Overall results and emerging trends
Eight years of data have been collected since the survey began in 2012-13. Data collection is intended to promote continuous quality improvement for service providers and CLBC.
For the past eight years, CLBC has contracted with R.A. Malatest and Associates Ltd. to manage the survey administration process and data analysis.
While we are still in the process of collecting baseline data, we are already seeing many interesting emerging trends within the community living sector. For example:
- Individuals score their quality of life highest in the well-being domains (emotional, physical and material),
- Social inclusion is the lowest scoring domain, this is one of the domains that individuals care most about and it’s one that will need some attention as we move forward.
- A high percentage of individuals who report having a job that pays them money say that their job makes their life better.
- Housing satisfaction was positively correlated with seven quality of life domains. This emphasizes the importance of housing and the need to support the creation of more accessible and affordable housing.
- A new gender-based analysis across all survey years revealed that men and women are achieving similar outcomes across the majority of quality of life domains. However, men were more likely to have a paid job, to have support to get a paid job, and were more likely to be able to get around their community, compared to women.
- Individuals who access staffed residential services score significantly lower in the self-determination and rights domains than individuals who access other residential services.
- Individuals who access employment services score approximately the same as those who access traditional community inclusion services in the well-being domains but score higher in the rights and self-determination domains.
- Individuals accessing staffed residential and shared living residential options have similar quality of life profiles except in the domains of self-determination, rights, personal development, and social inclusion which tend to be higher for individuals in shared living arrangements.
See the 2019/20 survey results.
Comparison to general population
The survey involves people with developmental disabilities and those in the general population to determine how the quality of life indicators vary between these two groups.
In the 2015/16 Malatest conducted a modified version of the survey with a large sample of the BC general population from Vancouver Coastal, South Fraser, and Southern Interior regions. This year the Qualify of Life survey was administered to residents from all five CLBC regions: Vancouver Coastal, South Fraser, Southern Interior, North & Thompson-Cariboo and Vancouver Island.
Comparison of results between include Me! and general population respondents found that general population respondents scored significantly higher than 2019/20 include Me! participants in rights, self-determination, and emotional well-being domains. 2019-20 include Me! respondents scored higher than the general population respondents in the domains of personal development. Small, but statistically significant, differences also existed on the physical well-being and interpersonal relations domains.
What participants are saying
“I enjoy talking to and surveying people. I learned that most people are happy with their lives. Before, I thought quality of life is about enjoying what you do in community. Now, it means being included in community and having the same rights, having access to do things and to work.”
– Elizabeth, include Me! surveyor
“The work we have accomplished thus far was inspired by the voices of the people we support who provided feedback that we could do better in the areas of rights, self-determination and community inclusion. We listened and have been actively engaged in creating changes at Milieu. While we have achieved a great deal, we know the process is not yet complete.”
– Milieu Family Services
How the findings are being used
The include Me! survey process gives us important information about the quality of life of the individuals we serve. Additionally, it provides CLBC and service providers with data to gauge the effectiveness of our activities in supporting individuals to achieve better quality of life outcomes. Below are examples of how two CLBC service providers are using the findings.
Vernon and District Association for Community Living (VDACL)
VDACL is using the quality of life framework as the touchstone of all that they do and incorporated it into their strategic plan. VDACL has aligned its planning with the quality of life domains which meant that they completed a new plan with every individual they support and their support network, shifting from a goal based approach to looking at personal outcomes.
VDACL has used the information gathered from the include Me! survey and VDACL’s revised individual support plans to redevelop its programs. VDACL’s programs are driven by the desired personal outcomes they are trying to achieve and individuals are in the programs that align with their desired personal outcomes.
Penticton & District Community Resources Society (PDCRS)
For PDCRS, the include Me! quality of life framework not only brought awareness of what it means to have a good quality of life, but it provided a universally understood concept that guided meaningful discussions with individuals, their families and their support networks to determine what support would look like for them going forward. It was an opportunity for the organization to align its planning and supports with the quality of life domains. The framework gave everyone in the organization including individuals and their families a common language.
The results provide a snap shot in time highlighting their work and the impact it has had on the quality of life of those accessing services and supports from PDCRS. PDCRS has a strong commitment to individuals and families and continues to engage in quality improvement strategies.