The Community Hub Framework Advisory Group has released a report to guide the development of community hubs. The report, Community Hubs in Ontario: A Strategic Framework and Action Plan, is the first step towards bringing services together. A community hub can be a school, neighbourhood centre or other public space that offers co-ordinated services such as education, health care and social services. The Advisory Group’s action plan lays out eight overarching recommendations to improve community hubs, including:
- Creating a provincial lead for community hubs
- Fostering integrated service delivery
- Developing a provincial strategy for public properties
- Removing barriers and creating incentives
- Supporting integrated and long-term local planning
- Ensuring financial sustainability
- Increasing local capacity
- Evaluating and monitoring outcomes.
The recommendations were informed by more than 350 organizations and held over 70 meetings with stakeholders, including sector organizations, local service providers across the province and provincial ministries. Input was also collected through an interactive Community Talk website that received over 6,000 hits, and an online survey, which gathered over 400 responses. A report summarizing what the Advisory Group heard in their consultations is available online.
“Our government is fully supportive of the recommendations laid out in this report,” said Premier Kathleen Wynne. “We will continue to work with our partners and stakeholders to transform public service delivery to better meet the needs of Ontarians.”
For more information on the Action Plan, visit the Government of Ontario website.