The Table - A Publication for Boards of Directors

YOUR SARC BOARD AT WORK

In Focus: September 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022

Accreditation

After months of work, on September 29, SARC submitted its evidence package and all documentation and resources to Imagine Canada. On October 13, SARC received an email indicating that the initial review of our application package and all the evidence that was submitted had concluded and that there were no flags with our application. SARC’s accreditation application package was then put forward to the Peer Review Committee. We expect to hear the outcome in late April.

Employee Recognition Banquet

- October 20

A number of SARC Board Members and their guests were in attendance for our first Employee Recognition Banquet in two years. SARCAN employees and employees from our administration office that had reached employment milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 years, as well as retirees, were in attendance and recognized for their contributions. The evening was filled with stories and laughter that also sparked a few proud tears as coworkers, families, friends, and the SARC Board celebrated the dedication of 125 amazing employees.

Fall Conference and Awards

Banquet

- October 26, 27

After two years of not attending in-person conferences, SARC hosted the Fall Conference in Regina on October 26th and 27th. Eleven out of twelve SARC Board Members attended and had the opportunity to network with Board Members and senior staff from other organizations. The SARC Board also attended the SARC Awards Banquet, where six well-deserving recipients were honoured and recognized for their exceptional accomplishments, impressive skills and work ethic, volunteer commitments, community development, and inclusive employment practices.

At the annual SARC Awards Banquet, recipients are presented with their awards in front of family, friends, SARC Members, government dignitaries, and special guests. This banquet fills the soul of those in attendance and is one of the year’s highlights for the SARC Board.

The Provincial Partnership –

Strategic

Planning Sessions – November 8, December 6

Since 1997, SARC and the Ministry of Social Services have remained signatories and participants in the Provincial Partnership The Provincial Partnership is a formal agreed-upon commitment by both parties to collaborate and work on initiatives aimed at strengthening the Disability Service sector and the supports provided.

SARC’s Executive Committee serves as SARC Board Representatives along with SARC's Executive Director, Assistant Executive Director, and Assistant Director of Member Services. This group meets quarterly each year with senior representatives within CLSD.

Most recently, SARC and CLSD spent two days together discussing overall sector progress to date around person-centred practices and spent time strategizing about initiatives aimed at supporting further sector development. The group plans to reconvene in March.

Holiday Social - December 2

On December 2, after a day of committee meetings and presentations, the SARC Board and their guests gathered for an evening of fun and festivities. After a great meal, and spirited gift exchange, everyone in attendance tried their hand at painting their own masterpiece.

DISABILITY SERVICE SECTOR HR STRATEGY UPDATE VOICE COLLECTIVE

With just a couple of months to go until the release of the provincial budget for 2023 - 2024, we wanted to provide an update on SARC and Member activities leading up to the timeframe of government budget finalization.

LETTER WRITING

Through SARC’s Member Advocacy Toolkit, Members were asked to write letters to their MLA(s) and the Minister of Social Services to express the urgent need for increased government funding and action in support of the Disability Service sector workforce. Templates were provided to support Members to write letters from an organizational perspective and for consideration in asking employees, people supported by the organization, and families of those supported to write their own letters. Thirty of SARC’s 80 Regular and Associate Members (38%) participated in this campaign.

*based on what was shared with SARC SARC’s own letter to the Minister, which was copied to Members and all MLAs, officially requested a $24 million investment to support sector recruitment and retention strategies, which would include providing wage parity between Direct Support Professionals and Continuing Care Assistants and corresponding percentage increases to other key positions within the Disability Service sector.

SARC MEETINGS WITH GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES

SARC met with The Honourable Gene Makowsky, Minister of Social Services, in August to set the stage for the specific budget request that was submitted in September. We also met with Kimberly Kratzig, Deputy Minister, and Louise Michaud, Assistant Deputy Minister, on September 20 and October 5 as well as the Assistant Deputy Minister alone on October 26 and December 1 to provide an orientation to the sector (with the Deputy Minister being new to the portfolio), context to our budget requests, and to inquire as to the status of their internal analysis of the Health Human Resources Action Plan and the possibility of resourcing a task team to explore/implement similar strategies for our sector (which was also part of our budget request). On January 11, we again met with Minister Makowsky to ask for his support during the finalization of the next provincial budget and stressed the importance of funding for salaries, benefits, and recruitment strategies.

This fall, SARC also engaged with The Official Opposition’s CBO Critic, Meara Conway, following her expression of interest to learn more about the challenges the Disability Service sector is facing. We are also aware of a few Members who met with her to have similar discussions. Ms. Conway also invited SARC to be introduced as a guest by both the Minister and herself at the Legislature during Session on October 27 and took the opportunity to refer to the challenges that our sector is facing.

