Curriculum Café
Join us each month for our Family Councils Curriculum Café! Our Cafés are designed specifically for family council members and long-term care home staff who want to deepen their understanding of, and work within their long-term care community. Each month we will explore a new theme and registrants will be provided with resources to review, live training and active engagement opportunities, as well as the opportunity to network with other council members across the province. New members are always welcome! Sign up via the registration link to receive notice of upcoming sessions and past session materials.
We'll be starting the Curriculum Cafes with sessions on why Councils matter (covering Council fundamentals and the impacts of Councils in LTC homes) and how to create equitable and inclusive Councils (focusing on how Councils that prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion can create groups where everyone feels that they belong and have a contribution to make). Upcoming Curriculum Café topics will be released monthly- the themes will be based on your feedback in the registration form so please share your top three issues with us!
Please review our Curriculum Cafe Community Guidelines before registering for the series.
Please contact Liane Pelissier at liane.pelissier@fco.ngo if you have any questions.
Upcoming Cafés
November 2023 - Family Councils & Legislation
To play an essential role in ensuring safe, high quality care for residents, Family Councils are encouraged to take a deep dive into the context in which they operate and understand the scope of their legislative powers and beyond under the Fixing Long-Term Care Act (FLTCA). Having a strong collective understanding of legislation as it pertains to Family Councils will go a long way in supporting the Council’s success, longevity, and efforts to enhance LTC communities
Webinar: Legislation in Long-Term Care (Ontario)
Will be pre-recorded and sent to all registrants.
Live Café: Cancelled
Required Learning:
What Residents Can Expect Handout
Registration & Additional Information
Click here to register!
Participants must be family councils members, long-term care home staff members, or caregivers who are interested in forming or joining a council. Participants should be able to commit up to five hours per month to this project. Participants' time will be spent reviewing selected resources, attending live trainings and discussions with Family Councils Ontario team members, and participating in workshops and webinars.
Participants will require access to a computer or tablet and a stable internet connection to participate in the Curriculum Café. All live events related to this project will take place via Zoom.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my home doesn’t currently have a Family Council? Should I still sign up?
Yes! If your home does not currently have a Family Council, please indicate so in the registration form. Registrants from homes without a Family Council will receive specific support and materials to help you start a Council, including access to special Café sessions where we focus on starting a Family Council; a package of materials you can use to educate families and home staff on the purpose, impact, and value of a Family Council (such as a slide deck you can adapt and present at an event, event flyer templates, draft brochures and admission package materials); and, ongoing support from FCO staff as you get your Council up and running!
How will this benefit me as an established Council member? How will it work? How is it different from other FCO webinars?
Both new and established Council members will benefit from participating in the curriculum cafes! The themes we'll be covering are based on what FCO staff have been hearing from Council members and home staff at our webinars, through our consultations, and at our virtual family forums. The live cafe sessions will provide you with opportunities to connect with your peers, learn from each other, and improve your Family Council work.
Each month will highlight a specific theme and will culminate in a live session- the Cafe- where we discuss the key takeaways from the education and reading materials assigned (live webinar, eLearning module, blog posts, factsheets, videos etc...). The cafe session will involve scenario-based learning where we review and discuss a scenario that pertains to that month's focus- this will be an opportunity to put your learning into practice and apply it to a relevant and realistic situation.
The Curriculum Cafes will be much more in-depth than our webinars and more focused than the Virtual Family Forums. Cafe attendees will be expected to have some or most of that month's pre-cafe work and be prepared to review how that learning applies to the scenario. You'll be able to participate in the cafes in writing (using the Zoom chat feature), in small groups (via breakout rooms), and orally in the large group discussion. The Cafe sessions will be highly interactive and designed for attendees to both learn and share their insights!
How does registration work? Do I need to register for each month?
Registering will give you access to all learning materials and access to each month's cafe session.
Complete this registration form to sign up for the cafe series. Registration is required as space is limited. Please note that registering will give you access to all Cafe sessions and the cafe session recordings. You will be sent calendar invitations to each session as the dates are released and you will receive a monthly email with the details of the month's live learning (if applicable), the required pre-reading/viewing, and the live cafe session.
What happens if I can't attend a session?
While we encourage registrants to attend every session, it is not required. Each month's cafe session will have a specific focus (the month's theme) but will build on the learnings of the previous month.
Cafe sessions will be recorded and made available to registrants.
Previous Cafés
Register for our Curriculum Café series to gain access to previous café content and recordings.
June 2023 -
May 2023 - Leadership Models
April 2023 - Understanding the Powers of a Family Council
March 2023 - Collaborating with Home Staff
February 2023 - FC 101 / Recruitment
January 2023 - Recruitment
December 2022 - No Curriculum Café
November 2022 - Diversity & Belonging
October 2022 - Why Family Councils Matter