Income Security: A Roadmap for Change

• A simpler social assistance structure that greatly reduces reporting
requirements, meaning there are fewer rules that staff must learn,
apply and monitor and that individuals and families must worry about
and respond to
• A collaborative approach that does not rely on financial penalties to enforce
behaviour and undermine the ability of front-line workers to develop an
individualized plan
• Modernized delivery and more online, easy-to-use services, while
recognizing that technology solutions must be directly aligned to the new
paradigm and that such solutions will not work for everyone
• A different approach to program integrity and accountability that focusses
on system-level risks rather than individual “policing”
• The new approach is based on clear and reasonable accountability,
understanding that individuals drive their own plans with assistance and
support from their workers In concert with the other changes needed to shift
the culture, workers will follow through on the new approach to planning and
assessment and make connections to the needed resources In collaboration
with their workers, individuals will identify elements of their plan and steps to
achieve them
DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS
8.1
Position front-line workers as case collaborators whose
primary role is to act as supportive problem-solvers and
human services system navigators in a way that allows people
to share information without fear of reprisals This includes
working with individuals in both individual and group settings
100 Income Security: A Roadmap for Change