211 for All Canada: Frequently Asked Questions
What is 211?
211 is an easy-to-remember three-digit phone number providing free, confidential, multilingual access to information about the full range of community, social, health and government services. Just as 911 now means access to emergency services, 211 is the pathway to these non-emergency human services. All 211 calls are answered by live operators, certified information specialists who assess each caller’s needs and link them to the best available services and programs, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A user-friendly version of the comprehensive, continually updated 211 database for each community or region can also be accessed on the Internet.
Who uses 211?
Finding the right information or services in our increasingly complex, everchanging service delivery environment is a frustrating experience for many people. 211 offers a single point of access for anyone seeking non-emergency human services: individuals, families, people facing barriers because of language, poverty or personal difficulty, as well as professionals in government, business or community agencies.
For example, people call 211 to locate:
• home-care support for an aging parent
• post-natal care or a child-care program
• social and recreational activities
• volunteer opportunities
• language training and employment resources
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211 today
Where is 211 available now?
211 has been available to residents in Toronto since June 2002; in 2004 it started up in Edmonton ; and in the spring of 2005 it was introduced in Calgary . With these three centres operating, 15% of Canada ’s population has access to 211. In the United States , where 211 started in 1997, 137 million people (46% of the population) now have 211 access.
How has 211 performed?
Since its launch in June 2002, 211 Toronto has assisted nearly 1 million callers. Follow-up client surveys indicate high levels of satisfaction: nearly all clients said they would recommend 211 to friends and family. Each month, more than 50,000 people use www.211Toronto.ca. To serve citizens better, many Toronto-based social service professionals, politicians’ constituency offices and agencies now make www.211Toronto.ca their home page. More than 20,000 Calgary residents called 211 in its first six months of operation: 91% of callers report that they received accurate referrals, and 97% said they learned something new from contacting 211. In Edmonton , 98% of 211 callers say they would use the service again.
WHY 211 WORKS
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Where is 211 expanding in Canada ?
The goals established for Canada's 211 initiative are ambition: to ensure that one-third of Canadians in at lest three provinces have access to 211 by 2008, and to extend 211 to all Canadians by 2011. In 2005, Ontario's service expanded to include Niagara Region and South Georgian Bay ( Simcoe County). Regional Information Centres in Niagara and Simcoe are networked with the existing 211 Toronto center and comprise the first components of Ontario's integrated province-wide 211 system. In early 2006, Quebec City will commence service, becoming the world's first 211 centre operating primarily in French. By the end of 2006, Canada's first province-wide 211 service is expected to be up and running in Nova Scotia.
How will 211 be rolled out across the country?
211 is being implemented in stages, as local, regional and provincial agencies are ready. Consistent standards have been established to guide the development of 211 across Canada. These require prospective 211 providers to submit to a rigorous, multi-year accreditation process in order to be licensed to deliver 211. An ongoing quality assurance program monitors performance and drives service excellence. By ensuring that local human services data is collected and managed professionally and calls are answered by certified information specialists, 211 can reliably deliver the same high-quality service throughout Canada.
Will every community have its own 211?
Although the goal is to ensure that all Canadians have access to 211, it would not be feasible to have a 211 centre located in every community. Instead, the organizations that deliver 211 will, in most cases, serve an entire region or province. To ensure that the data collected for the 211 system is locally relevant, partnerships are being built with a variety of local community service organizations.
Will 211 in one community be able to give callers information about
other communities across Canada?
Yes. The consolidated 211 system will ensure consistent, seamless client service, regardless of the caller’s location. Someone in Calgary, for example, would be able to find out about services for an aging parent living in Halifax.
What will it take to bring 211 to all Canadians?
United Way-Centraide and information and referral services have been at the forefront of developing a vision for a Canada-wide 211 system and providing all Canadians with access to high-quality, effective 211 service. We are now seeking the active involvement of governments and others with an interest in improving service delivery. The rapid development of 211 in the U.S. owes much to support from American state and federal governments.
How is the infrastructure for 211 being built?
The 211 initiative builds on the existing capacity, core competencies and assets of organizations with extensive experience in providing information and referral services. In addition to leveraging and enhancing existing organizational infrastructure, 211 is predicated on reducing duplication, standardizing human services information systems and maximizing the utilization of modern information and telecommunications technology. The success of this approach will require significant collaboration between service providers, governments and the community, and building new partnerships.