MEMBER MEETINGS WITH GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES

SARC also asked Members to meet with their MLA(s) in the fall to have a discussion that could be more detailed than what was relayed in their letter regarding the current situation and the impact it is having on people experiencing disability.

Seventeen Members (21%) informed SARC that they had met with one or more MLAs, which is down from the previous year’s 34%.

SOCIAL MEDIA

New to SARC’s advocacy initiatives this past year was a social media campaign to highlight various facts, concerns, and actionable measures people in the Disability Service sector and the general public can take and share to help increase awareness, as increased public awareness can be a contributing factor in achieving our advocacy goals. Members were asked to encourage employees, people supported, families of those supported, and others in their network to follow SARC’s social media accounts and help spread the word.

The social media posts were general in nature related to the need for increased funding for improved wages/benefits. The campaign resulted in 50 new followers to SARC’s Facebook account and our top-performing post reaching more than 2,100 people.

Thank you to all SARC Members that participated in these activities - we appreciate you adding your voice to strengthen our provincial message!

SARC'S PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN

In addition to the specific advocacy activities already mentioned, SARC has continued working with the Advocacy Committee and Subcommittees, which are comprised of 19 Member organizations, on the development of a public relations campaign to profile the value and importance of the Disability Service sector. After a series of meetings and workshops to establish a brand identity and key messages for the campaign, we are currently awaiting our first look at creative materials to be developed by our contracted firm, Brown Communications. We hope to launch this campaign in May to coincide with Disability Service Professionals Week. Stay tuned for more information on this, as we will be asking our Members to help us expand our reach with this messaging for greater impact.

Next Steps

Following the provincial budget (currently slated for March 22), we intend to engage our Members in ‘next steps’ discussions at April’s Regional Meetings.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Amy McNeil, Executive Director, at (306) 933-0616, ext. 229 or amcneil@sarcan.sk.ca, or Melanie Weiss, Director of Member Services/AED, at (306) 933-0616, ext. 245 or mweiss@sarcan.sk.ca.

know your sarc board

Elaine Carter North Region Associate Board Representative Onion Lake, SK

Hi, my name is Elaine. I was raised in various communities in southern SK, AB, and BC before moving to Onion Lake in 1974. Since then, I have lived at times in Saskatoon for postsecondary education at the SIFC/FNUC/UR from 1990 to 2000. In the mid-1980s, I briefly lived in Vancouver before returning home to Onion Lake. I currently call Onion Lake home and am surrounded by friends and family in our community.

Onion Lake is known for having one of the largest Powwow celebrations in Canada, with no admission cost. Average people in attendance for the 3 days event is 10,000. I have parentage in Onion Lake and Frog Lake, and there is a landmark, the hidden graveyard in Loon Lake, where First Nations people were buried after fleeing the North West Mounted Police. This fact I find interesting, as it comes from a time when culture had to be hidden and it was not acceptable due to assimilation methods that only recently stopped in the 1980’s in Onion Lake, when the last day school delivery ended.

Some of my favourite places to visit are the beaches in Vancouver and I love to visit my friends and family on the coast. I have also enjoyed exploring the Calgary Tower and Vancouver Tower restaurants, which has resulted in a fun bucket list to visit as many towers in Canada and the US as possible.

After completing my post-secondary education, I worked in management in post-secondary programming, Government research/policy development, economic development, finance, housing, trades development, and, finally, health management. While I enjoy volunteering and have enjoyed the past six months on the SARC

board, I don’t see volunteering as a work of choice; rather, it’s what a person can offer to anyone or any organization.

Outside of my volunteer commitments, I spend much of my time with my husband of 40 years where we explore our travel and foodie interests. When we were younger, we enjoyed fishing and camping with our two children, but, due to our health, we now enjoy more comfortable lodgings.

Outside of travel, I enjoy spending my time with my extended family and having dogs for our family pets. When our children were younger, we also kept hamsters, chickens, birds, fish, and rabbits.

It’s also very important for us to support others within the Onion Lake region. We do this by working with our local food bank or supporting other members of the community at community Wakes.

Before joining the SARC Board, I was a volunteer on the Economic Development Board from 2017-2022, which was a challenging yet rewarding experience.

A highlight from my time on the Board so far was during the SARC Awards Banquet and getting to sit with one of the recipients. I think of the Board as family-based and welcoming of all others and look forward to more experiences and how we can work together to create a better environment for all.

