June 15th, 2016
This year Community Living BC (CLBC) marked its 10th birthday with a special anniversary web site and a 10-year progress report to honour individuals and families. Their contributions continue to help CLBC work toward a new generation of possibilities.
This year is also the final year of CLBC’s current strategic plan, and work has now begun to identify its direction for the next three years.
“We are committed to continuously improving the way we serve individuals and families,” says Seonag Macrae, CLBC CEO. “Our focus this past year has been to strengthen our structure and systems and begin to roll out better ways of doing things.”
This year, in an effort to improve responsiveness to individuals and families, CLBC has been transitioning regional staff toward integrated teams with the aim of better internal collaboration and decision making. At the same time, staff are working on ongoing initiatives that include improving the planning experience, aging and employment.
CLBC is also pursuing new kinds of supports like the Advancing New Support Options project. The project involves working with teams of service providers, families, self advocates and CLBC staff to co-create new ways of providing day support services that focus on helping individuals pursue employment and other personal goals.
Setting goals for the next three years
Work has now also begun to synthesize feedback received from many individuals, families, service providers and other groups over recent years about future needs. This includes feedback gathered in consultation sessions and interviews across the province last summer, information gathered from our annual service satisfaction surveys, and extensive input gathered on many recent projects.
Initial themes, priority areas and possible goals are being developed by CLBC’s senior management. On Saturday, June 4, CLBC’s board met together with its Provincial Advisory Committee, which includes individuals and family members from CLBC Community Councils, to discuss preliminary goal areas and provide input on what success would look like.
Focused on strengthening relationships
In August CLBC CEO Seonag Macrae will visit more than 10 communities across B.C. to hear from service providers and local and regional CLBC staff.
“Our priority is to determine how to improve services as we face strong growth,” says Macrae. “We will be focused on how we can strengthen the transition into CLBC services, how we can improve service quality, and how our programs and services can continue to enhance inclusion, for example through increasing employment.”
CLBC aims to have its new strategic plan in place by December 2016.
