New Integrated Service Delivery Model

Recently, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has proposed changes to Ontario’s health and safety system. This was initiated for a number of reasons:

• To identify opportunities for greater efficiencies in program and service delivery to meet the needs and requirements of Ontario employers and changing work environments.
• To ensure that the right people are in the right roles and have the appropriate tools to provide consistent services to all workplaces.
• To ensure that all activities align with the objectives and targets of the WSIB Prevention Strategy and The Road to Zero

As part of this process, the WSIB has launched a new approach that will further engage firms to improve their health and safety practices. The New Service Delivery Model (NSDM) has been developed to improve return-to-work and recovery outcomes and to assist in creating safer and healthier workplaces.

The NSDM, to be implemented by all health and safety system partners, will ensure that employers adopt measures appropriate for preventing workplace injuries and illness. This will also improve service delivery, optimize the use of system resources, increase efficiencies to Ontario employers, and reduce workplace injuries and illness – all leading to safer and healthier workplaces in Ontario – and to the achievement of the goal of zero.

This new model (formerly known as the Workplace Performance Outreach (WPO) program targeting high opportunity firms) is designed to:

• improve the process for identifying and allocating firms needing engagement to partner organizations, using;
• a new risk-assessment process
• sector-specific criteria to better focus on firms needing engagement
• additional coordination of intervention planning across agencies
• introduce a new process of integrated planning by all system partners
• improve efficiency and system delivery of services and intervention support
• streamline the approach as there is now one common, transparent system-wide approach for engaging workplaces
• incorporate local knowledge and priorities (regional intelligence)
• reflect the strengths and capabilities of each of the health and safety system partners

IAPA will continue to share updates with you on this new model, as more information becomes available.