community & neighbourhood services annual report 2011
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Onward/ by 2020, calgary communities are resilient, complete and connected.
Table of Contents 1. General Manager’s Message
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2. Director’s Message
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3. Overview 4 4. Fostering Great Public Spaces and Programs
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5. Encouraging Active, Creative and Healthy Lifestyles
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6. Providing and Promoting Public Safety
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7. Fostering a Community that Cares
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8. Providing Services that Calgarians Value and Rely Upon
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9. Building and Strengthening Partnerships to Meet Community Needs
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10. Fostering a Positive, Innovative and Safe Workplace
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11. 2011 Financial Information Summary 12. Looking Ahead
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Message from the General Manager
Dear council, citizens and city colleagues,
we do all this with a staff of 5,200 hard-working, dedicated employees, in partnership with community agencies, community and social recreation partnerships, civic partners and a network of provincial and federal departments and emergency management agencies. and we do so with the needs and priorities of citizens in mind. citizens have told us they value things like libraries, recreation facilities, culture and sport facilities, and fire services. we have listened. and we are responding. on July 25, 2011, city council created a long-term sustainable funding pool to address both new and existing community infrastructure needs. their foresight
the community investment fund will allocate $252 million into tangible and useful community improvements over the next six years on things like libraries, recreation centres, swimming pools, arenas, athletic fields, parks, playgrounds and emergency services. while projects vary in scope, size and cost, every single one of them directly helps create more livable communities. i look forward to sharing more information with you on these projects in 2012! we are proud to share with you the major accomplishments and milestones we have highlighted in our 2011 annual reports. thank you to all the employees of our department who work in calgary neighbourhoods every day to make our city vibrant, healthy, safe and caring.
erika Hargesheimer General Manager community services & Protective services the city of calgary
Community & Neighborhood Services Annual Report 2011 1
improving the quality of life in calgary is at the heart of everything we do in community services & Protective services. we deliver a broad array of social, recreation, leisure and public art programs and services that encourage active lifestyles, inclusive communities and vibrant neighbourhoods for all citizens. we protect, preserve and restore public safety through the programs and services of the calgary Fire Department, 9-1-1, bylaw education and enforcement, and emergency and disaster response systems.
to create this fund demonstrates the city’s commitment to safe, sustainable and vibrant neighbourhoods for all calgarians.
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Director’s Message
On behalf of the dedicated employees of Community & Neighbourhood Services (CNS), I am pleased to present our 2011 Annual Report. Calgarians are the heart of CNS – guiding the work we do, the programs we run, the research we conduct and the funding that we provide. All these actions seek to empower Calgarians and strengthen communities because inclusive and thriving communities are the foundation of a great city.
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Serving 423,772 Calgarians through the Family and Community Support Services Program (FCSS) by providing 29.7 million dollars in leveraged funding to 83 agencies
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Serving 8,219 children in the Calgary AfterSchool Program
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Serving 25,783 children in the summer Park ‘n Play and Stay ‘n Play Programs
CNS, through our strong partnerships, provides a broad range of programs and services for children, youth, families and seniors through a prevention based approach. We seek to be nimble in our response to the needs of citizens, wherever they arise. In 2011, CNS contributed to Calgarian’s quality of life through:
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Supporting 18,684 senior visits in the Move ‘n Mingle program
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Supporting 6,360 youth through career and employment services
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Serving Calgarians over the age of 65 living on fixed incomes through 82,938 hours of home maintenance services at no charge to the senior
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Supporting over 140 community associations and social recreation groups in the stewardship of capital assets and program and services
after 33 years of service to the citizens of Calgary. Chris’ vision and dedication to the most vulnerable Calgarians was an inspiration not just for many of our programs, but for all of us at CNS.
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Offering Community Profiles (population data from Calgary’s 200 neighbourhoods) which were downloaded 68,000 times by Calgarians.
CNS looks forward to proudly serving Calgarians in 2012.
Finally, I want to acknowledge the contribution and leadership of our former Director, Chris Branch, who retired in February 2012
Cheryl Joynt Director Community & Neighbourhood Services
Community & Neighborhood Services Annual Report 2011 3
This annual report showcases both Council’s commitment to investing in services that are important to Calgarians, and CNS’ commitment to foster a city that welcomes everyone and provides them an opportunity to participate fully in Calgary. And of course, this annual report reflects the many accomplishments of CNS in 2011, which we invite you to celebrate with us.
