Resolutions Passed at Inclusion BC Annual General Meeting

Two resolutions were passed by the Inclusion BC federation at its Annual General Meeting on May 24, 2019. The resolutions addressed choice and funding in housing options and standards of practice in the community inclusion sector.

Resolution 1

CONSISTENT STANDARDS OF PRACTICE

(Presented by Inclusion Powell River)

Supporting statement:

The vision of a rich quality of life for individuals with intellectual disabilities has been the hallmark of the community living movement since its inception. The lack of a standardized credential of professional standards for employees within the sector may have inhibited the ability to achieve this vision. Agencies, providing services to people with intellectual disabilities in BC, are dealing with an unprecedented work force management challenge. Recruitment and retention issues are significantly impacting on the continuity of service delivery and on quality of life.

The path to achieving this vision requires further exploration through a unified effort by:

• Community Living BC
• Government
• Funders
• Organizations
• Provincial representatives
• Educators
• Accreditation bodies
• Family members
• Advocacy groups

RESOLUTION

BECAUSE, consistent, sector-wide competencies and standards of practice for Community Living Services improve the quality of life for persons served, strengthen the effectiveness of community living organizations, reduce risk, and improve employee working conditions; and

BECAUSE, for persons served, improvement in areas like social inclusion, relationship development, and employment provide components for a rich quality of life; and

BECAUSE, for organizations and workers, improvements in recruitment and retention, increased wages, reduced time loss due to illness or injury, and increased job satisfaction also follow.

BE IT DECIDED, Inclusion BC affirm its support for the Valued People=Valued Work project lead by Inclusion Powell River Society and funded through the Vancouver Foundation, currently in phase one of three potential funding stages, to engage in sector-wide collaboration that is working to improve the quality of life for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Resolution 2

HOUSING CHOICE

(Presented by Bob Lipsett, Kamloops Society for Community Inclusion)

Supporting Statement:

CLBC is restricting access to choice of housing by limiting an individual’s funding through the Guide to Support Allocation (GSA). The amount of funding allocated to an individual restricts choice to narrowly prescribed models of housing and support. Choice of housing and support is a fundamental right and is a cornerstone of social justice.

RESOLUTION

BECAUSE, CLBC seems to offer residential services that are suited to a person’s unique needs, in reality housing arrangements are limited to funding allocated within an individual’s GSA; and

BECAUSE, we are not aware of any data that compares the full cost of various support options available (including but not limited to: group homes, shared living and individualized support) to justify using the GSA to determine housing options; and

BECAUSE, “choice and control” is a fundamental condition of inclusive housing, as stated in the 2018 CLBC/Inclusion BC report “Home is where our Story Begins;” and

BECAUSE, choice of housing and support is a fundamental right and a cornerstone of social justice; and

BE IT DECIDED, that Inclusion BC will advocate with strength and purpose to change CLBC’s current practice of marrying an individual’s funding to specific types of housing and support.

This on inclusion BC website go to the link here