Our workplace
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Initiatives At CAST, we’re dedicated to empowering our staff in equitable ways to further support and uphold our culture, of inclusivity, trust and high performance. By engaging with staff through events, training and committees, we aim to ensure that they feel valued, respected and heard. Our goal is to not only enhance individual experiences, but to build more cohesive teams that can best support the children, youth and families we serve. Highlights of these initiatives over the past year include:
Expansion of Mental Health Benefits, Wellness Sessions and Resources Throughout the year, we continued to focus on providing support and resources to build resilience, capability, flexibility and adaptability among our employees, especially in times of ongoing change. In partnership with Homewood Health, our Employee and Family Assistance Provider, we expanded the services and supports available to staff. This included the delivery of helpful Wellness Sessions such as Fundamentals of Change & Transition, Building Resilience, and Navigating Change, with additional topics and partners introduced in response to identified staff needs. We also began our transition to GreenShield as our new employee benefits carrier. GreenShield is well aligned with CAST’s values including its emphasis on EDI, community support, and mental health resources. Joint Union Management Workload Committee Over the past year, we have deepened our commitment to addressing workload challenges through meaningful collaboration with our union partners. The Joint Union Management Workload Committee, co-chaired by the Union President and Chief Operating Officer, brings together unionized and management staff to explore workload issues across the organization. As part of this work, we engaged staff from the Adoption team and the Pape Adolescent Resource Centre to gather feedback on workload-related issues, which is now informing a targeted action plan. To broaden our understanding, we also launched an Agency-wide engagement process with unionized staff, beginning with input on how they would like to participate. Peer led
focus groups emerged as the preferred format for open dialogue, complemented by an online survey to ensure everyone had a chance to contribute. These conversations provided space for staff to share current challenges, past strategies that have supported their work, and ideas for future solutions. Enhancing Employee Engagement Driven by our goal to enhance the employee experience at CAST, we continued to prioritize measuring staff engagement through our bi-annual engagement survey, Your Say. The survey identifies areas of strength and opportunities for growth and informs the development of key operational and strategic action plans. Results from the most recent survey confirmed an overall increase in employee engagement and satisfaction at CAST. Building Leadership Capabilities through Employee Development In 2024-25, we continued to foster a learning culture by investing in the development of our employees. Our Leadership Development Program offered essential skills, knowledge and experiences to both aspiring and current leaders. Training included sessions focused on building a coaching culture, high performing teams, employee engagement and wellness. These efforts laid a strong foundation as we prepare to evolve the next generation of employee learning and development to align with the challenges, complexities and strategic imperatives that will be identified in our upcoming Strategic Plan.
Workforce Census Survey Consistent with previous years, we conducted our semi-annual Workforce Census through the voluntary participation of staff in the Employment Equity Survey. The survey invites staff to share information about their demographic identities and provides updated data on the composition of our workforce. Results from the most recent Census indicate that we are achieving a workforce that closely reflects the demographics and diversity of Toronto. This information helps us evaluate progress on our Equity Hiring Strategy and Program and informs whether adjustments should be considered. Equity Hiring Strategy The Workforce Census provides updated demographic data to inform which positions are designated as equity based hires. This approach promotes diversity among job applicants and helps address historical systemic barriers to employment in Toronto. Over the past year, more than 40 per cent of applicants to our job postings self-identified as part of an equity deserving group, demonstrating the success of our efforts to increase representation within our workplace. U nion Management Equity Committee Throughout 2024-25, the Union Management Equity Committee (UMEC) continued to play a key role in guiding the operational implementation of our Equity Hiring Strategy and work plans. UMEC provided insights and
advice on systematizing equity-focused work across all Branches and Departments, as well as aligning individual Branch work plans with organizational goals. Through gathering suggestions and feedback, the collaborative effort helped ensure that equity remains a shared responsibility throughout our Agency. Branch Equity Committees Over the past year, Branch Equity Committees (BECs) continued to collect Branch and Department specific input and feedback to inform broader organizational efforts and enhance our Service delivery. These committees have played a key role in fostering equity, diversity and inclusion among staff by supporting the creation of a culture that encourages intentional and regular equity discussions. Employee Resource Groups As part of our ongoing efforts to create more spaces for equity deserving groups to connect in a structured, inclusive and formalized way, we expanded our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) through the addition of four new groups this year. These employees led groups are formed around shared interests, backgrounds and opportunities and serve as important channels for connection and dialogue. Now more than one third of all CAST employees are members of at least one ERG, highlighting the strong engagement and meaningful role these groups play across the organization.
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