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Annual report 2006-2007

Table of contents

LIST OF TABLES

  • TABLE 1: CLIENTELE BY AGE GROUP
  • TABLE 2: CLIENTELE BY LEVEL OF EDUCATION
  • TABLE 3: CLIENTELE BY TYPE OF DISABILITY
  • TABLE 4: Clients by type of job
  • TABLE 5: INVESTMENTS ACCORDING TO MEASURES
  • TABLE 6: REGIONAL USE OF FUNDS
  • TABLE 7: CONTRIBUTIONS
  • TABLE 8: RESULTS OBTAINED UPON COMPLETION OF PARTICIPATION IN A MEASURE
  • TABLE 9: RESULTS OBTAINED 12 MONTHS AFTER PARTICIPATION IN A MEASURE
  • TABLE 10: REVENUES AND EZPENSES FOR 2006-2007

    • Message from the Chairman

    Dear directors,

    I am proud to present SPHERE-Quebec's results for the fiscal year of 2006-2007. We have attained objectives that were identified in the action plan, and some have even been exceeded. Additional work was added during the year, for the benefit of our clientele. Our accomplishments, born of our desire for constant improvement, bear witness to the existence of an innovative spirit at SPHERE-Quebec, combined with an undeniable knowledge in the realm of the integration of disabled individuals into the workplace.

    This year, the sizeable support that we received from participants and partners, the representations that were made to the decision-makers, and the active presence of our project agents on the task forces and within our activities in the field have forged a solid base for the organization. The members of our team were responsible for several wonderful and enriching achievements. It is important to note that our new Director General was the catalyst for a renewed dynamic among the work team and the Board of Directors. Her arrival was a source of inspiration for everyone, thanks to her thoroughness, strength, and energy!

    SPHERE-Quebec's success also relies on the composition of its Board of Directors. As directors, you represent a significant number of key stakeholders who are affected by the integration of disabled individuals into the Quebec labour market. Your active participation in the decisions that were made was instrumental in ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of those decisions, and your confident and enthusiastic support for the team at SPHERE-Quebec was vital.

    I would like to thank all of the members of the Board of Directors, our Director General, Nancy Moreau, and the team at SPHERE-Quebec, for making the year 2006-2007 a resounding success!

    Martin Trépanier
    Chairman of the Board of Directors

    Statement from the Director General

    The team at SPHERE-Quebec accomplished great things in 2006-2007! Tangible results constitute proof of the efforts that were exerted by a dynamic team to serve disabled individuals in Quebec as effectively as possible. A total of 634 persons benefited directly from these accomplishments: 634 disabled individuals who have made progress toward increased social participation. In fact, the results that were obtained testify to the soundness of the efforts of SPHERE-Quebec and its partners in the integration of disabled individuals in Quebec.

    And we must not forget our partners! Year after year, SPHERE-Quebec has the privilege to work with experts from the network of disabled individuals and the Quebec workforce whose commitment is unparalleled. In 2006-2007, this collaboration translated into improved cooperation in order to better respond to the needs of disabled individuals in Quebec with respect to their integration into the labour market.

    Our intervention philosophy, which is based on the needs of the clientele, must focus on the intention of using public funds in a responsible manner in order to ensure that the benefits are shared by the greatest possible number of people. Whether dealing with the policy respecting the management of personal information, the Order-in-Council from the Government of Quebec (M-30), or the continuous improvement of its work tools, SPHERE-Quebec focuses its efforts on ensuring the soundness of its management and maintaining the high standards of its practices and procedures.

    Over the course of the fiscal year, the team at SPHERE-Quebec participated in events related to information, promotion, and awareness in the various regions of Quebec. In addition, in conjunction with the Canada-wide consultation on employability in Canada that took place in October 2006, SPHERE-Quebec was invited to present a brief to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

    Finally, SPHERE-Quebec has set its sights on a new year that will undoubtedly bring major challenges, along with immense satisfaction in the accomplishment of its mission.

    Nancy Moreau
    Director General

    Mission, Mandate, and Board of Directors

    SPHERE-Quebec is a non-profit agency that was created as a result of the desire of partners to ensure the integration of disabled individuals into the workforce.