Overview
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Community & Neighbourhood Services (CNS) is guided by Council’s priorities and the policies of the Community Services & Protective Services (CSPS) Department. Under these directives, CNS has developed its own business plan, policy and procedures.
We are focused on community well-being At CNS, we strive to be where we are needed, when we are needed. We work hand-in-hand with other City departments, as well as external organizations, to provide a coordinated and effective community response to the most pressing issues affecting Calgarians.
We nurture community engagement CNS works closely with residents, community organizations and other groups to address the unique needs of each community. We bring people together to talk about local issues and identify solutions to building stronger, self-sustaining communities.
We listen and respond to the needs of Calgarians CNS offers a wide variety of programs and services to ensure everyone, regardless of age, income or background, can benefit from quality community programming. Through on-going community engagement, we ensure our programs and services reflect the diverse needs of each community.
We believe prevention is essential for improving Calgarians’ lives CNS’ focus is on strengthening the well-being of individuals and families and creating supportive environments to improve people’s lives. Through programming for children, youth, families and seniors, as well as research, social policy, partnerships, and financial and infrastructure support to community organizations, we strive to prevent problems before they occur.
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Community & Neighborhood Services Annual Report 2011 5
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our access to diverse funding sources and partnerships allows us to leverage our investments in proven social programs and services, while providing significant value to taxpayers. the partnerships we develop and nurture allow us to extend the reach of our resources and our programming.
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cns’ focus on research, evaluation and social policy yields critical information regarding issues and trends, allowing us to deal with problems today, while preparing for future challenges. we understand knowledge-dissemination is an essential factor to creating social change, and cns has become the ‘go-to’ for local content by all levels of government, business and community organizations.
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Fostering Great Public Spaces and Programs
Social Policy and
We are focused on community well-being.
Plann At CNS, we strive to be where we are needed, when we are needed. We work hand-in-hand with ing • N other City departments, as well as external organizations, to provide a coordinated and effective eig community response to the most pressing issues affecting Calgarians. hb ou rho od The Gear Up Event, coordinated by CNS and youth and community agencies, provided 225 Se rv street-connected youth with supplies for winter, health services and an opportunity to i ce connect with community agencies in a informal and warm setting. s • Not a typical resource fair, this initiative allows youth an afternoon “off the streets” Fa and a few hours to take care of themselves. CNS’ City Links brokers the needs of lowThe Property Tax Assistance Program provides help to residential property income seniors with work done owners experiencing financial hardship. It also enhances access to by individuals facing barriers to community programs and services to individuals at risk from social problems and isolation. employment. The seniors (980 in 2011) enjoy basic yard care, snow removal, house CNS facilitated a series of community conversations with youth cleaning, interior & exterior painting and minor and residents within the Shaganappi community that promoted repairs, which allows them to continue living in community involvement, dialogue and the development of a their own homes, and workers (25,015 jobs and collective vision within the community. The result was a mural 82,938 hours of service) receive payment, skills that personified their views and what they felt was important, called the Shaganappi Mural Project. training and vocational counseling in a safe and supportive work environment.
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over 50 pregnant and parenting young mothers met their day-to-day challenges of parenting and career preparation through the Discovering your opportunities – enhancing support to young Moms Program. this program was offered through cns’ strong partnership with the united way of calgary & area, catholic Family services and the calgary board of education’s louise Dean centre.
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the community Home assistance Maintenance Program for seniors assists low-income seniors with major home repairs and identified basic needs such as medical expenses by helping them access grants and funding through municipal, provincial and federal funding programs and agencies.
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2011 was a year of captioning for the city of calgary, where screens were installed in council chambers for the first time. this allowed calgarians who might otherwise have difficulty understanding spoken language (200,000 persons in calgary with hearing loss or those with cognitive disabilities, or the 27% of calgarians whose first language is not english) to read the proceedings on screens. this initiative demonstrates the city’s commitment to universal participation in the political process. other cns initiatives that foster great public spaces and programs include: - youth employment centre - Penbrooke Meadows Playground initiative
Community & Neighborhood Services Annual Report 2011 7
the arts play a significant role in the quality of life and economic prosperity in calgary. cns’ brentwood Music on the Plaza gave some of calgary’s up and coming musicians an opportunity to perform and bring community members together. through July – august 2011, residents attended the events, giving the bands valued experience and exposure.
