Spotlight Event: Ways to Enhance Community Safety (October 12, 2022)
• Surrey Place is a not-for-profit organization that serves people of all ages with developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder and visual impairments in the Toronto region and Northwestern Ontario. We offer integrated services and inclusive support in a safe and welcoming environment. Our approach is family-based, which centres the interests and care of our clients, families, and caregivers by teaching them skills. We strive to ensure the greatest access to services and support our clients in navigating the health care system. Surrey Place helps people learn new skills, gain self-confidence, and reach their full potential.
• The Community, Partnership and Innovation (CPI) Department at Surrey Place hosted a virtual spotlight event on Community Safety in October 2022. The session was part of the Spotlight Series put on by CPI, which is designed to raise awareness and build knowledge about the lived experiences of people with physical, emotional, or culturally diverse characteristics.
• This free community forum was developed in collaboration with SMILE Canada and the Community Partnership and Engagement Unit (CPEU) of the Toronto Police Service, to gain a better understanding of community safety needs from a culturally sensitive perspective.
• Neurodiverse individuals, their families and caregivers experience daily challenges in keeping themselves safe when navigating their local and surrounding communities. Professionals, community members, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, family members and caregivers came together to gain a better understanding of community safety needs and to advocate for culturally sensitive supports. The discussion centered around barriers to personal safety and strategies to build trust and enhance safety. Members of the audience engaged in dialogue with panelists t o develop practical solutions to improve community safety through knowledge exchange.
Program and community levels.
• This example reflects collaboration between Surrey Place and our two partners.
• At the program level, the Spotlight Series is an initiative of the CPI Department at Surrey Place, and it helps to fulfill the department’s strategic goal of raising awareness and building knowledge about people who have lived experiences with various disparities.
• At the community level, the voices of stakeholders from each of the agencies that partnered with the CPI Department to put on the Community Safety spotlight event were included at all levels throughout the co-creation process, which highlighted personal stories and recounted client experiences (including challenges in keeping themselves safe).
• Smile Canada Support Services is a charity dedicated to supporting racialized children and youth with disabilities and their families. SMILE’s focus area is working with diverse Muslim communities including refugee and new immigrant families.
• The CPEU of the Toronto Police Service is divided into three sections, including 1) Community Engagement, 2) Neighbourhood Policing, and 3) Community Services. The CPEU oversees the Youth in Policing Initiative and the Law Enforcement Torch Run in support of Special Olympics Ontario. The Unit continuously works on developing, enhancing and maintaining constructive community partnerships.
• This event highlighted the resilience of the clients, families and caregivers served by Surrey Place and the partnering organizations. In addition, Surrey Place built trust across agencies during our planning meetings to determine the flow and content of the session.
• This example reflects listening and learning, primarily through engagement. Hearing about the lived experiences of clients and their families or caregivers from the representatives at SMILE Canada was an important part of the co-creation process to decide on the structure and content of the event.
• These powerful stories shaped how the session was delivered. In addition, the strategies and resources provided by the CPEU to keep the public safe were helpful, impactful, and new to many of the event organizers and participants.
• An interactive platform was used to host the virtual event, the panelists were able to provide and disseminate information and resources to the audience in real-time (e.g., by using the chat function to post links).
• Participants had the opportunity to interact with panelists and each other during the question-and-answer period, which contributed to a rich and engaging discussion and fostered in-the-moment connections. The Community Safety session also created networking opportunities for everyone involved.
• The audience was given the opportunity to provide feedback on the session and future presentation topics both during the 90-minute event and via a post-event survey.
• A short debriefing meeting was held for all panelists immediately after the session was completed, to provide the opportunity to share reflections on the event and discuss possible next steps.
• The Community Safety event is the first in a series of quarterly meetings for the Spotlight Series. Each session shares new and relevant information, with the term ‘safety’ for example being explored in connection to Black mental health, and Indigenous peoples, where safety and trust are key areas of discussion.
