Vote for DSW Cooperative, AC’s finalist for $15,000 Innovation Fund

Posted on Monday, September 18th, 2017

Four Developmental Services Workers (DSW) and Algonquin College graduates have their eye on the prize.

Their health initiative is a Top 10 finailist for the William G. Davis Innovation Fund. The current round of public voting in the provincial contest takes place from Sept. 5 to Nov. 5. (Log in for free to vote here.)

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

Lisa Murray discusses the project, and what the group could do with $15,000, in the following Q&A:

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 is the current state of the project/initiative?
A: The project is moving with great force and we are currently in the active development stage. The project has a Leadership Team, Project Manager, Founding Members, and interested clients standing by for service. A feasibility study and a project charter have been completed and we are working hard to build on that foundation. We are also receiving some business co-operative training and meeting weekly with plans of launching by January 2018.

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 would you be able to accomplish if you win the Innovation Fund or take runner-up?
A: If we win the Innovation Fund or take runner-up, we will be able to allocate funds to develop a software application tool and a website that will undoubtedly be an integral tool for the DSW Cooperative. By reaching out to the community with an accessible system, the DSW Cooperative website will enhance our matching process between workers and those who are looking for support. It will also provide essential information to the community and offer a secure space for workers and those receiving support to communicate and share important information.

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.


Comments

Comments are closed.