AMENDMENT OF CANADA QUÉBEC AGREEMENT ON ENGLISH- LANGUAGE SERVICES TO

Transcription

1 AMENDMENT OF CANADA QUÉBEC AGREEMENT ON ENGLISH- LANGUAGE SERVICES TO THIS AGREEMENT is concluded in English and French on this th 2015, day of BETWEEN: HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN IN RIGHT OF CANADA, hereinafter called Canada, represented by the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, AND: LE GOUVERNEMENT DU QUÉBEC, hereinafter called Québec, represented by the ministre responsable des Affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes et de la Francophonie canadienne, the ministre de la Justice and the ministre de la Santé et des Services sociaux. The Canada and the Québec are referred to individually as a Party or collectively as the Parties. THIS AGREEMENT ATTESTS TO the will of the parties to amend the Canada Québec Agreement on English-language services to , dated the 29 th day of October 2013 (hereinafter called Canada Québec Agreement ), as provided for in paragraph 17 of the Canada Québec Agreement as follows: TITLE OF THE AGREEMENT The title Canada Québec Agreement on English-language services to is replaced by the following: Canada Québec Agreement on English-language services to FISCAL YEARS IN QUESTION Any reference in the Canada Québec Agreement to fiscal year , as final fiscal year in question for that agreement, is deleted and replaced by a reference to fiscal year QUÉBEC S STRATEGIC PLAN Any reference in the Canada Québec Agreement to Québec s Strategic Plan to , as Appendix B of that agreement, is deleted and replaced by a reference to Québec s Strategic Plan to MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF THE CONTRIBUTION Clause 3.1 of the Canada Québec Agreement is deleted and replaced by the following subsection: 3.1 Subject to the appropriation of funds by Parliament, to the maintenance of current and forecasted budget levels to March 31, 2016, of the sub-component of the Development of Official- Language Communities Program under which this agreement is funded, and to the Administrative Procedures and Conditions in Schedule A of this agreement, Canada agrees to make, for each fiscal year covered by this agreement, an equal contribution representing 50% of the eligible expenditures incurred by Québec in implementing its Strategic Plan (Appendix B) for the purposes described in Section 1 of this agreement, an amount not to exceed the following for the three fiscal years ( to ): $400, $400, $400,000. 1

2 16. DURATION Clause 16.2 of the Canada Québec Agreement is deleted and replaced by the following subsection: 16.2 All contributions to be provided by Canada in accordance with the provisions of this agreement shall apply only to the measures carried out and the expenditures incurred by Québec in implementing the Strategic Plan (Appendix B) for the period commencing on April l, 2013 and ending on March 31, SCHEDULE A 4. INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC Clause 4.3 of the Schedule A of the Canada Québec Agreement is deleted and replaced by the following clause: 4.3 Québec agrees to give recognition to Canada s participation when conducting publicity for the measures for which financial assistance was provided by Canada. For the purpose of this agreement, publicity includes, without being limited to, news releases, public announcements, websites, social media and provincial departmental and agency reports. APPENDIX B The Appendix B of the Canada Québec Agreement is deleted and replaced by the Appendix B attached to this amendment. PRECEDENCE All other clauses contained in the Canada Québec Agreement remain unchanged, and in the event of any inconsistencies, the provisions of this Amending Agreement take precedence over those of the Canada Québec Agreement dated the 29 th day of October

3 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have signed this agreement on the date that appears on the first page. ON BEHALF OF CANADA ON BEHALF OF QUÉBEC Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages Ministre responsable des Affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes et de la Francophonie canadienne Witness (Name in block letters) Ministre de la Justice Signature of Witness Ministre de la Santé et des Services sociaux 3

4 APPENDIX B QUÉBEC STRATEGIC PLAN English language services B STRATEGIC PLAN OF THE MINISTÈRE DE LA SANTÉ ET DES SERVICES SOCIAUX TO RESTORE, IMPROVE, AND MAINTAIN THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING QUEBECERS B STRATEGIC PLAN OF THE MINISTÈRE DE LA JUSTICE TO MAINTAIN, IMPROVE, AND IMPLEMENT THE SERVICES OFFERED TO ENGLISH-SPEAKING QUEBECERS 1

