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Malton Community Engagement Final Report Summary

Part of the planning and development for the Malton Community Health Centre was the Community Engagement Process, which began in late August, and concluded in December of 2008. During that time, the Malton CHC’s community engagement process focused on engaging residents, service providers, community groups, and leaders within the boundaries of Malton1 to ensure a strong foundation for the Malton CHC, rooted in appropriate and relevant services that respond to local population health needs.

The main priorities of the community engagement process were to:

  • Establish an Advisory Committee of community representatives to guide and support the CE process;
  • Compile statistical data to develop a population health profile of Malton residents;
  • Establish contact with, foster interest, and gather input from a diversity of local stakeholders through the coordination of CE activities such as interviews, focus groups, and a public forum event;
  • Identify local assets, health needs and service gaps upon which recommendations regarding the priority populations, programs and services (including staffing) of the Malton CHC.

The Malton Community Engagement Process was conducted by the Association of Ontario Health Centres, whose work was directed by an appointed Advisory Committee. The primary objectives of the Advisory Committee, established in August, 2008, were to work closely with the community engagement (CE) consultants, oversee their work, and assist them with reaching and making connections with Malton community stakeholders. The Malton CHC Advisory Committee’s membership is comprised of: the Executive Director, Director of Client Services, Diabetes Coordinator, and Administrative Coordinator from the Bramalea Community Health Centre, and community members who are reflective of Malton’s population and knowledgeable about the community and services currently available. 

A population health profile describing the most recent socio-economic, health status, and health practises of Malton residents as compared to municipal (Mississauga), regional (Peel), Local Health Integration Network (CWLHIN), and provincial rates, was developed using close to twenty different data sources.

From a health planning perspective, the socio-economic characteristics of a population are important not only to gain knowledge of local populations, but also because they are markers of potential health risk, and may explain existing patterns of healthcare use.  Relative to the province (2006), Malton had a lower average family income and a higher proportion of:

  • Residents aged 0 to 4, 5 to 9, 10 to 14 and 10 to 24 years of age
  • Populations that spoke a non-official language most often at home (55.7% of Malton residents)
    • 26.5% spoke Punjabi most often at home
    • 4.8% spoke Italian
    • 4.4% spoke Urdu
    • 3.8% spoke Gujarti
    • 3.3% spoke Hindi
  • Racialised and immigrant communities
    • Malton – 77.7% of population
    • Mississauga – 49.0% of population
    • Ontario – 22.8% of population
  • Individuals without a high school certificate, diploma or degree
  • Unemployment

During the CE process key activities were conducted which include: key representative interviews, focus groups, presentations, an online survey, and community forum event.  Participants in each of these activities provided input regarding assets and gaps in the health and social services currently available in Malton; as well as suggestions regarding location of and programs, services and staffing to be delivered at the Malton CHC.  In total, 404 people participated in the community engagement process, including 309 community members and 56 service providers. 

In the focus group settings, invited participants were given a few open-ended questions to discuss.  All participants were encouraged to express their opinions and the points that were raised were recorded.  No agreement was required; it was purely an exploratory exercise to identify assets, issues, potential solutions, and recommendations. The Malton CHC Advisory Committee identified 5 service user populations to be engaged via focus group: parents/caregivers (2 sessions), South Asian residents (with a particular focus on women), Black residents, youth (2 sessions) and seniors.  4 groups of service providers were identified to participate in focus groups: Peel Public Health, Peel Committee against Woman Abuse, leaders of faith-based organizations, and principals from the Dufferin-Peel Catholic and Peel District School Boards (2 sessions).  Overall, 7 focus groups with potential service users and 5 focus groups with service providers were conducted, totalling 258 participants.

The Malton CHC Advisory Committee also developed an online survey geared towards local health and social service providers unable to participate in the CE process through other means.  The survey was launched in mid-November 2008 on the My Malton website and was completed by three organizations.

The Malton CHC Advisory Committee hosted a community forum event on Saturday, November 29, 2008 at the Malton Community Centre. Over 100 people attended the community forum that included refreshments, childcare, laptop stations set to the My Malton website, interpretation and translation (Punjabi and Urdu). 

Through the community engagement process, populations were identified as facing significant barriers to accessing primary health care in Malton:

  • Immigrants
  • Youth
  • Seniors
  • Individuals and families living in poverty: single-parent families, individuals with mental health issues, disabilities, across the lifespan.

Participants of the community engagement activities were asked to identify useful or valuable assets within Malton that build the health of the community.  The top five assets found in Malton (as noted by participants) are:

1. Community organizations: Malton Neighbourhood Services, food banks, Ontario Early Years Centre and job centre at Westwood Mall
2. Schools: Lancaster and Morning Star
3. Faith-based organizations: Gurdwaras, temples
4. Diverse cultures and strong family units
5. Community groups

The Primary Healthcare needs in Malton that were identified by participants include:

  • Access to primary healthcare services (including populations without health insurance)
  • Information about what primary healthcare services are currently available in Malton
  • Linguistically and culturally-appropriate health and social services that respect/integrate the faith of clients
  • Access to Specialists
  • Short or no wait times for primary healthcare services
  • Dental services
  • 24/7 service; extended hours

In addition to primary healthcare needs, the following social services and programs to build community capacity were also identified by participants as gaps in the existing services available in Malton:

  • Affordable childcare
  • Food security programs: community kitchen; secure and increased funding for local food banks; provision of culturally and spiritually-appropriate food at food banks; hot meals-on-wheels for house-bound residents
  • Affordable housing
  • Free or affordable recreational programs that are: flexible: gender-specific; engage the entire family; occur outside of Malton (day trips)
  • Affordable and accessible transportation
  • Youth-specific programs: drop-in; engagement; employment; meaningful volunteer opportunities; outreach

Overall, the recommended staffing complement for the Malton CHC’s first two years of operation would be comprised of 25.0 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) positions.
 
It is also recommended that the Malton CHC be located:

a. in a safe, physically accessible building with free parking and easy access to public transportation;
b. in and around the following intersections (in order of priority):
       i.   Morning Star Drive and Etude Drive (Westwood Mall);
       ii.  Morning Star Drive and Goreway Drive (Malton Community Centre, Library and Pool);
       iii. Beverley Street and Airport Road (former Our Lady of the Airways Catholic School, Malton Village Park);
       iv. Derry Road East and Goreway Drive (Malton Arena);
       v.  Brandon Gate Drive and Goreway Drive (St. Gabriel’s Adult Learning Centre and Northwood Park).

The findings and recommendations that the community engagement process revealed will directly inform the Pre-Operational development of the Malton CHC. The community engagement process is intended to allow those who may have difficulty speaking on their own behalf to be heard.  By providing opportunities for individuals, groups, and organizations to participate in the process, maximum community involvement in decision-making regarding healthcare needs is achieved, resulting in accurate and informative healthcare recommendations by the residents of Malton, for the residents of Malton.  Together, we are working for tomorrow, building health today.

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1 CN rail line to the North, Hwy 427 and Finch Ave to the East, Derry Road to the South and Airport Road/Cattrich Street to the West.