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The Rosscarrock Community Association identified that a community garden would be a great way of bringing together neighbours. CNS assisted with finding a volunteer to lead the project and secure funding.
The Greenview Pool Bus picks up youth in the Greenview and Thorncliffe area who have no way of getting to a recreation facility and takes them swimming at Thornhill Pool. The youth are admitted to the pool free of charge for an evening of supervised swimming and CNS leaders organize games/activities.
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Park ‘n Play and Stay ‘n Play programs, geared to economically disadvantaged citizens, are free summer drop-in programs for children that prevent social isolation, promote active healthy lifestyles and enhance social cohesion — 25,783 children served.
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Youth volunteers learning about leadership — Over 6,800 volunteer hours contributed.
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The Youth Diversity Cup is an annual two-day celebration of diversity through sport. In 2011, 947 youth and 43 teams from culturally-diverse backgrounds came together to learn sportsmanship, make new friends, gain recreational skills and use their free time positively.
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CNS works closely with the community to address their unique needs. We bring people together to talk about local issues and identify solutions to building stronger, self-sustaining communities.
Youth Village provides programs during the summer months to keep youth engaged and active in the Shaganappi area. For eight weeks, 11-17 year olds are provided with a variety of different recreational, social, leadership and educational activities.
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y and Planning CNS, through four neighbourhood services Offices, supports more than 140 community associations and social recreation groups across the city, bringing people together to explore issues and build strong and sustainable communities. Through community-driven solutions and flexible program delivery, CNS responds to the needs of Calgarians.
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to address social isolation within the senior population, cns’ Healthy living challenge Program provided support to more than 130 seniors in 2011. this program began at the Greater Forest lawn 55+ society to promote healthy lifestyles and social connections, and spread to ten other senior’s centres and two other community associations by the fall.
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“what does it means to be a wise elder?” was a question asked by the cns supported seniors action Group, a grass roots theatre company offering the play “the wise Journey.” in 2011, the play has been presented seven times to diverse audiences, engaging over 450 Calgarians and 23 volunteers.
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in 2011, 606 students attended city Hall school, along with 32 teachers and 343 parent volunteers— allowing grades 3-to-12 the opportunity to experience municipal governance up close and personal for a full week. located in the municipal building, students also engaged with council members and city staff.
other cns programs which encourage active, creative and healthy lifestyles include: - toast ‘n Jam - Martindale Development & action committee
Community & Neighborhood Services Annual Report 2011 9
there were 18,684 senior visits to 1,525 Move n’ Mingle classes – including one for the Dashmesh sikh women’s community in ne calgary. now in its tenth year, this partnership between cns and alberta Health services addresses functional independence and fall prevention for seniors marginalized by income, language and social isolation.
Providing and Promoting Public Safety
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CNS’ focus is on strengthening the well-being of individuals and families and creating supportive environments to improve people’s lives. Through programming for children, youth, families and seniors, as well as research, social policy, partnerships, and financial and infrastructure support to community organizations, we strive to prevent problems before they occur.
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CAS also saw a dramatic increase in the number of children and youth who attended more than one after school program, 2,230 in 2011.
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Calgary Community Conferencing is a restorative justice program that brings youth involved in high impact crimes and their families together with victims and others they have affected.
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Calgary After-School (CAS) provides children and youth with positive, structured and affordable activities during the critical hours between classes-ending and familyreconvening. Developed through City, school board and community collaboration, this framework has created sustainable possibilities for a Calgary-wide network of after-school opportunities, which leverage resources for the benefit of families.
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up po Listening and Re rt Se spo rvi ndin ce CAS, s g • by maximizing C › hi › existing resources and Pr leveraging partnerships, saw ev positive change in the following areas:
The Youth At Risk Development Program is an early intervention program that supports youth aged 10-17 who are at risk for gang involvement. Teams including a CNS youth probation officer and a Calgary Police Service constable work closely with youth and their families, schools and community agencies. New Roads is a family-based early intervention program for children aged 7 to 11 who engage in, or at risk of engaging in, offensive or aggressive behaviour.
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The children and youth services Division (CYS) supports young Calgarians and their families in several areas including the critical hours after school, youth justice prevention, early intervention, career development and employment. CYS maximizes positive outcomes through strong partnerships and leveraging financial investments from all levels of government and key community partners.
in 2011, the Deer ridge youth action committee identified safety (specifically, violence and vandalism) as an issue they wanted to improve. they organized a community block party—with support of cns, aspen youth Matters, calgary immigrant women’s association, Deer Park united church, calgary Housing company, and the calgary Police service—to bring residents together to discuss the issue and formulate solutions.