5 B1 APPENDIX B STRATEGIC PLAN OF THE MINISTÈRE DE LA SANTÉ ET DES SERVICES SOCIAUX TO RESTORE, IMPROVE, AND MAINTAIN THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING QUEBECERS Introduction Québec s health and social services priorities are expressed in the Plan stratégique by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux. 1 They are consistent with previous priorities and with the Government s framework of results management. The priorities focus on public services provided by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, by regional agencies, and by institutions in the Québec health network. The Government s desire to restore, improve, and maintain the health and well-being of Englishspeaking Quebecers is based on Québec s priorities. Decisions on the relevance, opportunity, and terms of any consultation on the delivery of health and social services in English on its territory belong to Québec. As part of the establishment of ministerial priorities and this Strategic Plan of the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux to Restore, Improve, and Maintain the Health and Well-being of English-speaking Quebecers, the Comité provincial pour la prestation des services de santé et des services sociaux en langue anglaise was asked to contribute, and the access programs for service in English prepared by the 16 regional agencies and recently approved by the Government of Québec were also used. Current status The right of English-speaking Quebecers to receive health and social services in English is specifically recognized by the Loi sur les services de santé et les services sociaux. 2 To ensure service delivery that meets the front-line, specialized, and super-specialized 3 health and social services needs and expectations expressed by the English-speaking population, 4 the health and social services centres are responsible for preparing clinical and organizational 5 projects, with the participation of other local partners of the health network. The planning and implementation of new ways of delivering services that are better adapted to local realities and take into account socio-cultural and linguistic differences of the population within the territory are the main challenges the network must overcome to ensure the primacy of front-line services. 6 Regionally, the health and social services agencies are responsible for supporting the health and social services centres in this process and in preparing profiles of the population in their respective territories. Among other things, they must take into account the distribution of the English-speaking population. The development of clinical projects is a dynamic and ongoing process. The clinical and organizational project, undertaken in such a way as to account for the rights of English-speaking people to receive health and social services in English, will give potential to efforts during the development of access programs for services in English 1 Government of Québec, Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, Plan stratégique , November 10, Chapter S-4.2, articles 15, 348, 508, etc. 3 Service access office, prevention activities, primary social services and care, mental health services, services for people with loss of autonomy, services for youth at risk, etc. 4 Quebec Community Groups Network, The Health and Social Services Priorities of Quebec s English-speaking Population , May Process of planning, programming, and implementation of services required to meet the public s needs 6 Government of Québec, Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, Plan stratégique , November 10, 2010, Enjeu 2: La primauté des services de première ligne, pages 25 to 29 2

6 APPENDIX B Under article 348 of the Loi sur les services de santé et les services sociaux, 7 health and social services agencies are also required to prepare an access program for health and social services in English. In its Cadre de référence pour l élaboration des programmes d accès aux services de santé et aux services sociaux en langue anglaise pour les personnes d expression anglaise, the Ministère 8 defines the nature, objectives, and components of an access program and determines the orientations. It describes the steps for preparing, approving, monitoring, and revising the access programs and indicates the roles and responsibilities of the various contributors. The 16 regional agencies, in conjunction with English-language community representatives and institutions in their territory, have revised their access programs. The current access programs were thus approved by the Government on February 22, 2012 (decree number ) for the following regions: (04) Mauricie and Centre-du-Québec, (05) Estrie, (06) Montréal, (07) Outaouais, (08) Abitibi-Témiscamingue, (09) Côte-Nord, (10) Nord-du-Québec, (12) Chaudière-Appalaches, (13) Laval, (14) Lanaudière, (16) Montérégie; and on June 27, 2012 (decree number ) for the following regions: (01) Bas-Saint-Laurent, (02) Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean, (03) Capitale-Nationale, (11) Gaspésie Îles-de-la-Madeleine, and (15) Laurentides. The access programs for services in English are revised on a three-year cycle: , , etc. In the health and social services sector, access to information in English for English-speaking people is essential to their participation, both collectively in the planning and implementation of clinical projects and programs, and individually in their participation in treatment for a successful clinical intervention. 7 Chapter S Government of Québec, Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux,

7 APPENDIX B 1.1 ISSUE: Adapting the organization of services provided by the Government of Québec, the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, regional agencies, and Québec health network institutions to ensure the primacy of front-line services in a perspective of integration and hierarchy, particularly for clients targeted by the priority interventions. 9 Orientation: Improve access to health and social services in English for English-speaking people in the nine service-programs 10 PRIORITY OBJECTIVES RESULTS INDICATORS Revision of the access programs for Volunteer support Evaluate the implementation and impact of the access programs Support the development and revision of access programs, guided by the primacy of front-line services and the targeted and area of intervention Foster the participation of the English-speaking community in revision of the access programs in local, regional, and provincial plans Foster the participation of English-speaking community members in preparing the clinical projects to be defined by local organizations (CSSS) Follow-up of implementation of the programs and record of accomplishments Access programs revised by regional agencies and approved by the Government of Québec Increased participation of Englishspeaking community members in the various consultative organizations in the network: regional access committees, provincial committee, other bodies, etc. Partnership established between community organizations serving English-speaking communities, CSSSs, and other institutions in the local networks Level of satisfaction of English-speaking people regarding access to and delivery of services in English Number of revised access programs Number of summary documents adapted for available English-language clients Increased percentage of front-line services available in English Number of meetings with English-speaking community representatives on revision of the access programs Number of English-speaking participants Number of meetings with English-speaking community representatives, CSSSs, and other local network institutions Number of clinical documents available in English 9 Government of Québec, Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, Plan stratégique , November 10, 2010, Enjeu 2, pages 25 to For information: general services, public health, loss of autonomy due to aging, physical disability, intellectual disability, and pervasive developmental disorders, youth at risk, addictions, mental health, and physical health. 4

