Recommendations
With the proclamation of the ACYA, MACY inherited the responsibility from the Manitoba Ombudsman to monitor the implementation of recommendations made by our office. In accordance with Section 11 (1)(d) of the ACYA, MACY will be monitoring the implementation of recommendations included in reports made as provided under Section 27 (Investigation) and Section 31 (Special Reports). In addition, Sections 30(2) and 30(4) of the ACYA require that the Manitoba Advocate must include in the Annual Report a summary of recommendations made in Special Reports, and may include information on the level of compliance to the recommendation.
To find out more about the recommendations that transferred in with the new legislation, check out our Annual Report (page 36-37).
The table below is a reflection of information as reported in the MACY Annual Report. It summarizes the recommendations released in Special Reports, identifies the activities conducted towards implementing the recommendation, and MACY’s evaluation of compliance to the recommendation.
Table Headings and Functions:
- Date Report Released: The date the Special Report was released by the Manitoba Advocate. Selecting the Date Released will show the full text of the recommendation.
- Title: The title of the Special Report. Selecting the Title will take you to the online version of the report.
- Report Type: Identifies if the recommendation came from a Special Report, or other report as released by the Manitoba Advocate.
- Recommendation Category: One or more key words to reflect the subject matter of the recommendation.
- Public Body: The domain responsible for implementing the recommendation and providing a response to the Manitoba Advocate.
- Date Last Response Received*: The date of the public body’s most recent response to the Manitoba Advocate regarding the recommendation.
- Date Response Due: The Manitoba Advocate requests that responses are provided every six months following the release of a Special Report.
- Reported Status by Public Body: The status of the recommendation as reported by the public body responsible for implementing the recommendation. Status is intended to reflect the stage of implementation.
- Action Taken by Public Body: A link to a description of the activities conducted by the public body, as reported by the public body.
- MACY Compliance Evaluation: Identifies if the Manitoba Advocate evaluates the work of the public body to be in compliance with the intention of the recommendation.
In November 2020, the Advocate released her first compliance report monitoring recommendations. See the full report here.
Date Released | Title | Recommendation Categories | Summary | Public Bodies | recommendation_category_hfilter | public_body_hfilter | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 12, 2019 | A Place Where it Feels Like Home: The Story of Tina Fontaine – Recommendation 5 | Missing Youth, Sexual Exploitation | Recommendation Five: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that Manitoba Families, in consultation with other government departments and relevant stakeholders, create a new protocol to ensure that response plans are created for missing youth in general, and sexually exploited youth in particular who are at risk of imminent harm. DETAILS – Manitoba Families to ensure that this protocol:
| Manitoba Families | missing-youth sexual-exploitation | manitoba-families | ||||||||
March 12, 2019 | A Place Where it Feels Like Home: The Story of Tina Fontaine – Recommendation 4 | Safe and Secure Treatment Facilities | Recommendation Four: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that the Manitoba government, through its Deputy Ministers of Health and Social Policy and Priorities (DMHSPP) committee, work with the government’s Legislation and Strategic Policy Branch to analyse the province of Alberta’s Protection of Sexually Exploited Children Act and Alberta’s Drug-Endangered Children Act to determine how safe and secure treatment facilities can be introduced in Manitoba. It is DETAILS:
| Government of Manitoba | safe-and-secure-treatment-facilities | government-of-manitoba | ||||||||
March 12, 2019 | A Place Where it Feels Like Home: The Story of Tina Fontaine – Recommendation 3 | Victim Support Services | Recommendation Three: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that Manitoba Justice evaluate the continuum of victim support services for children and develop quality control measures to ensure that services are child-centred and provided in a timely manner.