    Its mission is to foster the participation of a greater number of disabled individuals in economic and social life.

    Its role is to financially support the creation of quality adapted positions; to participate in meetings with experts for the transfer of knowledge and practices; and to cooperate with local, regional, and provincial partners in the development of initiatives that foster the emergence of new models for workplace integration.

    Its Board of Directors is composed of representatives of agencies that are dedicated to the integration of disabled individuals into the labour market. They include:

    • Martin Trépanier, Chairman of the Board of Directors
      • Regroupement des associations de personnes handicapées de la Gaspésie et des Iles (RAPHGI);
    • Martin Fortier, Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors Conseil québécois des entreprises adaptées;
    • Louis Adam, Treasurer Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada;
    • Gaétane Lacroix Regroupement d’organismes de promotion des personnes handicapées de l’Estrie (ROP);
    • Denise Gagnon Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ);
    • Jean Lefebvre Regroupement des organismes de services spécialisés pour l’emploi des personnes handicapées (ROSEPH);
    • Martine Talbot Alliance québécoise des regroupements pour l’intégration des personnes handicapées (AQRIPH).

    Clientele

    SPHERE-Quebec serves a clientele that includes disabled individuals or individuals with one or more functional limitations who are no longer on the labour market. In fact, approximately 30% of individuals who participated in one of the organization’s initiatives in 2006-2007 had never worked, and 10% had not worked for at least 10 years.

    The following tables present an overview of disabled individuals who benefited from SPHERE-Quebec's services in 2006-2007.

    Table 1 shows that 45% of our clientele are women, and that 59% of the individuals who received support from SPHERE-Quebec in 2006-2007 were under the age of 35.

    Table 1 Clientele by age group
    Group Men Women Total
    Ages 16-25
    125
    99
    224
    		 } 59%
    Ages 26-35
    8
    66
    148
    Ages 36-45
    63
    56
    119
    Ages 46-55
    55
    58
    113
    Ages 56-65
    21
    9
    30
    TOTAL 346 } 55% 288 } 45% 634

    Table 2 indicates that the level of education for 511 of these individuals is a high school leaving certificate or less. This represents 81% of the clients who were served by SPHERE-Quebec.

    Table 2 – Clientele by level of education
    Level Men Women Total
    Elementary
    63
    52
    115
    		 } 81%
    High school
    221
    175
    396
    College
    3
    32
    66
    University
    28
    29
    57
    TOTAL
    346
    288
    634

    Table 3 presents the breakdown of our clients in 2006-2007 by category of disability.

    Table 3 – Clientele by category of disability
    Category of disability %
    Intellectual
    33%
    Psychic
    27%
    Motor
    23%
    organic
    8%
    Auditory
    4%
    Visual
    5%
    TOTAL
    100%

    Activities

    a) Eligible measures and expenses

    Under the terms of the financing that is received through the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities, participants must satisfy certain criteria in order to have access to our measures, which are intended for a clientele that is removed from the labour market.

    These criteria include the following:

    • Being recognized as a disabled individual in the sense of the law;
    • Having no access to regular measures with respect to employment insurance;
    • Being unemployed;
    • Needing help in order to integrate into a job.

    In 2006-2007, SPHERE-Quebec offered services to its clientele through three measures. The sought objective is to improve the employability of the individual, and to foster his or her integration into a job over the short or long term.

    Targeted salary subsidies

    The job integration phase targets disabled individuals who require assistance in order to integrate into a long-term position over the short term.

    The employability development phase targets disabled individuals who must improve their employability by acquiring significant and transferable work experience.

    Assistance for self-employed workers

    This measure makes it possible for an individual who has a disability to create his or her own employment by starting a small business.

    Competency development

    This measure provides access to adapted training or development in order to improve a person’s chances of finding a job.
    Depending on the eligible expenses associated with each of these measures, SPHERE-Quebec may pay a portion of the salary and reimburse costs related to adaptation, accompaniment, adapted transportation, or living expenses.

