Read this release on the Safe & Well Oxford website 

Oxford County municipalities approve and endorse Safe and Well Oxford Plan and establish Steering Committee

Safe and Well Oxford aims to create communities where individuals and families feel safe, supported and included and where they can access what they need, when they need it, to live life fully

June 5, 2023 – The Safe and Well Oxford Plan, Oxford’s roadmap for building safe and inclusive communities, is taking a key step forward with the endorsement of all nine municipal councils and the appointment of an inaugural Steering Committee.

In February 2023, Oxford County Council approved both the terms of reference and the recommended appointments to the Safe and Well Oxford Steering Committee, through to the end of the current Council term on November 15, 2026. A new Steering Committee will be appointed by the new Oxford County council for the subsequent council term.

The Safe and Well Oxford Steering Committee comprises individuals who played a key role in the development of the plan, drawing from local police services, health care organizations and providers, school boards, businesses, social service providers, agencies and more.

The Steering Committee will be working diligently over the next six months to establish a strong foundation in which it can effectively support and guide the Action Coalitions, the Plan’s issue-specific sub-committees, as they work to meet the goals and objectives of the Plan.

“Our hope for this plan is to help create safer, healthier and more vibrant communities across Oxford, which is more important today than ever before” says Oxford County Warden Marcus Ryan. “Ongoing community engagement, education, awareness and participation is critical to the successful implementation of the Safe & Well Oxford Communities Plan.”

A key task for the Steering Committee will be to gather data and metrics that will subsequently be used to measure the accomplishments achieved throughout the community. Also key to the success of this Plan will be maintaining effective communication and partnerships with all community stakeholders, local municipalities and residents as the Steering Committee moves forward to accomplish goals and objectives detailed within the plan.

Representatives of the Safe & Well Oxford Steering Committee will be reaching out to key stakeholders in the coming weeks to schedule meetings and consultation in relation to the goals and objectives of the Safe & Well Oxford plan, and discuss how the steering committee may best support them in achieving their goals and the goals established in the Safe & Well Oxford plan.

“Helping to ensure that members of our community feel safe doesn’t begin and end with law enforcement. The way in which we respond to people facing complex needs, such as mental health challenges, addictions and lack of secure housing, impacts the safety and wellbeing of both individuals and community,” says Township of South-West Oxford Mayor David Mayberry. “Through the work of the Safe & Well Oxford Steering Committee, we hope to come together as a community with shared common goals to find ways to best support the organizations within our community that are providing these necessary supports.”

Safe and Well Oxford Steering Committee meetings are open to the public at the Oxford County Administration Building in Woodstock. Upcoming meetings, agendas and minutes will be posted on the Safe and Well Oxford website.

Background

In September, 2020 municipalities across Oxford County, launched a planning process to develop a shared Community Safety and Well-being Plan, Safe and Well Oxford, in response to the requirements of the Police Services Act. The planning process was spearheaded by a multi-sectoral Advisory Committee made up of representatives from across Oxford, including police and emergency services, health care, mental health and social services, school boards and community service providers.

Throughout 2020, more than 1,400 members and front-line service providers from across Oxford shared their ideas about how to address priority risks and improve the safety and well-being of their communities.  Safe and Well Oxford truly reflects the multitude of diverse voices the committees heard from and sets out the plan for how government, service providers, residents and businesses can work together to addresses the root causes of the most complex social issues Oxford communities face.  Although there are many areas that influence the safety and well-being of communities, the four priority risks that Safe and Well Oxford will address through a social development and prevention lens are:

• Mental Health
• Affordable Housing
• Substance Misuse
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Safe and Well Oxford establishes goals and objectives to address Oxford’s priority risks. It asks all local municipalities, service providers, residents, businesses and more to step forward and work together to achieve our shared vision of community safety and well-being. Please visit safeandwelloxford.ca for full details of the Plan and how we can work together to create a more vibrant and safe community.

Safe and Well Oxford has received very positive support and endorsement from all Oxford municipal Councils and Oxford County. Implementation of this Plan will be a shared responsibility across the County and include community members and local representatives to improve the overall well-being for our residents.

About Safe and Well Oxford

Safe and Well Oxford is Oxford County's community safety and well-being plan. Legislated by the Government of Ontario, the plan outlines the road map to building a safe, welcoming and inclusive community for all where “no one is left behind.” Implementation of the Safe and Well Oxford Plan is overseen by the Safe and Well Oxford Steering Committee, made up of one representative from each of the action coalitions, one representative from a youth community organization, the Manager of Strategic Initiatives and Continuous Improvement from Oxford County, a Clerk or CAO from the area municipalities, and two members of County Council. For more information visit www.safewelloxford.ca.

Current Steering Committee Members

Randy Peltz, Executive Director, Oxford County Community Health Centre
Kelly Black, Director of Human Services, Oxford County 
Tina Diamond, Executive Director, Children’s Aid Society, Oxford 
Sarah Hamulecki, Manager of Strategic Initiatives and Continuous Improvement, Oxford County 
Julie Middleton, Clerk, South-West Oxford 
Bernia Wheaton, Oxford County Council 
Marcus Ryan, Warden, Oxford County Council