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cns’ street survival Guide—one of the city’s most popular guides with a print run of 60,000 annually—is now available to citizens as a smart Phone app. because more individuals from all walks of life are using smart phones, this app provides a level of access to social agencies and services like never before. the information it contains is the work of inform calgary (2-1-1), whose database contains contact information for 10,729 community, government and social service agencies.
other cns initiatives that provide and promote public safety include: - youth Probation - Gateway initiative
Community & Neighborhood Services Annual Report 2011 11
the Multi-agency school support team (Masst) worked closely with 69 children and their families in 2011. unique to calgary, this collaborative response (cns, the calgary Police service, the calgary catholic school Division and the calgary board of education) assists children exhibiting high risk behaviour. it began as a pilot project with the Government of alberta’s safe communities secretariat, and is now sustained by municipal funding.
Fostering a Community that Cares
7 Social Policy and P lann
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We listen and respond to the needs of Calgarians ing
CNS offers a wide variety of programs and services to ensure everyone, regardless of age, income or background, can benefit from quality community programming. Through on-going community engagement, we ensure our programs and services reflect the diverse needs of each community.
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hb ou CNS developed a r new revenue stream in 2011 by obtaining $296,000 from the Government of Alberta for the provision of home maintenance services to 471 eligible seniors. This required the creation of a ground-breaking and innovative partnership with the Special Needs Assistance for Seniors Program, under the provincial Seniors Ministry. This partnership has allowed City Links to maintain current levels of service to low income seniors, ensuring that they get the help they need to maintain their independence and well-being, at no cost to them.
In 2011, the Falconridge Calgary Housing complex looked to improve public areas. They met with CNS and obtained a grant from Home Depot. Perhaps more importantly, the work provided neighbours an opportunity to get to know each other better, build community pride and rekindle interest in other community projects.
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The Snow Angels program is a good neighbour initiative that encourages Calgarians to look out for older adults and people who may need assistance with snow removal. The City of Calgary Snow Angels program was the first of its kind in North America. Other cities have followed suit and there are currently 20 Snow Angel programs operating in Canada.
Over four hundred Calgarians participated in a clothing exchange organized by CNS, Deer Park United Church and Aspen Family Services. Fifty community volunteers participated, which helped meet the needs of low-income families in the area.
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Seniors represent one of the fastest growing groups in Canadian society. The work of the seniors services Division, in collaboration with corporate and community stakeholders, is integral to the development of a comprehensive seniors’ strategy that focuses on creating enhanced services for older adults and Calgary becoming an Age-Friendly City.
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in 2011, over 1,500 volunteer hours were contributed and 12 seniors’ homes were painted through cns’ Paint the town program. an opportunity for corporations and agencies to respond to the needs of the community by participating in employee volunteerism, cns provided expertise in training and supervision to 224 corporate volunteers.
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in 2011, Family and community support services (Fcss) served 423,772 Calgarians through support to 83 agencies, delivering 126 programs.
other cns initiatives that foster a community that cares include: - northwest youth volunteer Program - calgary after school youth volunteer Program - Partnership with united way to advance neighbourhood outcomes
Community & Neighborhood Services Annual Report 2011 13
cns’ access 3-6: extending the Gym provided 3,555 hours of free after-school programming. offered in 43 schools across the city, 2011 was the first full year of providing non-profit groups and agencies access to school facilities from 3-6 p.m., and is a collaboration between cns’ calgary afterschool, upstart, calgary recreation, the calgary catholic school Division and the calgary board of education.
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Providing Services that Calgarians Value and Rely Upon
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CNS’ focus on research, evaluation and social policy yields critical information regarding issues and trends, allowing us to deal with problems today, while preparing for future challenges. We understand knowledgedissemination is an essential factor to creating social change, and CNS has become the ‘go-to’ for local content by all levels of government, business and community organizations.
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CNS uses Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis to better understand and measure the value of social and environmental impact of programming, relative to resources invested. Translated: $1 invested provides up to a $13 return. In 2011, the Qualitative Sustainability Assessment project was completed in partnership with the Office of Sustainability, Asset Management and Recreation, paving the way for SROI analysis in future infrastructure investment.