    The allocated expenses are justified in the context of an intervention plan that is devised by a professional resource, based on the needs of the individual. By ensuring that needs are met, SPHERE-Quebec ensures that the chances of success for each project are maximized.

    b) Jobs held

    The table below indicates the distribution of jobs held by SPHERE-Quebec clients in 2006-2007. It is worth noting that 76% of our clientele are mainly concentrated in the areas of support services and labour.

    Table 4 - Clients by type of job
    Type of job Total %
    Executive personnel
    7
    1%
    Support personnel
    125
    20%
    		 } 76%
    Labourers
    358
    56%
    Professional personnel
    30
    5%
    Technical personnel
    51
    8%
    Non-specialized personnel
    63
    10%
    TOTAL
    634
    100%

    The salary subsidies that are granted take into consideration salary scales on the market or those in effect at companies, and SPHERE-Quebec excludes the hiring of unskilled low-cost labour.

    c) Investment by measure

    The table below makes it clear that the targeted salary subsidies, which are intended to develop employability, represented nearly half of SPHERE-Quebec's investments in 2006-2007. These numbers confirm our observations in the field: SPHERE-Quebec's clientele is removed from the labour market, which presents the need to acquire transferable work experience before integrating into a sustainable job.

    Table 5 – Investments according to measures
    Measures Investment %
           
    Salary subsidies:
    • Job integration phase
    • Employability development phase
    $921,401
    $1,289,960
    35%
    49%
    		} 84%
    Competency development
    $236,932
    9%
    Assistance for self-employed workers
    $184,280
    7%
    TOTAL
    $2,632,573
    100%

    The average investment in 2006-2007 was $4,150 per participant.

    d) Regional use of funds

    The SPHERE-Quebec budget is not decentralized. Investment in the regions reflects the factors that determine the opportunities and obstacles in terms of the integration of disabled individuals into the workforce, including the availability of jobs and services.

    The following table presents an overview of the use of funds in each region.

    Table 6 – Regional use of funds
    Region Investment %
    01 – Lower St. Lawrence
    $289,583
    11%
    02 – Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean
    $78,977
    3%
    03 – National Capital
    $289,583
    11%
    04 – Mauricie
    $78,977
    3%
    05 – Eastern Townships
    $52,651
    2%
    06 – Montreal
    $447,538
    17%
    07 – Outaouais
    --
    0%
    08 – Abitibi-Témiscamingue
    $315,909
    12%
    09 – North Shore
    $26,326
    1%
    10 – Nord-du-Quebec
    --
    0%
    11 – Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine
    $184,280
    7%
    12 – Chaudière-Appalaches
    $131,629
    5%
    13 – Laval
    $52,651
    2%
    14 – Lanaudière
    $105,303
    4%
    15 – Laurentians
    $210,606
    8%
    16 – Montérégie
    $315,909
    12%
    17 – Central Québec
    $52,651
    2%
    TOTAL
    $2,632,573
    100%

    Partnerships

    SPHERE-Quebec is committed to using the expertise that is developed by the regions, and to cooperating with its partners in the field in order to better serve its clientele. This cooperation fosters the implementation of intervention plans for individuals, and makes it possible to maximize the chances of success.

    The team at SPHERE-Quebec maintains its network through its participation in regional task forces on employment, which include representatives from specialized labour services (SSMOs), associations, employers, unions, and government agencies.

    Specific contributions from its partners take a variety of forms. For example, SSMO job counsellors, who are the front-line stakeholders, provide key intervention activities in all projects, evaluating the needs and the resources required during the course of individual journeys. Other experts are occasionally called upon to complete the offer of services that is required for the execution of intervention plans. These people may include occupational therapists, educators, integration officers, social workers, orientation counsellors, business advisors, and others.

    Obviously, employers and other partners contribute financially, with each one fulfilling its commitment. The table below presents an overview of these contributions.

    Table 7 – Contributions
    SPHERE-Quebec> Employers Other partners
    $2,632,573 $1,072,578 $1,044,653

    Finally, SPHERE-Quebec is represented among other Canadian entities by sitting on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW), by participating on a number of national advisory boards.

