Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment some questions about following up from my Member’s statement. My constituent took advantage of a senior’s home heating subsidy program because he had heard informally about it, not because of the availability and the benefit was advertised. Beyond the Internet, what steps are being taken by the Minister to promote the availability of the program to clients through mass media, contact with seniors, social service agencies and so on and other proactive means? Will the Minister take steps to see that the program is more aggressively promoted? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As the Member indicated, this is a particular program for seniors to deal with their home heating subsidy. We do advertise in the newspaper. Also, not only that, but Internet and also local TV channels for information. We need to spread the news into the communities that we do have subsidy available. We do what we can to spread the news through our regional representatives as well as through client service officers and the regional officers. Mr. Speaker, we continue to improve our communication dialogue on through those individuals that require subsidies such as seniors heating subsidy. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, there are lots of in-service training courses advertised but I have never seen one offered on client service management, which is an extremely well-developed science and business management. ECE and other departments deliver many programs, income support and so on, across the counter to clients. What steps will the Minister take to improve the skills of the public servants who serve the public, including mandatory training and providing good client service? Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, one of our key priorities is, of course, public relations that we have in place. We do have a continuous training program that is highlighted for client service officers dealing with the public. Mr. Speaker, this area is of importance to income security. We do have in-house training. We do send client service officers outside to get trained as well. So there is continuous training that is happening. We can’t say that there is no training happening. I have to correct the Member that there is constant training that is taking place. We will continue to do so to improve our public relations in the general public. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Time for question period has expired; however, I will allow the Member a supplementary question. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate those comments and commitments from the Minister. Are employees assessed as part of their performance evaluation on the quality of their client service with recommendations for training and improvement where necessary? On that, is there an opportunity for the public to contribute to evaluations, perhaps not on the individual but a mechanism for them to say how they are being treated so we are not kicking them when they are down or whatever? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, in this particular area, yes, our employees or client services officers under the management of the income support managers do assess them, do evaluate them based on the work criteria. Not only that, but we request for outside assessment as well. We ask certain individuals that may be as part of the clientele. We need to get input as much as we can because it is public relations. It is one of the priorities that we need to establish. We continue to improve on those areas. Yes, Mr. Speaker, we do have a mechanism to deal with that assessment of all client service officers. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
