Public Schools Branch staff asked to work in long-term care homes on P.E.I.

P.E.I.'s Department of Health and Wellness is asking some Public Schools Branch staff to provide resident care worker support at private Charlottetown nursing homes amid a "critical staffing shortage."

In an email sent to teachers on the Island, the department said it's seeking help from PSB staff willing to work as a resident care worker for the next two weeks.

The email said there's an "urgent need" due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak, particularly at The Garden Home long-term care facility, where there were 13 COVID-19 cases as of Saturday.

The resident care workers would not be placed in areas with residents who have tested positive for COVID — and qualifications aren't required. Training will be provided on site, the email said.

People would be working eight-hour shifts for an hourly rate of $20.46 with a premium for working night shifts. The Garden Home can issue 10-12 hour shifts if there's interest.

The call to PSB staff was targeted at substitutes or casual staff who are not being used in other areas of the education system right now - a similar ask was made in the spring of 2020 according to the province.

"There is no plan to redeploy existing staff in education at this time, those staff continue to focus on supporting our Island students with online learning," officials with the province wrote in an emailed statement to CBC.

The province said it has made similar requests to workers in other government departments as well, and to health care students and people in the private sector. 

Cory Stevenson is a substitute teacher and a representative on the P.E.I. Teachers' Federation board. He said the memo was met with mixed reaction.

"Some substitutes are grateful that they were thought of in a sense," he said, but others aren't keen on the idea.

"Substitute teachers are wondering, you know, are they qualified enough to go into this short-term work. There is a health and safety aspect as well in terms of going into places where COVID is starting to spread," he said. 

He added that some substitute teachers are trying to get back to the classroom or help out with online learning and are waiting for word back from government on helping with COVID-19 relief in the education field.

"Some substitutes don't want to start taking work at a resident care home and all the sudden miss out on work in the schools."

In a statement sent out Sunday on the issue, Official Opposition Leader Peter Bevan-Baker called on the government to take "immediate action" to address staffing shortages at long-term care homes.

"This feels like yet again government grasping at straws in the midst of a crisis, instead of putting a plan in place before the crisis hits," he said.

Since the memo was sent out over the weekend the province said they found enough people to fill the staffing requirements at the Garden Home. 

"As of this afternoon, 26 people have reached out to the Department of Health and Wellness directly to offer help, and all needs from facilities up to today have been addressed," the province said.