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The Welcoming Community Policy offers a blueprint for the successful integration of immigrants into Calgary and was approved by Council in January of 2011. It does so by engaging immigrants and assisting other levels of governments in addressing their distinct needs—such as limited affordable and appropriate housing, struggles in the labour market and social exclusion and isolation.
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an The ni ng Youth • Employment S Centre (YEC) provides a comprehensive, integrated approach to assist youth with education, career development, and employment opportunities. YEC hosts two annual hiring fairs, one in the summer and one online. These connect over 8000 youth with an array of employers from a wide variety of industries resulting in almost 6,000 job opportunities for Calgary’s youth. 2011 YEC Hiring Fair Numbers
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Reliable research, strategic development and meaningful community engagement on social issues is the work of the social Policy and Planning Division in CNS. This work lays the foundation to the question: How do we best live together in cities, so that every Calgarian enjoys a sense of belonging, an improved quality of life and equal access to services?
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based on the 2010 access Design standards, the universal Design checklist field guide for architects, designers and contractors details how city-owned and operated buildings can augment building code using universally accessible parameters. universal design looks at physical environments from the perspective of how an individual might interact with a space over their entire life span, whether able-bodied or not, creating sustainable infrastructure.
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shifting Horizons: Housing needs changing as calgary’s Population ages was published by cns in 2011. it details the older adult population in calgary today, the housing choices that are currently available, and projections for required housing types over the next 30 years as a result of calgary’s aging population.
the 2011 edition of signposts provides data, trends and sentiments of calgarians before, during and after the economic recession of 2008-2010. it assists readers in understanding the changing needs and concerns of calgarians over time. it is also useful to service providers in our growing and changing city, now that we won’t have a long-form census data from statistics canada.
other cns initiatives that provide services that calgarians value and rely upon include: - community Profile information - social outlook knowledge network
Community & Neighborhood Services Annual Report 2011 15
cns, the driving force behind stats-and-the-city, organized a presentation in 2011 by Dr. David Foot that focused on calgary’s upcoming massive demographic shift. Dr. David Foot is one of the preeminent experts on aging population, and his presentation from the best-selling book boom, bust & echo: How to Profit from the coming Demographic shift was well-received by over 260 city staff.
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Building and Strengthening Partnerships to Meet Community Needs
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In 2011, CNS provided workshops attended by 275 community volunteers resulting in increased volunteer capacity within community associations and social recreation organizations that hold a lease or licence with The City. This workshop series focused on organizational development, financial management, community engagement and volunteer management.
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Social Return on Investment: 6-13 times the value per dollar invested
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the Government of Alberta and 30 cents from The City of Calgary) leveraged $1.35 in other resources. FCSS is a resource, positioning The City of Calgary as “a great place to make a living; a great place to make a life.”
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CNS’ collaborative approach is rooted in a belief that together, we can accomplish much more than we could separately. CNS works closely with residents and community organizations to address the unique needs of each community.. The access that CNS has to diverse funding sources and partnerships allows people and groups to come together to talk about local issues and explore ways to Fa build stronger, self sustaining communities. These partnerships allow The City to make m ily significantly higher investments in preventive social programs and services which results & in greater value for Calgarians. C
CNS redesigned the Age-Based Differential Fees and Low-Income Subsidy Program to include common standards for subsidizing user fees across several City service points (Recreation, Transit, etc). This honours The City’s commitment to ensuring equity in its actions, decisions and services to Calgarians—specifically those with lower incomes—based on principles of fairness.
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The Family & community support services Division funds community partners and programs by focusing on two priorities: increasing social inclusion for vulnerable populations so everyone can succeed, and strengthening neighbourhoods to create a vibrant urban fabric. These two initiatives prevent child neglect, youth gangs, family violence and other social problems.
the care strategy Framework for action was presented at unesco’s european coalition of cities against racism annual general conference held in Ghent, belgium in 2011. it focussed on four inter-connected priorities related to citizen-centered services for calgary’s immigrant families: assessing, engaging, sharing and educating. unesco plans to feature this work in their 2012 report on “Good Practices of the international coalition of cities.”
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the action Group on elder abuse and the alberta elder awareness network are involved in raising awareness and training about elder abuse and neglect. cns plays a significant role in creating new linkages and expanding the audience base along with the provincially-led project, Hidden in the cultural Fabric—elder abuse and neglect in ethno-cultural communities, to develop resources for ethno-cultural communities.