| Manitoba Justice | victim-support-services | manitoba-justice | ||||||||
March 12, 2019 | A Place Where it Feels Like Home: The Story of Tina Fontaine – Recommendation 2 | Child and Youth Mental Health | Recommendation Two: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living expedite the public release of a clear implementation plan to address the child and youth-specific recommendations contained in the report on Improving Access and Coordination of Mental Health and Addiction Services: A Provincial Strategy for all Manitobans (“Virgo Report”). DETAILS:
| Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living | child-and-youth-mental-health | manitoba-health-seniors-and-active-living | ||||||||
March 12, 2019 | A Place Where it Feels Like Home: The Story of Tina Fontaine – Recommendation 1 | School Suspensions | Recommendation One: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that Manitoba Education and Training ensure its recently established Commission on Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education review the measurement of and response to absenteeism across Manitoba. It is further recommended that the Commission review the use of out-of-school suspensions and expulsions, with the goal of developing a province-wide strategy to limit, reduce, and phase-out exclusionary practices, DETAILS:
| Manitoba Education and Training | school-suspensions | manitoba-education-and-training | ||||||||
February 21, 2019 | Learning from Nelson Mandela: A Report on the Use of Solitary Confinement and Pepper Spray in Manitoba Youth Custody Facilities – Recommendation 6 | Justice Alternatives, Mental Health Treatment | Recommendation Six: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that Manitoba Justice and Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living immediately embark on the development of a specialized health facility led and run by mental health professionals to provide evidence-informed programming for youth with mental illnesses or cognitive vulnerabilities in custody, including youth who are found not criminally responsible. DETAILS:
| Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living, Manitoba Justice | justice-alternatives mental-health-treatment | manitoba-health-seniors-and-active-living manitoba-justice | ||||||||
February 21, 2019 | Learning from Nelson Mandela: A Report on the Use of Solitary Confinement and Pepper Spray in Manitoba Youth Custody Facilities – Recommendation 5 | Justice Alternatives | Recommendation Five: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that Manitoba Justice respond to the overrepresentation of youth with mental illnesses, cognitive vulnerabilities, and childhood trauma by developing an action plan with Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living and Manitoba Families for the implementation of evidence-informed and culturally-safe therapeutic behavioural management alternatives to solitary confinement and pepper spray, with the goals of
| Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living, Manitoba Justice | justice-alternatives | manitoba-health-seniors-and-active-living manitoba-justice | ||||||||
February 21, 2019 | Learning from Nelson Mandela: A Report on the Use of Solitary Confinement and Pepper Spray in Manitoba Youth Custody Facilities – Recommendation 4 | Pepper Spray | Recommendation Four: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that Manitoba Justice immediately prohibit the use of pepper spray in youth custody facilities except in situations of immediate risk to life* to correctional staff or other youth in custody by amending The Correctional Services Regulation. DETAILS:
*For the purpose of this recommendation, ‘immediate’ shall be defined as proximate danger to life as perceived by an objective third party in the circumstances.
| Manitoba Justice | pepper-spray | manitoba-justice | ||||||||
February 21, 2019 | Learning from Nelson Mandela: A Report on the Use of Solitary Confinement and Pepper Spray in Manitoba Youth Custody Facilities – Recommendation 3 | Solitary Confinement | Recommendation Three: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that Manitoba Justice collect, track, analyse, and report on incidents of segregation across youth custody facilities to ensure transparency and accountability. DETAILS:
| Manitoba Justice | solitary-confinement | manitoba-justice | ||||||||
February 21, 2019 | Learning from Nelson Mandela: A Report on the Use of Solitary Confinement and Pepper Spray in Manitoba Youth Custody Facilities – Recommendation 2 | Solitary Confinement | Recommendation Two: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that the Manitoba government and Manitoba Justice restrict the use of any form of segregation under 24 hours in youth custody facilities through an amendment to The Correctional Services Regulation. DETAILS:
| Government of Manitoba, Manitoba Justice | solitary-confinement | government-of-manitoba manitoba-justice | ||||||||
February 21, 2019 | Learning from Nelson Mandela: A Report on the Use of Solitary Confinement and Pepper Spray in Manitoba Youth Custody Facilities – Recommendation 1 | Solitary Confinement | Recommendation One: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that the Manitoba government and Manitoba Justice amend The Correctional Services Act to prohibit the solitary confinement of youth for a period exceeding 24 hours, per the Nelson Mandela Rules. DETAILS:
| Government of Manitoba, Manitoba Justice | solitary-confinement | government-of-manitoba manitoba-justice | ||||||||
