Management response and action plan: Examining the Social Security Tribunal’s Navigator Service

Access to Administrative Justice for Marginalized Communities

In response to: Examining the Social Security Tribunal’s Navigator Service: Access to Administrative Justice for Marginalized Communities

Recommendation	Responsible manager	Response	Actions	Completion date
Provide navigational services in additional languages and consider collaborating with community organizations that may be able to provide additional in-home assistance (with appeals).	Director, Registry Operations	Partially accept	Navigators will identify language barrier to member Member determines whether to hold case conference with an interpreter to explain appeal process and address questions or concerns	March 2023
	Manager, Outreach	Partially accept	Outreach will research and reach out to community organizations offering in-home, assisted living support services and add them to our organizations that can help directory on our website	September 2022
	Director, Registry Operations		Navigators will direct appellants to this list	September 2022
Navigators clearly take on a heavy individual burden of emotional support in order to provide emotional support. Appropriate supports for the navigators are important to maintain their mental health. It will be important to continue and to develop the mental health support and training already being provided. Referrals to additional outside supports for users had been established and should also be maintained.	Director, Registry Operations	Accept	Continue to offer ongoing support (such as Employee Assistance Program) and regular training for current navigators	Ongoing
	Director, Registry Operations	Accept	Incorporate mental health training/services to training program for new navigators	March 2023
	Director, Registry Operations		The SST will continue to provide access to Distress Centre for immediate need	Completed
To ensure a disability inclusive lens, obtain a consultant to review SST decisions and the language of all communications, and to provide advice on disability inclusive language. Moreover, the SST should make sure that persons with lived experiences of disability as well as organizations dedicated to disability rights form part of its regular stakeholder consultation group. While identifying disability-related issues should not be the responsibility of these individuals and organizations alone, they can shed valuable insights on the ongoing work of the Navigator Service (and Tribunal) from the perspective of disability inclusion.	Manager, Accountability Director, Corporate Management	Accept	The SST will consider obtaining a consultant to review SST decisions and communications to advise on disability inclusive language	December 2023
	Manager, Outreach		Our stakeholder committees and community include disability advocacy organizations. This is an ongoing initiative by the Outreach unit.	Ongoing
Consider providing infographics and other means of filing documents for Tribunal users applying for CPP–Disability.	Director, Corporate Management	Accept	Develop product that explains the appeal process using infographics – make it available on the web site (digital) and also printable	March 2023
	Director, Registry Operations	Accept	Implement practice to provide appeal process infographics at the Appeal Division within correspondence early in the process	March 2023
	Director, Registry Operations		Continue to provide hearings infographics at the General Division for Income Security and Employment Insurance, and at the Appeal Division within correspondence early in the process	Completed
	Director, Registry Operations		Continue to provide document filing options in multiple formats (such as, audio, video, photo) Examine navigator training program and tools to ensure clarity of document filing options Examine triage process to ensure efficient document handling and processing	Completed