in. They will be aware of your child’s needs during this time.
Inclusion Registration
Night: Day Camp
Come out to our Inclusion
Registration Night to learn more about our inclusion program and register for camp. There will be a short presentation on our inclusion program and you will be free to ask any questions you have. You will have two time slots to choose from.
After each presentation, you will have the ability to register with our day camp staff programming team. An open gym with two to three staff persons will be provided during registration night in order to accommodate your child, free of charge. Please bring additional support if your child may require it during this time. Inclusion Registration Night details can be found in the Summer Splash recreation guide.
Registered Programming
Participants have access to an Inclusion Facilitator for any of our seasonal registered programming as long as staffing permits. If you are interested in receiving additional support for a registered program, please fill out our “Participant Intake Form”.
Participant Intake Form
(Confidential)
All participants who require additional support, adaptations, or are attending a program with a City of Orillia 1:1 Inclusion Facilitator are required to fill out the Participant Intake Form.
Information is collected to help prepare our staff, programming and environment to accommodate the unique needs of participants.
The intake form is confidential and will only be provided to the staff and/ or volunteers working directly with a participant.
Once received, our staff review the intake form to ensure our facilitators have the appropriate training and skills to ensure a successful time for your child.
If for any reason the participant requires assistance outside of our scope, we work with the family to try find an alternate arrangement.
$80 + cost of eight week program
Please fill out the Participant Intake Form prior to registering for the program.
Staff need to ensure there is an Inclusion Facilitator available for you or your child. Please do not complete regular camp registration as it may take up a space for another camper. Due to the 1:1 nature of our support, you will not lose your spot in the programming while the form is being reviewed.
Facilitator Training
All facilitators have the following training:
• Current Standard First Aid with CPR-C.
• Acceptable Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sectors screening.
• High Five Certification – Based on extensive research on the characteristics of quality programs, High Five establishes the five principles that ensure positive experiences in a recreation and leisure setting.
• Behaviour Management Systems – This training covers the latest information on child development and behaviour, as well as provide effective management of challenging behaviour to provide a safe and secure camp/programs environment.
• All facilitators complete training which includes sessions on facilitating friendships, encouraging participation in activities, and managing emergency situations.
• Facilitators learn basic behaviour management, including a review of our hands-off policy and redirection techniques.
Facilitators do not/cannot:
• Have training on physical restraints.
• Have training on lifts or transfers.
• Have training to administer medication.
• Provide toileting or personal care. Facilitators can provide verbal prompts for going to the washroom and changing.
• Are not certified Child and Youth Workers, Education Assistants, Personal Support Workers, or Early Childhood Educators.
Inclusion facilitators are usually students with limited behaviour management training. It is important that families and caregivers are aware that staff are not able to provide the same level of support as educational assistants or behaviour therapists.
Please be aware that an individual who may require restraint holds or physical interventions requires an external support worker.
Program Expectations and Program Readiness
Program Expectations
The City of Orillia wants to provide a place that is safe, fun, and welcoming. Ensuring that everyone in our programs has the same understanding of our expectations is all part of creating an enjoyable program experience for everyone.
We expect that everyone participating in our programs will:
• Be an active participant in the program experience, within program boundaries.
• Use acceptable language – use of abusive language, profanity, bullying, or intimidation is not tolerated. The City of Orillia does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on any protected characteristic.
• Follow our “Hands Off” policy, Respond Procedure and Respect + Procedure.
• Understand that touching or taking personal property without permission will not be tolerated.
• Be independent in toileting and personal care or provide an external support worker to assist with personal care. City of Orillia Inclusion Facilitators can provide verbal prompts and direction in toileting and personal care.
• To be eligible for support, the participant must be "program ready," and willing and able to take part (with accommodation, if required).
Program Readiness
All participants must be program ready. To be program ready, a participant must be able to:
• Take direction and instruction from a staff person.
• Interact and participate within the program environment (based on the participants’ abilities).
• Interact and participate in a way that is safe for themselves and others.
• Attend school successfully (if school-aged), with or without additional support.
If a participant is not showing that they are program ready, they may be removed from the program or will be required to provide an external support worker.