8 APPENDIX B 1.2 ISSUE: Improve the quality of services provided by the Government of Québec, the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, regional agencies, and Québec health network institutions, and ensure access to services in English within reasonable delays 11 Orientation: Provide the public with information on the status of its health and well-being and on how to maintain it or call on health and social services to improve it PRIORITY OBJECTIVES RESULTS INDICATORS Access to information on services in English (in compliance with the applicable clauses of the Charte de la langue française) Promote information campaigns on access to and delivery of health and social services in English for the English-speaking public, consistent with: The and access programs Clinical projects Ministerial priorities, policies, and orientations related to the service-programs and in the and upcoming ministerial strategic plans Foster the sharing of up-to-date clinical documents, available in English, among Québec health network institutions, community organizations, etc. Foster access for English-speaking users to clinical information tools in English (Internet and information systems) Various means of communication to reach members of English-speaking communities Information documents available in English on access to and delivery of services to English-speaking people and on ministerial policies and orientations Continue building a bank of clinical documents translated into English Implement mechanisms for sharing these documents Clinical information tools available in English on demand for English-speaking users 12 Number of English-speaking people reached Number of documents available in English to Englishspeaking people Bank of documents and updates Number of documents available in the bank Number of documents shared from the bank Number of tools available in English to English-speaking users 11 Government of Québec, Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, Plan stratégique , November 2010, pages 31 to RSQ, Loi sur les services de santé et les services sociaux, chapter S-4.2, article

9 B STRATEGIC PLAN OF THE MINISTÈRE DE LA JUSTICE TO MAINTAIN, IMPROVE, AND IMPLEMENT THE SERVICES OFFERED TO ENGLISH-SPEAKING QUEBECERS APPENDIX B Introduction Québec s priorities in justice are set out in the Ministère de la Justice s strategic plan. 13 They are consistent with previous priorities and with the Government s framework of results management. The priorities focus on services provided by the Ministère de la Justice. The Government s desire to improve the public s confidence in the justice system for English-speaking Quebecers is based on Québec s priorities. 14 Decisions on the relevance, opportunity, and terms of any consultation on the delivery of justice services in English on its territory belong to Québec. As part of the establishment of the Ministère de la Justice s priorities in this area, contributions were made by the Ministère s senior management and by organizations. Current status Access to justice and the law remains a priority for Québec s Ministère de la Justice because it is essential to greater public confidence in the justice system. Better access to justice occurs through various means of improving access to the law, such as making available to English-speaking citizens services and information on their rights and obligations and on how to exercise them. 15 As such, improving information provided to the public on the rules governing life in society and on how the justice system functions is key to strengthening the trust relationship between citizens and the justice system. It also helps increase the credibility of judicial institutions among citizens and their confidence in the justice system. Inter-regional variations in English-language services can sometimes be significant. Québec will pay particular attention to measures implemented to establish, improve, and maintain services provided to English-speaking Quebecers in all regions. 13 Government of Québec, Ministère de la Justice, Plan stratégique Government of Québec, Ministère de la Justice, Plan stratégique , page Government of Québec, Ministère de la Justice, Plan stratégique , Enjeu 1: Accessibilité à la justice et au droit 6

10 APPENDIX B 2.1 ISSUE: Improve services provided to English-speaking Quebecers by: o Criminal and penal prosecutors o Managers o Support staff of the Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales Orientation: Enable criminal prosecutors, managers, and support staff to improve access to information. PRIORITY OBJECTIVES TARGETED RESULTS INDICATORS 1. Translation of legal documents from French to English, particularly in international assistance files Coordinate and process international requests for assistance and extradition and any other request Availability of translations Number of translation requests processed 2. Translation of letters from French to English regarding access-to-information files and complaint processing Application of the Loi sur l'accès aux documents des organismes publics et sur la protection des renseignements personnels Availability of translations Number of translation requests processed 7

11 2.2 ISSUE: Adapt services to ensure better access for all citizens APPENDIX B Orientation: Improve access to legal services and information in English PRIORITY OBJECTIVES RESULTS INDICATORS 1. Availability of English-language or bilingual forms Enable English-speaking citizens to have access, in their language, to all the tools required to interact with the Ministère de la Justice Access to Englishlanguage or bilingual forms 100% of forms are available, either bilingually or in English 2. Interpretation services for Englishspeaking parties and witnesses Enable English-speaking citizens to express themselves in their language before the courts, mainly in criminal and penal matters Better functioning of hearings % of cases postponed due to the lack of availability of interpreters 3. Translation of court decisions from French to English Enable parties to obtain upon request the translation of their judgment, in English Availability of translations - Number of translation requests processed - 80% of translations carried out within 15 days 8