The City of Lethbridge has been named as one of three alpha sites in a social services technology pilot which will see HelpSeeker Technologies lead the creation of a one-stop shop for those needing social supports and those offering social supports.
With $4.9 million in funding from the Federal Government, Compass is the first-of-its kind platform specifically designed to help transform the social safety net to deliver improved and equitable social outcomes. The platform will be co-developed, implemented and validated with the Lethbridge community to ensure it meets the community’s needs.
“I’m thrilled to see support from our Federal Government to help us enable more people to receive the services and care they need in Lethbridge,” says Lethbridge Mayor, Blaine Hyggen. “We’ve long been advocating for supports and resources and this allows us to help connect those who need care to those who provide care. This new platform will allow services and information to be shared more widely and in an accessible way that meets people where they are.”
As part of this project, the city will have a say in the design of this digital platform that will connect the dots for us for three distinct audiences, those being help seekers, service providers, and decision-makers. For help seekers in need of social support, Compass connects them to the right help while generating information on the needs of a community.
“A lack of digitization and unifying technology in the social response has been a barrier to improving the wellbeing and safety of individuals and communities,” says Community Social Development manager, Martin Thomsen. “This project will inspire new technology that will increase access to help, facilitate service coordination and generate better data for more responsive decision-making.”
For organizations and those helping people in need of social support, Compass ensures better service planning, coordination, and delivery to maximize outcomes and community impact. This will help to further the existing work being done by the City’s Community Wellbeing and Safety Strategy.
To learn more about the Compass project, click here.