December 13, 2018 | In Need of Protection: Angel’s Story – Recommendation 6 | Substance Use Treatment | Recommendation Six: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that the Department of Health, Seniors and Active Living, in collaboration with the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba and other stakeholders, amend The Youth Drug Stabilization (Support for Parents) Act so that longer warrants or successive warrants are possible to ensure children and youth get the medically supported withdrawal management services they need based on evidence-informed treatment best practices for addictions (e.g. methamphetamine, alcohol, opioids). DETAILS – Work to this effect should:
| Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living | substance-use-treatment | manitoba-health-seniors-and-active-living | ||||||||
December 13, 2018 | In Need of Protection: Angel’s Story – Recommendation 5 | Safe and Secure Treatment Facilities | Recommendation Five: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that the Department of Health, Seniors and Active Living and Department of Families, in collaboration with the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, (1) review and reform the province’s treatment programs for children and youth and (2) create safe and secure facilities for youth in Manitoba who are sexually exploited and harmfully involved in substance misuse. DETAILS – This should:
| Manitoba Families, Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living | safe-and-secure-treatment-facilities | manitoba-families manitoba-health-seniors-and-active-living | ||||||||
December 13, 2018 | In Need of Protection: Angel’s Story – Recommendation 4 | Accountability, CFS Service Standards | Recommendation Four: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that the Minister of Families, through the Child and Family Services Division (CFSD), in collaboration with the four child and family services Authorities, (1) conduct an evidence-informed review and update of existing provincial service standards, and (2) establish province-wide measures of service accountability through a provincial quality assurance framework. Both the service standards and the quality assurance measures must be consistent throughout the province, culturally appropriate, and supported and enforced by the governing child and family services Authorities within their child and family services agencies. As per provincial legislation, quality assurance measures at the authority level must then be assessed and monitored by the Minister of Families. DETAILS – This province-wide quality assurance framework should include:
| Manitoba Families | accountability cfs-service-standards | manitoba-families | ||||||||
December 13, 2018 | In Need of Protection: Angel’s Story – Recommendation 3 | Sexual Exploitation | Recommendation Three: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that Communication Services Manitoba, Manitoba Education and Training, Manitoba Families, Manitoba Justice, Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living, Manitoba Status of Women, and Manitoba Indigenous and Northern Relations collaborate with youth advisory groups, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, Winnipeg Police Service, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Indigenous and community organizations, and the Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth to carry out ongoing public education via awareness campaigns that (a) denounce the sexual exploitation of children and youth and (b) raise awareness about the ongoing demand for purchasing sex and/or sexually exploiting children and youth in Manitoba. DETAILS – This plan should:
| Manitoba Education and Training, Manitoba Families, Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living, Manitoba Justice | sexual-exploitation | manitoba-education-and-training manitoba-families manitoba-health-seniors-and-active-living manitoba-justice | ||||||||
December 13, 2018 | In Need of Protection: Angel’s Story – Recommendation 2 | Sexual Exploitation | Recommendation Two: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that Manitoba Education and Training, Manitoba Families, Manitoba Justice, and Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living engage with experts in childhood trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in order to develop a trauma prevention and response plan of action to (a) educate service providers and the public on ACEs, and (b) create appropriate, accessible immediate and long-term evidence informed interventions to address the trauma crisis that is ongoing in Manitoba. DETAILS – These activities should include:
| Manitoba Education and Training, Manitoba Families, Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living, Manitoba Justice | sexual-exploitation | manitoba-education-and-training manitoba-families manitoba-health-seniors-and-active-living manitoba-justice | ||||||||
December 13, 2018 | In Need of Protection: Angel’s Story – Recommendation 1 | Adverse Childhood Experiences, Childhood Trauma | Recommendation One: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that Manitoba Education and Training, Manitoba Families, Manitoba Justice, and Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living engage with experts in childhood trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in order to develop a trauma prevention and response plan of action to (a) educate service providers and the public on ACEs, and (b) create appropriate, accessible immediate and long-term evidence-informed interventions to address the trauma crisis that is ongoing in Manitoba.
