Ontario Works Program Support Representative (Program Support Representative)

ABOUT US

Almost 1.2 million residents call York Region home making it one of the largest regions in Canada and the fastest growing with a population thats expected to grow to more than 2 million by 2041. Our geography which is comprised of about 1800 square kilometers over nine different municipalities is as beautiful interesting and diverse as our government is organized in a two-tier structure and we work together with our local municipalities to provide residents and businesses access to a broad selection of services and resources.

WHAT WE OFFER

Consistently named one of Canadas Best Employers by Forbes we offer a collaborative progressive workplace that takes pride in our organizational culture and is committed to living The 13 Factors of Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace aligned with our vision to create strong caring and safe communities both within and outside our walls.

• Defined Benefit Pension Program - With the Ontario Municipality Employees Retirement System (OMERS) defined benefit pension plan you can confidently retire knowing that you will have income for life. Eligibility from date of hire as a full-time employee and includes employer-matched contributions.
• Employer of Choice - Recognized as the highest-ranking government employer in Canada and fourth overall among 300 organizations.
• Benefits and Wellness - Employees and their loved ones have access to an employee health care spending account access to a 24/7 Employee and Family Assistance Programand corporate discounts and purchase plans for day-to-day products and services. Casual employees are eligible to receive payment in lieu of benefits and/or vacation.
• Inclusive and Diverse Workforce - Were committed to fostering an environment that celebrates all dimensions of diversity and ensures everyone can develop to their full potential participate freely in society and live with respect dignity and freedom from discrimination. Our robust Inclusion Diversity Equity and Accessibility program continues to grow and has been recognized by the United Nations and many other organizations for our leadership.

ABOUT THE ROLE

This position is responsible for providing a range of program and administrative supports to Ontario Works (OW) staff and to clients; supporting the delivery of social assistance in the local offices and for performing various administrative functions for Branch staff; responding to general inquiries; completing basic reporting requirements and maintaining OW client files; performing data entry and changes in the Social Assistance databases; issuing one-time financial and employment related expenses as directed by Caseworkers; acting as custodian for the onsite safes and responsible for processing financial activities/transactions; and rotating between functions (e.g. scheduling reception clerical).

WHAT YOULL BE DOING

• Completes online and paper-based inquiries from third party sources to support client eligibility verification as needed.
• Receives reviews and forwards assignment forms to internal partners and processes cancellations in social assistance databases as necessary.
• Engages with clients in a compassionate and client-centered manner adhering to approved procedures and prescribed timelines as mandated by regional and provincial policies; coordinates the scheduling rescheduling and follow-up communications for appointments including cancellations and no-shows.
• Distributes approved one-time financial and employment related expenses as authorized by Caseworkers.
• Collects inputs and updates data in the Social Assistance databases ensuring accurate and timely entries.
• Handles financial transactions including completing bank deposits for cash payments monitoring and accepting client cheques; handles gift cards vouchers bus tickets and cheque stock ensuring secure storage and reconciles these items as required.
• Prepares and summarizes team office employment or general data presenting it in a suitable format; distributes reports to the appropriate staff including maintaining and distributing the Payment and Overpayment Reports.
• Performs other duties as assigned in accordance with Branch and Department objectives.

WHAT WERE LOOKING FOR

• Successful completion of a Community College Diploma in Social Service Worker Community Worker Business Administration or related field or approved equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum two (2) years demonstrated experience in a human services environment working with the vulnerable population and experience providing financial and administrative support.
• Satisfactory Police Criminal Background Check.
• Knowledge and understanding of the supports necessary for effectively serving vulnerable populations.
• Demonstrated experience providing excellent customer service to clients and participants understanding clients needs through attentive and empathetic listening and responding with sensitivity.
• Demonstrated ability to assess situations problem solve and make decisions to best support clients utilizing effective communication and conflict resolution techniques to address client issues and concerns.
• Demonstrated knowledge of various social assistance delivery models their frameworks and best practices for effectively supporting diverse client needs.