The District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board has brought in a third party consultant to review programs in the area designed to help poor and sick people. The consultant will look for ways in which services can be improved, become more efficient, and offer more value.
The review began over a week ago and is being conducted by Lough Barnes Consulting Group of Toronto at a cost of $69,000, Coun. Mark King, the board’s chairman said it would take six months to complete the assessment.
The District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board is currently going through a wider third party review that is assessing the organizational methods of the group, which oversees Ontario Works, employment, social housing, homelessness prevention, child care, and EMS land ambulance services for the district, including North Bay.
The group is funded from numerous organizations, such as Municipal Affairs and Housing, Health and Long-Term Care, Community and Social Services, and Education. The Social Services Administration Board uses three per cent of its $64 million annual budget on corporate tasks and around 70 per cent on delivering its services to poor, vulnerable, and sick.
The review will decide whether that money is being well spent, well organized, and delivers an optimum service. Upon completion the consultant review will point to ways in which the group can deliver a better service and be improved, while also looking for effective ways to save money.