Algonquin group wins $15,000 prize from William G. Davis Innovation Fund

Posted on Sunday, November 26th, 2017

Four Developmental Services Workers (DSW) and Algonquin College graduates have won a major Colleges Ontario prize.

Their health initiative took first place in the William G. Davis Innovation Fund contest. The Algonquin College group topped nine other finalists in public voting that ended on Nov. 5. Their $15,000 victory was announced Sunday by Colleges Ontario.

The Cooperative describes itself as, “a group of five Developmental Services Worker professionals who are joining forces to build a worker-owned cooperative that provides high-quality, person-directed support to community members who have developmental disabilities.”

“We’re looking to transform the way developmental services are offered across the province,” says Lisa Murray, one of the co-founders of the DSW Cooperative. “With the support of Algonquin College, we have proven the idea works in the community and can make a tremendous difference in the lives of families and workers.”

The alumni group includes (photo: from left to right): Claire Maxwell, Elisabeth Van Kooy, Dawn Tait, and Murray. Laura Rogal-Black (one of their DSW professors at Algonquin College) also helped guide them along the way.

On behalf of the group, Murray answered some questions about DSW claiming the top prize:

Q: How does it feel to win the William G. Davis Innovation Fund award?
A: As Developmental Services workers, we are extremely proud and honored to receive the William G. Davis Innovation award. Making it into the top 10 was a huge boost and inspired us to keep working hard. Over the past year, our project has been well supported within the Developmental Services sector. We are excited now, as this award shows readiness on the part of the broader community to welcome people with developmental disabilities into all aspects of community life. As well, it is recognition of the worker cooperative model as a mechanism which supports community development and overcomes the isolation that may occur with sole entrepreneurship. This award has reinforced our belief in the power of community and we were blown away by the support of our friends, family and community members. It truly takes a village to make positive change and this award goes out to them too.

Q: What does the $15,000 mean for this project?
A: The award money will be spent towards professional website development. It’s important that we have an effective website to facilitate access to our services. Through the website we will reach out to Developmental Services Workers who are interested in joining the DSW cooperative, as well as people with developmental disabilities who are interested in our services.

Q: What does this mean for the scope of your project?
A: In terms of the near future, our project will proceed according to schedule. However, this award has helped us gain visibility and recognition within the community and has generated interest in the DSW Cooperative. In addition, being able to allocate the award funds to the website development, has freed up capital for our other business needs

Murray offered more background on the project earlier this fall:

Q: Where did you get the idea for DSW Cooperative?
A: The idea for the DSW Cooperative was suggested by a parent of a young adult woman with developmental disabilities. She, as well as many other people with intellectual disabilities and their families, have a truly difficult time finding and keeping high quality Developmental Services Workers (DSWs). Each of our team members (all graduated DSWs from Algonquin) had been individually trying to figure out a way to improve the support available for people with developmental disabilities, while also finding a way to better serve the interests of the Developmental Services Worker.

With the support of the Developmental Services community as well as Laura Rogal-Black, an Algonquin College DSW faculty member, our team was connected to explore this concept of a DSW Cooperative. This unique idea of creating a DSW Cooperative will not only provide families with the security of finding and keeping reliable workers, but will also allow DSW graduates an opportunity to provide the Person Centered Supports they are so passionate about. The Cooperative aspect in particular, will also provide workers with the opportunity to have an ownership role within the business and actually have a say in future decisions, thus creating improved employee satisfaction and engagement.

Q: What things did you, and your team, learn at Algonquin College that helped shape the DSW Cooperative?
A: Apart from exposure to the development of a cooperative, Algonquin College has created the foundation and the social network from which the founding members were educated and then connected to each other and to community members. We fundamentally believe that in order to provide top notch service to our community, our workers need a professional education and recognized credentials in the Developmental Services Worker field. Through the DSW Program, Algonquin College proved to us how invaluable and necessary it is to have the proper training in order to provide the appropriate support to our community members. Not only did the program give us practical work experience in a variety of placements in the field, it also provided knowledge in many areas that allows a support worker to deliver the best quality of care; health and wellness, physiology, mental health, pharmacology, person centered planning, and so much more. Many of the skills we acquired while taking the DSW program at Algonquin will be directly applied in our work with the clients of the cooperative. Additionally the values of person centered care, individualized support, community building and the fact that each individual has something to offer, fit in very well with the co-operative model.

Q: What makes your project unique?
A: Although the concept of a worker based cooperative is not unique, there are actually no cooperatives in Ontario that have been developed to serve the interests of Developmental Services Workers or the people they support. Our current system either relies on individual workers who are working independently without professional back up, or on organizations that are more traditionally organized. Both current options have their strengths but they also have certain weaknesses. For the independent worker, there is a great risk of burn out, no job stability, difficulty accessing training and no back up should they need to take a leave of absence. For the organizational model, there is a lack of individual ownership and decision making when it comes to providing the optimal support to people with developmental disabilities. The DSW Cooperative provides a viable third option and a win win solution for all. By design, the co-operative will allow the front line DSW workers the opportunity to drive the direction of the business, and enables these workers to become integral in all major decisions. The worker cooperative model empowers DSW workers to have a say in the way in which the business is run, and gives them a sense of pride in knowing their opinions and ideas can have a direct impact within the cooperative. While supporting and guiding individuals with developmental disabilities in reaching their goals and dreams in the way they choose, workers will feel a sense of fulfillment in their work and long term connections (that are so desperately needed) will be made. The powerful connections that the DSW Cooperative will surely create will undoubtedly change the face of Developmental Services in Ontario, and how they are offered.


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