| Manitoba Education and Training, Manitoba Families, Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living, Manitoba Justice | adverse-childhood-experiences childhood-trauma | manitoba-education-and-training manitoba-families manitoba-health-seniors-and-active-living manitoba-justice | ||||||||
October 19, 2018 | Documenting the Decline: The Dangerous Space Between Good Intentions and Meaningful Interventions – Recommendation 6 | Training | Recommendation Six: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that the Department of Families in partnership with the Child and Family Services (CFS) Authorities: (1) clarify training content and expectations of workers and supervisors with respect to CFS minimum provincial standards, and (2) prioritize the development of high quality, culturally appropriate, modernized, and accessible training on the minimum provincial service standards within two years. The Advocate further recommends that all existing workers who have not received training on minimum standards and all new CFS workers be required to complete this training within three to six months. DETAILS:
| Manitoba Families | training | manitoba-families | ||||||||
October 19, 2018 | Documenting the Decline: The Dangerous Space Between Good Intentions and Meaningful Interventions – Recommendation 5 | Youth Probation Orders | Recommendation Five: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that the Department of Justice improve communication across the divisions within its department, including probation services, victim services, and prosecution services, as well as with the legal community (e.g. legal aid), and the courts to ensure that probation orders are relevant, effective, child-centred, realistic (given limitations in remote and rural communities), and achievable. The Advocate further recommends that the Department of Justice evaluate their capacity to provide the programming for youth to meet their probation conditions and determine whether or not existing programs and services are sufficient and accessible to youth living in rural and remote locations. When gaps are identified, strategies for culturally appropriate alternatives and program delivery need to be developed.
| Manitoba Justice | youth-probation-orders | manitoba-justice | ||||||||
October 19, 2018 | Documenting the Decline: The Dangerous Space Between Good Intentions and Meaningful Interventions – Recommendation 4 | Substance Use Treatment | Recommendation Four: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that the Department of Health, Seniors and Active Living, together with front-line addiction service providers in Manitoba, Healthy Child Manitoba, Indigenous communities, and subject matter experts on addictions, immediately respond to the lack of effective substance use treatment services for youth by prioritizing the development and implementation of a youth addiction action strategy. This strategy should be based on best practice evidence with the objective of ensuring that children and youth across Manitoba can exercise their right to the highest attainable standard of health. DETAILS:
| Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living | substance-use-treatment | manitoba-health-seniors-and-active-living | ||||||||
October 19, 2018 | Documenting the Decline: The Dangerous Space Between Good Intentions and Meaningful Interventions – Recommendation 3 | Coordination, Mental Health Services | Recommendation Three: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends the Department of Health, Seniors and Active Living implement, in full, recommendation 5.4, per the Virgo report, as follows: Establish a concerted cross-sectoral process to reduce perceived and real jurisdictional boundaries that challenge access to, and coordination of, services. The process of developing this [Manitoba’s Mental Health and Addictions] Strategy, as well as any new opportunities and resources for working together (e.g., through Jordan’s Principle), should be viewed as an accelerator of a new period of trust and collaboration based on shared beliefs and strengths among all partners, and should include an interest in wellness, hope and family/community health. DETAILS:
| Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living | coordination mental-health-services | manitoba-health-seniors-and-active-living | ||||||||
October 19, 2018 | Documenting the Decline: The Dangerous Space Between Good Intentions and Meaningful Interventions – Recommendation 2 | School Suspensions | Recommendation Two: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that the Department of Education and Training through Healthy Child Manitoba, and with participation from all school divisions, conduct an urgent review of the current use of out-of-school suspensions and expulsions, and develop a province-wide strategy to limit, reduce, and phase-out exclusionary practices, except in situations of imminent safety risk to students and staff. This review and strategy should provide evidence-informed disciplinary alternatives that are in line with the best interest of the child and respect the right of children and youth to education. DETAILS:
| Manitoba Education and Training | school-suspensions | manitoba-education-and-training | ||||||||
October 19, 2018 | Documenting the Decline: The Dangerous Space Between Good Intentions and Meaningful Interventions – Recommendation 1 | Coordination, Training | Recommendation One: The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that the Province of Manitoba respond to the persistent lack of coordination between services for children and youth by developing and implementing a provincial strategy to train service providers on the requirement to share information across systems and ensure children and youth are at the centre of all service provision. This is to be developed, delivered, and evaluated in consultation with Manitoba Education and Training, Manitoba Families, Manitoba Justice, and Manitoba Health, Healthy Living and Seniors. DETAILS:
| Government of Manitoba | coordination training | government-of-manitoba |