    Results

    In 2006-2007, the support offered by SPHERE-Quebec made it possible for 634 disabled individuals in Quebec to work toward becoming integrated into the labour market. The following table shows that 50% of participants were active as a result of a SPHERE-Quebec measure.

    Table 8 – Results obtained upon completion of participation in a measure
    Results %
    Employed 42% } 50%
    Self-employed 2%
    At school 6%
    Unemployed 50%
    TOTAL 100%

    Follow-up with all clients who participated in a SPHERE-Quebec measure reveals that 49% were still active after one year.

    Table 9 – Results obtained 12 months after participation in a measure
    Results %
    Employed
    41%
    		 } 49%
    Self-employed
    5%
    At school
    3%
    Unemployed
    51%
    TOTAL
    100%

    These results speak for themselves, and they lead us to believe that these new workers generate significant economic and social benefits. As a result, in addition to holding jobs and receiving salaries that is in keeping with market values, these individuals are less dependent on government assistance, and are self-reliant and active in society.

    Financial Results

    SPHERE-Quebec's annual operations are audited by an external accounting firm, Goudreau, Poirier S.E.N.C.R.L, which ensures that SPHERE-Quebec operations in 2006-2007 were carried out in accordance with the agreement that binds it to its funding partner. The table below illustrates the breakdown of revenues and expenses for 2006-2007, based on the audited financial statements.

    Table 10 – Revenues and expenses for 2006-2007
    Revenues
    $3,385,325
    SUB-TOTAL
    $3,385,325
    Expenses:
    • Activities involving participants
    • Operating expenses
    $2,632,573
    $752,752
    SUB-TOTAL
    $3,385,325
    TOTAL
    0

    Rôtisseries St-Hubert, an Integration Model

    It all started in August 2006, when Rôtisseries St-Hubert contacted the Centre de réadaptation Antoine-Labelle in its quest to find workers for positions within its company. The administration at the Centre recognized this as a wonderful opportunity for disabled individuals to integrate into the work force. In light of this, they called upon Intégration-Travail (specialized labour service for disabled individuals), SPHERE-Quebec, and the Commission scolaire des Laurentides in an effort to launch a pilot project.

    In the fall of 2006, six people began an internship in the kitchens of the St-Hubert restaurant in Ste-Agathe. They were able to increase their employability while learning a trade. SPHERE-Quebec contributed by paying the fees related to supervision and accompaniment for the participants. The supervisor developed work tools in order to facilitate the integration. In addition, instructions were translated into pictograms, and a learning evolution booklet was produced in order to ensure more effective follow-up. These tools were so effective that they are now used by all kitchen staff in the restaurant!

    As soon as they have completed the learning process, participants are able to work at Rôtisseries St-Hubert or at another company. They are paid according to the salaries in effect on the market, or according to the salary scale outlined in the applicable collective agreement. So far, two of the participants have become regular employees at Rôtisserie St-Hubert in Ste-Agathe, and another is in the process of becoming one! This is a wonderful integration model that was made possible thanks to a solid partnership with organizations that are dedicated to the integration of disabled individuals into the workplace, and more importantly, thanks to the open-mindedness of a private company!

    This integration model is transferable, and has aroused a great deal of enthusiasm at Groupe St-Hubert and other Rôtisseries St-Hubert franchises. It would hardly be surprising to see a large number of individuals with disabilities holding positions at St-Hubert restaurants throughout Quebec! Congratulations!

    Conclusion and Acknowledgements

    The 2006-2007 fiscal year was an intense year from every perspective. SPHERE-Quebec is solidly headed toward attaining its targeted objectives. New tools have been developed, and obstacles have been overcome. In addition, the support that has been received this year from participants, developers, and employers has encouraged the entire team. We are all ready to embrace this new fiscal year with enthusiasm, confidence, and energy. Wonderful challenges await, and noteworthy achievements will follow.

    We would like to thank our funding partner, the Canadian Department of Human Resources and Social Development, which has placed its trust in the implementation of the individual measures covered by the Opportunities Fund since 1997. On behalf of all disabled individuals who are on the road to employment in Quebec, thank you!

    SPHERE-QUEBEC: INCLUSION THROUGH EMPLOYMENT – ONE PERSON AT A TIME!

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