Can ELEVATE Help Your Board with its New Year’s Resolutions?

by Desiree Tirk, SARC Facilitator/Resource Developer - Leadership

Many of us start the year off by making promises to ourselves around personal and professional growth. We make a commitment to continue learning, growing our skills, or developing habits that will encourage a more positive life or experience. As a board director, the beginning of the year is a perfect time to reflect and set personal goals and resolutions that can make your board service even more meaningful. After all, your commitment, passion, and dedication in your role as a board director is vital to the leadership, oversight, direction, and success of the organization.

As your board considers its New Year’s resolutions, also consider that SARC’s online leadership and professional development program ELEVATE can help. ELEVATE was recently re-launched with updated content and new modules.

Taken at your own pace, you can choose which modules you want when you need them most. Need information on board recruitment, hosting an AGM, or executive director performance evaluations? Get it at a click of a button. ELEVATE is designed specifically for busy directors and executive directors to help you start your year off right.

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Re-commit to the mission and vision

Directors have a responsibility to understand the vision and mission of an organization, as it is the foundation for decision-making and strategic planning for the future. Being able to problem solve, mitigate risk, advocate, or fundraise all depend on knowing and understanding the mission and vision of the organization. To learn more about reviewing your mission and vision, visit the Strategic Planning and Leading module in ELEVATE.

Lead with intent and purpose

The board of directors and the executive director each have very distinct but supportive roles in board governance. The board also has collective responsibilities that ensure the organization is effective and accountable. Lastly, there are shared responsibilities of the executive director and board. Knowing and understanding your role and responsibilities will help you to lead with intent and purpose. To find out more, visit the Board Roles and Responsibilities module in ELEVATE.

With this in mind, here are ten New Year’s resolutions and how ELEVATE can support boards with them:

Boost your confidence in your financial oversight of the organization

Directors have the responsibility for the financial oversight and accountability of the organization and its assets. This means understanding basic terms, reading and interpreting financial statements, and being able to ask the right questions to help determine and maintain the financial health of the organization. If you want to become more familiar with and increase your confidence in reading and understanding financial statements, visit the Reading Financial Statements and Reports module in ELEVATE.

04 Understand

Directors need to demonstrate they are fulfilling their fiduciary duty and exercise a duty of care. To learn more about how a director can do this, visit the Legal Responsibilities of the Board module in ELEVATE.

Commit to making meetings more effective

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Directors who come prepared, participate actively, and contribute to an open and inclusive environment can help make board and committee meetings run more effectively. To learn more about developing agendas, hosting virtual meetings, and ensuring an effective meeting process, visit the Effective Meetings module in ELEVATE.

Mentor a new board director

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Board mentorship can be mutually beneficial as it provides an opportunity for a more seasoned board director to answer questions, clarify information, and encourage participation in a new director. If your board does not have new directors, consider sharing your knowledge and encouraging other directors to share their experience. For more information, visit the Recruitment and Succession Planning of Board Directors module in ELEVATE.

the legal responsibilities involved with serving on a board and how to protect yourself

Make evaluating board performance a priority

Encourage the board to conduct regular self-assessments by first having individual directors identify their own strengths, areas for growth and development, and reflect on their experience on the board to date. Directors may become more aware of how their actions impact the board as a whole, and how each one of them, when working together, leads to a highly effective board of directors. To learn more, visit the Taking Your Board to the Next Level module in ELEVATE.

Understand, communicate, and model person-centred practice

Ensure that person-centred practice is embedded in the mission, vision, and value statements of the organization, as well as in policies and processes. For more information on building and strengthening a person-centred culture, visit the Board Roles and Responsibilities module of ELEVATE.

Commit to taking positive action

Focus on the positive actions that you can take as a director such as being a good ambassador for the organization, collaborating with others, and being strategically engaged and purposefully involved. As suggested by Gail Perry Group’s New Year’s Resolutions for Board Members, board directors “can encourage a can-do attitude, because THAT is what can change the world.”

Invest in board development

SARC’s ELEVATE program is an excellent professional development opportunity that allows directors to build their confidence and strengthen their skills regardless of whether they are new to the board or seasoned veterans. Each module provides a variety of tools, resources, and research to ensure directors keep up-to-date on emerging trends in board governance. While this is an investment of your time, it is not an investment of your dollars, as SARC Members can access ELEVATE at no cost as part of SARC’s COMPASS Training Package that is supported by CLSD funding.

Has your board committed to being more innovative, strategic, or improving governance practices for the upcoming year? As a board director, setting a few New Year’s resolutions can help to start the year off with a renewed passion and reinvigorate your enthusiasm about governance.

Be sure to visit SARC Learning Central for leadership and professional development opportunities for nonprofit board directors to support you in your role of leading and governing your organization.