Supporting Health Service Providers

Accountability of our health service provider partners leads to improved access and equity of French language services. The Réseau supports all designated, identified and non-identified health service providers with the completion of their annual French Language Services Report. The Réseau also supports them in planning and implementing French language services.

By supporting health service providers, the Réseau :

• Promotes the active offer of French language health services and culturally appropriate care;
• Develops and shares tools and resources to support planning and implementation of French language services;
• Supports the engagement of the Francophone community;
• Provides personalized support based on the designation status, needs of the organization and needs of the community.

Criteria guiding the identification process :

• Health care needs of the Francophone population;
• Demographic data;
• Location of the Francophone population in relation to the services offered by health service providers;
• Accessibility of services;
• Gaps in the existing basket of French language health services.

In Northern Ontario, 71 health service providers are identified for the implementation of French language services (46 in the North-East and 25 in the North-West).

Support from the Réseau

The Réseau supports identified health service providers who are pursuing designation in the development of a designation plan. The Réseau supports all identified health service providers by providing advice, presentations, tools and resources for the planning and implementation of French language services based on designation criteria.

By designating a health service provider, it signals to the Francophone population that:

• It is possible to obtain services in French at a given location;
• The organization in question is committed to providing services in French on a permanent basis.

The French Language Services Act guarantees an individual’s right to receive services in French from Government of Ontario ministries and agencies in 26 designated areas. A designated area is an area where Francophones make up at least 10% of the population. A city must have at least 5,000 Francophones.

Designation Criteria Established by the Ministry of Francophone Affairs:

• The agency must offer quality services in French on a permanent basis, which is ensured by employees with the requisite French language skills;
• Access to services must be guaranteed and follow the principle of an active offer;
• Provisions for effective representation of Francophones on the board of directors and its committees are included in the administrative by-laws and must reflect the proportion of the
• Francophone population within the community served;
• The senior management team must have an effective representation of Francophones;
• The board of directors and the senior management team must be accountable with respect to the quality of French language services.
  

Every three years, designated organizations must be evaluated to ensure they meet the designation criteria. Le Réseau can support health service providers in this process.

In Northern Ontario, 42 health service providers are designated under the French Language Services Act.

Support from the Réseau

The Réseau supports designated health service providers in implementing the recommendations stemming from the evaluation by providing advice, presentations, tools and resources. Health service providers who are compliant with the designation criteria receive a certificate of compliance.

The intention of the Ontario Health Team model is to improve the quality of care for all by:

• reducing disparities between different segments of the population;
• coordinating services and care for a specific geographic area;
• demonstrating the inclusion of Francophones in the planning, creation, delivery and evaluation of services for individuals, families and communities.

Support from the Réseau

The Réseau works closely with Ontario Health Teams to ensure that French language services are part of their planning by participating as a Francophone lens on various committees and by sharing resources and tools adapted to needs. The Réseau has created a French Language Services Guidelines for Ontario Health Teams Applications – September 2020 that has been adapted for use across the province.