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the staples for education program is a partnership between staples and cns. with support from generous calgarians, school children are given the tools they need to succeed at school. in 2011, the program provided over 2500 backpacks and made a big difference in the lives of children. other cns initiatives that provide services that calgarians value and rely upon include: - centre city social Planning - seniors community Development services
Community & Neighborhood Services Annual Report 2011 17
First nations are the fastest growing population in our city (a 75 per cent increase since 1996, with 46 per cent under age 25). cns’ aboriginal resource Fair featured information, learning and events around justice, employment, human rights and health—to engage a broad base of stakeholders interested in sustainable advances for First nation calgarians. it was hosted by the calgary urban aboriginal initiative (cuai), a tri-governmental partnership that often catalyzes such partnerships at the community level.
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Fostering a Positive, Innovative and Safe Workplace
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CNS continues to have one of the highest employee satisfaction ratings in The City. 81 per cent of CNS staff were satisfied with the overall quality of their work life in 2011, up from 77 per cent satisfied in 2010. In addition, 85 per cent of staff were satisfied with the fairness and respect they receive on the job from the person they report to, and 92 per cent feel that their working conditions are safe.
These measures help ensure safe working conditions for employees and those we serve.
Employee Satisfaction Rating 100
CNS is committed to ensuring that employee satisfaction levels remain high and that CNS continues to have a positive, safe and innovative workplace.
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Established a standardized process and form that must be used by employees related to an incident.
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In 2011, CNS continued to promote safe and healthy working conditions through the promotion of health, safety and wellness initiatives. CNS initiatives included:
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in 2011, several cns staff had the opportunity to participate in a week-long leadership event – the communities collaborating institute. this event provided information and tools to further professional skills required—specifically in the area of engaging communities to effect change in their neighbourhoods.
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cns’ Project Protégé Program saw a 33 per cent increase in protégé/mentor matches in 2011. in partnership with the university of calgary, Mount royal university and rocky Mountain college, post-secondary students were matched with cns employees in mentoring relationships. the goal was to bridge the transition for post secondary students upon graduation, and promote the city of calgary and cns as an employer of choice.
Community & Neighborhood Services Annual Report 2011 19
similar to “job shadowing”, the knowledge exchange experience (kee) Pilot provides an internal opportunity for staff to learn from colleagues, ranging from basic observation to more intensive skill-sharing. kee supports career planning and personal relationship building, as well as opportunities to refine service delivery. children & youth services led the pilot in 2011 and intends to expand it across cns in the future.
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2011 Financial Information Summary
11
Our access to diverse funding sources and partnerships allows us to leverage our investments in proven social programs and services, while providing significant value to taxpayers. The partnerships we develop and nurture allow us to extend the reach of our resources and our programming. CNS delivers programs and services efficiently through a culture of progression and creativity that support innovation. This report provides highlights of CNS’ accomplishments guided by the four strategic lines of service outlined in the Community Services & Protective Services Business Plan: •
Social Services and Recreational Opportunities
•
Preventative Social Services Funding
•
Building Community Capacity
•
Social Research
CNS 2011 Budget
0.3 8.1
2.0
9.5 9.1
Director's Office
Social Research
Build Community Capacity Preventive Social Service Funding
Social Services and Recreational Opportunities
2011 CNS Financial Statement Actual (millions)
Director’s Office
0.3
0.3
Build Community Capacity
9.5
9.6
Preventive Social Service Funding
9.1
9.1
Social Research
2.0
2.0
Social Services and Recreational Opportunities
8.1
8.0
TOTAL
29.0
29.0
Community & Neighborhood Services Annual Report 2011 21
Budget (millions)
12
Looking Ahead
As Calgary continues to grow and change, CNS — in partnership with Calgarians—will continue to transform government through the provision of relevant and responsive programs and services. CNS’ commitment and dedication to fostering the well-being of Calgarians is the starting point of all of our citizen centric based programs and services. Looking forward to 2012, CNS will continue to offer programs and services marked with transparency, accountability, civic engagement, innovation and strategic vision. Some of our priorities in 2012 include:
Family and Community Support Services
Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative
CNS is appreciative of the commitment City Council showed to our work last year through an increase to Family and Community Support Services. Mindful of the pressures facing non-profit agencies funded by FCSS, Council showed bold leadership in its budget discussions for 2012 – 2014 by increasing its contribution to the FCSS Calgary program by $1.7 million. This will be used to strengthen agencies and advance Council’s FCSS priorities.