Is the cost of a Canada-wide 211 system worth the investment?
A major cost-benefit analysis of the proposed 211 system was recently conducted by Deloitte. It concluded that the measurable benefits of a Canada-wide 211 system outweigh the costs by a margin of more than two to one. All stakeholders – the public, governments and service providers – stand to realize substantial benefits from the time and cost savings that 211 can provide. The Deloitte study confirms the strength of the 211 business case and the inherent value of the service.
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What 211 can do
How would 211 implementation across Canada benefit governments?
In addition to improving service access and delivery, implementation of 211 offers government significant cost-saving opportunities.
• Governments currently operate hundreds of toll-free 1-800 numbers; establishing 211 as the first point of access can reduce costs in this area.
• Governments currently pay for advertising to inform citizens about how to access programs and services; partnering on 211 can save money spent on such advertising.
• Civil servants and staff in publicly funded agencies devote countless hours responding to misdirected or inappropriate calls; 211 significantly reduces time wasted on servicing such calls.
• Different government departments and levels of government maintain multiple databases of services and programs; 211 can help reduce duplication of data collection and professionalize data management.
How does 211 differ from government 1-800 lines?
Governments at every level have embraced the concept of “one-window” information provision, giving citizens a single point of access to the programs and services they deliver. 211 takes this idea one step further by greatly enhancing public access not just to services provided by various government entities but also to those delivered by charitable and community-based agencies – the fastest-growing segment of the community, social and health service delivery system.
What can 211 do that 311 can’t?
Where it exists, 311 provides access to non-emergency municipal government services like garbage pickup, building permits or drinking water; it allows residents to report hazards like potholes, burnt-out street lights or stray animals. 211 has a different mandate. It provides people with information and referral about all human services and programs, regardless of whether these are delivered by governments or by non-government providers.
How does 211 perform during times of crisis?
Toronto’s 211 service experienced large increases in call volume during the SARS outbreak in 2003 and worked closely with public health agencies to deal with the crisis and its aftermath. 211 remained fully operational during the
2003 power blackout
and was able to cope with a large spike in calls. 211 also reduces the burden on the 911 system and protects its integrity during emergencies by diverting the public to an easy-to-remember number for nonemergency inquiries and services. Development of 211 in the U.S. is viewed as an integral component of community preparedness following the attacks of September 11, 2001.
How can 211 help improve the design and allocation of services?
By systematically tracking the reasons why people call 211 and the services they require, 211 creates a powerful new social policy and planning tool: accurate, real-time need and demand data. Governments and other providers of social and health services can then use this information to identify service gaps, duplication and emerging trends. That means they can deploy their resources more effectively and efficiently.
Can existing services and programs cope with demand created by 211?
Some service providers feared they would be overwhelmed after 211 was introduced. But in Toronto, Alberta and the U.S., this has not happened. Although the switch to three-digit dialling in Toronto tripled call volume almost immediately, 84% of clients report that they did receive the help they needed from the organization they were advised to contact. In fact, interviews with staff from provincial ministries, federal departments and community agencies clearly indicate that 211 saves them time and assists them in doing their work. One reason is that client feedback about service bottlenecks and shortages allows 211 staff to help clients navigate around these obstacles.
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Why is United Way supporting 211?
United Way helps find solutions to community problems and is a significant funder of agencies providing social and health services. 211 complements United Way’s role as a funder of community services by helping people connect to the services they need.
The growth of 211
1997 Atlanta, Georgia, becomes the first community to introduce a 211 service.
2000 A collaborative led by the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) and United Way of America, along with 19 states and other organizations, secures approval of the Federal Communications Commission for the dialling code 211 to be assigned to community information and referral services across the U.S.
2001 The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission assigns 211 to toll-free information and referral centres for community, social, health and government services, responding to an initiative by United Way of Canada-Centraide and InformCanada.
2002 Toronto launches 211 for callers in the 416/647 area codes.
2004 Edmonton starts 211 service.
2005 Calgary, Niagara Region and Simcoe County launch 211.
July 2005
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