Violence Against Women
General expectations applicable to all TPRs delivering Violence Against Women services
Definitions
- “Women” includes persons who identify as women
- “Dependents” includes children and/or family members affected by violence and/or abuse, who are currently residing in the home of the individual seeking services
Legislation: Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) Act
General expectations applicable to all VAW TPRs
- TPRs will have in place the necessary physical security measures to maintain the physical safety, within the agency service location, of women and dependents receiving services and agency employees
- TPRs must confirm that a Police Vulnerable Sector Check has been completed within the last three years, and every three years thereafter for anyone who comes into unsupervised contact with women and/or their dependents while performing their duties at the agency. This requirement applies to both current and new staff, volunteers and others (e.g., students, board members)
- TPRs will have both a mechanism and a policy requiring the sharing of information with Assaulted Women’s Helpline (AWHL), Talk4Healing, and Fem’aide, and Ontario 211 regarding any service disruption, program closure or enhancements
- TPRs should keep their information up to date in community resources/connections
- TPRs will maintain an up-to-date database of TPR profiles and related program information to facilitate appropriate referrals. In addition, where appropriate, TPRs will establish protocols with Ontario 211 to transfer callers to that service and/or to have access to their database
- TPRs will have in place the appropriate referral protocol to refer callers requesting services in French to the provincial francophone crisis line (Fem’aide)
- TPRs will have in place the appropriate referral protocol to refer callers requesting Indigenous specific services to Talk4Healing
- TPRs should be in compliance with all aspects of the French Language Services Act and in designated areas provide an “active offer of services” in French. French speaking individuals should be informed about the available services in French and signs in both English and French should be displayed and visible in public areas
- TPRs will develop appropriate referral criteria and mechanisms with all local VAW providers, the Children’s Aid Society (CAS), including Indigenous Societies (IS) and appropriate children’s services in order to maximize the effectiveness of services for women, in keeping with the CAS IS VAW Collaboration Agreements
- TPRs will have a written service complaint and problem resolution process that will be made available upon request to women and dependents who use services
- TPRs are expected to provide high quality services to women who have experienced abuse and their dependents that are inclusive, person-centred, and culturally responsive
- TPRs will work collaboratively with other VAW TPR and local non-VAW service providers in order to optimize opportunities for integration of services and supports and the involvement of the broader community
- TPRs are obligated to follow all applicable legislation, acts, policy, agreements, requirements and guidelines (including but not exclusively MCCSS Violence Against Women Emergency Shelter Standards VAWCC guidelines, CAS/VAW collaboration agreements, Transitional and Housing Support Program guidelines, Guidelines on Police Record Checks for the Vulnerable Sector, and SOR-RL guidelines)
General expectations – services delivered: VAW programs
- Programs will respect the diverse needs of all women and children regardless of their ability, race, sexual orientation, political or religious beliefs, ethno-cultural background, and First Nations, Metis, Inuit identity
- The type of support will be flexible and specific to the immediate crisis situation. The level of support is based on an assessment of the individual’s needs, preferences and available individual, agency, community and contracted ministry resources
Staff providing services are required to have post-secondary education and/or relevant experience. They will be suitably trained and qualified to provide services to women who have experienced abuse and their dependents. For clinical counselling, staff are required to have a degree in social work or related field
Capacity Building
- VAW capacity building funding may be available on a fiscal basis to assist eligible TPRs to carry out a broad scope of capacity building activities to strengthen agencies’ organizational and functional capacity
- VAW agencies may choose from a broad scope of activities which fall under three general types of capacities
- Organizational and structural capacity
- Governance and human resource capacity
- Financial capacity
- VAW capacity building funding cannot be used for direct service delivery to clients
- Agencies are encouraged to work collaboratively on common activities that would benefit all the agencies or the entire VAW sector
VAW Satisfaction Survey
- TPRs will provide all individuals who have accessed MCCSS-funded VAW emergency shelter, counselling services including crisis/support, long-term therapeutic and sexual assault counselling and Transitional and Housing Support Program an opportunity to complete the VAW Satisfaction Survey
CAS IS VAW Collaboration Agreements
Legislation: Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) Act
Service objectives
To assist Children’s Aid Societies (CAS), including Indigenous Societies (IS) and Violence Against Women emergency shelter and counselling service providers to collaborate more effectively in order to increase the safety of women and their dependents.
Service description
Program goals
- To develop a consistent approach to violence against women issues in the child welfare sector
- To develop a consistent approach to child protection issues in the violence against women sector
- To build stronger working relationship between the violence against women and child welfare sectors
Ministry expectations
- CAS, including IS, and VAW agencies participating in the collaboration agreements will work cooperatively to develop safety and service planning for women who have experienced violence and their dependents
- CAS, including IS, and VAW agencies will ensure that their existing collaboration agreements are consistent with the intersection points and outcomes identified in the collaboration agreement template
- CAS, including IS, and VAW agencies will ensure that their existing collaboration agreements are consistent with the guiding principles and values of intervention as identified in the collaboration agreement template
- Agencies funded through VAW should develop and implement collaboration agreements with their local CAS including IS
- CAS, including IS, and VAW agencies are encouraged to include other agencies engaged for the provision of child welfare and VAW services in collaboration agreements (e.g., non-designated Indigenous child and family services)
- Local CAS IS/VAW Collaboration Agreement Committees will be responsible for
- Overseeing the full implementation of the signed Collaboration Agreement
- Providing ongoing monitoring of the Agreement, including identifying barriers and changes to improve collaboration
- Sharing relevant findings with participating CAS, including IS, and VAW agencies to celebrate successes and identify/address shortcomings; and
- Reporting annually to respective Regional Offices on outcomes and issues related to the Agreement
- Agencies are responsible for ensuring that decisions made by local committees are approved by agency senior management and the Board of Directors
Updated: May 23, 2023
Published: May 23, 2023