CNS, in partnership with the United Way of Calgary, launched the Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative (CPRI) in 2012. Under the guidance of a community-based Stewardship Group (comprised of business leaders, community agencies and other levels of government), the goal of this initiative is to develop a comprehensive plan to reduce poverty in Calgary. Over the next year, the CPRI will be actively engaging Calgarians for their insights and recommendations on ways to effectively reduce poverty in our city.
Youth Employment Centre
In 2009, CNS launched the Strong Neighbourhoods Initiative (SNI) in eight neighbourhoods. This 10-year project involves FCSS and Neighbourhood Services staff working together with residents in these communities to improve engagement through supporting the interests and ideas of local citizens. Without SNI, Calgary could anticipate seeing concentrations of poverty grow in both number and depth. In 2012, SNI will continue to work with residents to ensure that these eight neighbourhoods and their residents thrive through increasing social ties, personal capacity (and economic well-being), family cohesion and positive child and youth development.
2012 marks the 25th Anniversary of the Youth Employment Centre (YEC). Through CNS’ responsive programming, we continue to strive to be the service provider of choice, which fosters in youth a commitment to lifelong career planning. Since 1987 YEC has served over 120,000 youth. And, in the last six years we have worked with approximately 60,000 young citizens. Through community education and promotion YEC serves as the partner that connects youth to positive career opportunities in Calgary. In 2012, YEC will be increasing its presence on social media through Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Community & Neighborhood Services Annual Report 2011 23
Strong Neighbourhoods Initiative
Testimonials “Being a low-income widowed senior of 80 years plus, I know how lucky I am to still be living in my own home. Unfortunately, living in one’s own home at my age limits the amount of work, time and funds that are required in home maintenance. To that end, I would like to extend my deep gratitude and appreciation to The City of Calgary, and ....its volunteer employees (Paint the Town) that came together to improve and maintain my home....your work in the community [is] what makes Calgary such a great place to live!” – Paint the Town Recipient “I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the fair…awesome turnout and I really appreciated the opportunity to network and learn about some resources in Calgary I hadn’t heard of. Thank you SOO much for putting this together. I hope Calgary Urban Aboriginal Initiative is able to do it again next year.” – Community Partner
“My children are very curious about my past. When they read what I had written they were awed, they were crying. This course made me realize not how many doors have closed in my life, but also how many doors have opened. To me, it was like a revelation. This is so great that we were given this opportunity to do this.” – Seniors Writing Participant “Thank you to all our City of Calgary partners in Neighbourhood Services for helping to make Move n’ Mingle such a successful program. The participants tell me how much of a difference the program is making to their lives: they are stronger, have more energy, less falls, and less pain. They report having more friends, not feeling so isolated, and generally more capacity to care for themselves. Attending class gives them a reason to get out each day and when they come back home they are feeling better, and feel that they matter to us.” – Community Partner “The support for our family has been nothing but outstanding. They are making an amazing difference in children’s lives by giving them the support they need to make better choices. They help us parents make better choices too.” – MASST parent
“I loved it! I felt like I was giving back and made me feel good!” – Gear Up Event Volunteer
“I just love people and working with people...It started with simple idea to do a lovely homemade dinner for seniors only, but there was need in the community for social gathering where families can meet, share issues, laugh, concerns, place where they can talk...I’m very thankful for SNI support, as without SNI support our dinner functions would be more challenging to create.” – Business Owner and Community Connector in Sunalta Community “This summer, I met so many great kids who participated in the camp with so much enthusiasm and also had the pleasure of meeting many of their parents. It was great to see the parents so pleased with the new knowledge, skills and experiences that their children had attained from the summer.” – Past Program Coordinator and Summer Student
Community & Neighborhood Services Annual Report 2011 25
“As the artist who was humbled by the opportunity to cocreate the Shaganappi mural project in 2011, I can reflect on the overwhelmingly positive experience of working in such a unique community. I observed immense energy and passion working with children and youth, chaotic at times, yet refreshing as we moved towards the completion of a colourful expression of collaboration. The result of our efforts was a strengthened sense of place and the emergence of new community leaders. My brother visited the mural after completion whereby he was greeted by several excited young faces, all wanting to tell him of the process of working with an artist as the pride of their creative accomplishment resonated.” – Artist Working with Shaganappi Mural Project
community & neighbourhood services annual report 2011
2012-0230