Breaking Barriers: Introducing the Multilanguage Service Initiative (MLSI)

By Denise de la Cruz

On January 27, 2006, a recent immigrant visited the Etobicoke SCC. She was having problems opening a bank account for her 3-year-old son and she came to Service Canada for assistance.

A Service Delivery Representative contacted the bank to obtain the necessary information needed to help the client. Turns out, an account already existed under the client's son's SIN. When the situation was explained to the client, she clearly did not understand.

The Service Delivery Representative requested the assistance of a Cantonese-speaking colleague who, despite being on her lunch break, came to the rescue and acted as an interpreter.

With special assistance, the client was given the help she needed in the language she understood. It turned out that her bank account application had already been processed and approved.

The client was also given information about ESL courses available for her. She was grateful and revealed that members of her family and many others in her neighbourhood in North Etobicoke did not understand English either, and would substantially benefit from these services.

* * *

On May 17, 2006, a proposal to offer services in languages other than English and French was presented by the Ontario Region's Citizen and Community Services Branch to the Executive Committee.

The proposal highlighted one of Service Canada's primary objectives of delivering seamless citizen- and community-centred services. The expectation is that this initiative will provide improved understanding and better access to programs and services to those with limited capacity in either official language. Equitable access to Government of Canada programs and services will be created for both newcomers and Aboriginals.

With this in mind, Ontario Region has been preparing to deliver multilanguage services to clients whose barrier to access is language. The Etobicoke SCC began piloting delivery of services in Punjabi and Cantonese in October 2006. The Ottawa West SCC is also preparing to be a pilot site for in-person and scheduled outreach to targeted newcomers.

In addition, the initiative will strengthen support to Aboriginal clients through expansion of Service Canada's regional presence in the north, with scheduled outreach from the Kenora SCC, in Ojibway.

Staff in the Etobicoke and Ottawa West SCCs will be supported by thee-way interpretive calling. This allows a translator to be available to translate the discussion between the client and the client service agent. This pilot is being offered in the Lakeside SCC in Toronto as well as the other two sites.

Although Service Canada staff have always gone out of their way to provide multilanguage assistance to their clients, the Multilanguage Service Initiative will ensure staff with the appropriate linguistic profile are located in these pilot locations to serve the targeted newcomers' needs.

Canada is a diverse country representing many ethnic cultures. Canadians expect government programs and services to be offered in way that embrace this diversity. The launch of Service Canada represents a significant milestone in the evolution of service delivery within the Government of Canada and the concept is that language should not be a barrier to accessing benefits and services.

Through the Multilanguage Service Initiative, language no longer has to be a hindrance to access.

 

back to top