Improving the experience for our (many!) Steps to Justice / Justice pas-à-pas users

The stats are in! Over 5.7 million Ontarians visited Steps to Justice and Justice pas-à-pas over the last fiscal year (end of March 2021), and we responded to more than 18,000 enquiries via live chat and email.

With such a content rich site, we are constantly looking for ways to make information more accessible for our users. Our cleaner, updated design; enhanced search function; and highlighted tools and resources are helping people find what they need.

Interactive training for workers supporting people with job-related questions

People with unstable employment – and those numbers skyrocketed during the pandemic -- often turn for help to workers’ rights advocates and others in their community they trust. CLEO’s recent webinar, Worker’s rights during COVID-19 (June 3, 2021), gave nearly 300 community workers the chance to ask their questions of our expert legal clinic presenters. The presenters were interviewed on issues they were seeing on the ground during COVID and then engaged with participants' questions.

One participant commented, "I liked how specific scenarios that may be common to many people were discussed in detail. This type of interviewing format will be more helpful as the law on different legal areas evolves with the pandemic. The delivery was wonderful."

Tapping into key resources

To aid community workers in supporting their clients with legal problems during the pandemic, CLEO developed a new Inventory Tool of curated resources. The Tool provides an overview of key, up-to-date legal resources and services in housing, income benefits, and employment intended for community workers as they help clients navigate COVID-19-related developments. Check it out and give us your feedback!

Guided Pathways for changes to family arrangements

Many people have suffered financial setbacks due to the pandemic…meaning they may need to change their support orders or arrangements for children. Now they can fill out the documents they need to request or respond to a motion to change using new Guided Pathways. Another Guided Pathway completes family court forms for a trial management conference. CLEO's Guided Pathways are free tools that help people complete legal documents. There are 43 Guided Pathways for family law, all available in English and French.

Building plain language skills

With many Ontarians in crisis, frontline workers are being asked to reach out to their communities in new ways – often with little training. CLEO Connect saw an opportunity to share expertise by hosting a skills-building webinar on clear language and design. Nearly half of Ontarians have low English literacy skills, which means they may have problems with forms and instructions. The webinar considered audience and purpose of communications, and covered plain language principles of style, tone and words. “I didn’t know I needed this!” commented one participant.

Helping older adults and their families recognize elder abuse

Older adults can be the victims of abuse financially, physically, and sexually, sometimes at the hands of their family or caregivers. In time for Elder Abuse Awareness month, new information on Steps to Justice and Justice pas-à-pas helps older adults, and their families and friends, recognize the signs of abuse, and gives them information on how to protect themselves and where to get help.