Information, Orientation and Needs Assessment
From Settlement AtWork Wiki
Information and Referral
Quick Facts | Concepts, Skills and Terminology | How to Learn More | Find Services |

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Quick Facts
- Bilingual (English/French) online directory of more than 56,000 community agencies and services - 211 Ontario
- Information for newcomers to Ontario in 11 different languages - InMyLanguage.org
- Information over the phone about municipal services in more than 180 languages - 311 Toronto
- Online information about municipal services in more than 50 languages using auto-translation - 311 Toronto
- Phone service available in over 150 languages - 211 Ontario
- Service in more than 170 languages - 311 Ottawa
- Top 5 kinds of help Ontario’s residents needed most in 2010 - 211 Ontario
- Health
- Income and Financial Assistance
- Housing
- Community Services
- Legal and Public Safety
- Top 10 reasons why asking for help is hard - 211 Ontario
Certification for I&R Professionals
- Career and Employment Information Specialists (CEIS) Online Course - Service Canada
- How to become AIRS certified - InformCanada
Concepts, Skills & Terminology
Discover important concepts, definitions and terms relating to information and referral in the settlement sector.
Definitions
- Information and Referral
- Information and Referral (I&R) is the art, science and practice of bringing people and services together. I&R is an integral component of the overall health and human services sector. (AIRS.org)
- Needs Assessment
- An effective needs assessment involves active listening and effective questioning in order to understand the nature and extent of a person’s situation and determine appropriate resources. (OCASI Professional Development Conference - 2009)
Core Values of Settlement Work
(From the Settlement Information and Referral Training Manual - 2010)
- Access
- Inclusion
- Empowerment
- User-defined services
- Holistic approach
- Respect for the individual
- Culturally sensitive
- Community development
- Collaboration
- Accountability
- Orientation towards positive change
- Reliability
Characteristics of Information and Referral
(Adapted from the Settlement Information and Referral Training Manual - 2010)
- Accessible
- An I&R agency should be free of physical, linguistic, cultural and other barriers for everyone in the community who needs/wants its services.
- Accountable
- An I&R service should be accountable to the community it serves and must report to funders.
- Confidential
- Services provided by an I&R organization are confidential, and information obtained must not be shared except where permission has been granted, there is a danger of someone being harmed or there is a legal requirement.
- Efficient
- An I&R service must use its resources carefully to ensure an adequate number of trained staff can provide services and maintain resources databases.
- Flexible
- An I&R service should be able to adapt to the needs of the community.
- Friendly
- Friendliness helps clients feel comfortable using an I&R service and sets the tone for the remainder of the process.
- Neutral
- An I&R service must be open to all people and be non-political, non-sectarian and non-judgemental.
- Optimum breadth and depth of scope
- A comprehensive I&R service should be able to provide information about the entire spectrum of human services in its area while a specialized I&R service may maintain more in-depth information about a narrower subset of organizations.
- Reliable
- Accurate information and appropriate referrals are essential to maintaining the community's respect for and trust in an I&R service.
- Respectful
- Services provided by an I&R agency should respect the dignity of service users by not stigmatizing them or making them feel ashamed about needing assistance.
- Sensitive
- I&R staff should demonstrate sensitivity to the feelings and problems of all people by being attentive to what a person says and does or does not say or do.
How to Learn More
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Featured Resource! Settlement Information and Referral Training Manual |
Further your knowledge with practical guides, best practices, projects and research.
Find out how to become qualified to work in the field through online or classroom-based training.
Courses/Training
- Free online courses to help settlement workers build their skills offered by OCASI - Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants
- Individual and in-house group training for staff from immigrant service agencies whose positions are funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration (MCI)
Information and Referral
- AIRS Online Training
- Career and Employment Information Specialists (CEIS) Online Course - Service Canada
- FindHelp Training Workshops
- Settlement Information and Referral Training Manual - Findhelp - 2010
Needs Assessment
Best Practices/Practical Guides
- The ABCs of I&R - Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) - 2012
- AIRS I&R Toolkit - Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS)
- Best Practices for School Settlement Workers
- Best Practices in Settlement Services - Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Professional Associations/Networks
- Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS)
- InformCanada - Canadian affiliate of Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS)
Further Reading
- AIRS Standards - Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) - 2009
- Information and Orientation
Find Services
- 211 Ontario
- Services Near Me - Settlement.Org
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