New authority to regulate personal support workers launches in Ontario

A new public registry for personal support workers (PSWs)  in Ontario has just come into effect and while voluntary now, it is expected to eventually become mandatory, and expand to other classes of health care providers.

The Health and Supportive Care Providers Oversight Authority (HSCPOA) stems from legislation introduced in 2021, and officially came into being on Dec. 1, 2024

It's an independent regulatory body that reports to government.

Kathy Wilkie is the CEO and says the registry will uphold certain standards in the profession.

"There is a requirement to meet certain education requirements," she said. "There is a requirement to abide by a code of ethics and then we do have a system for complaints and discipline procedures, if necessary."

The information about registered PSWs will all be publicly available online, and Wilkie says the intent is to create transparency and accountability, especially in the wake of complaints about the care of vulnerable seniors raised during the pandemic.

"We believe that if PSWs want to demonstrate that they have met a certain standard, that they are delivering safe, quality, ethical care," said Wilkie.

"And by registering with the oversight authority, they have the opportunity to use a visual mark, which is only for those who are registered. It demonstrates to their employer or to those they're providing care to that they have met a standard and they are committed to delivering safe care."

So far, the authority can only handle complaints about registered PSWs, and Wilkie said about 600 have applied so far out of more than 100,000 in the province

Wilkie said they're rolling out social media to promote the registry, now that it's in effect, and says its free and voluntary to join, for now, but the government may take steps to change that in the future.

Employer taking a "wait and see" approach 

One employer in Sudbury said the registry definitely has some good points, but it isn't pushing employees to join just yet.

Jill Rogers is the chief clinical officer at Finlandia Village.

She especially likes the authority's emphasis on standardizing education and training and would gladly let it do the legwork to ensure PSWs meet qualifications, especially after the proliferation of online schools because of COVID.

"It's very difficult right now for employers, and probably PSW students, to ensure that they are getting the proper courses and going to the proper schools and having the right education,"

Rogers said currently, she has to ensure that PSWs meet the qualifications to practice under legislation and that can require time-consuming calls to schools and checking transcripts.

She also noted that having a public registry that follows complaints about PSWs would protect the public and add another layer of scrutiny.

However, she said Finlandia Village is stopping short of requiring its workers to register, saying it's a sensitive time as the industry recovers from the pandemic.

"There's still a significant amount of burnout going on," she said.

"There's still a significant staffing crisis. There are lots of HR problems... Our biggest concern is that this will feel as if we don't trust our staff in some way. And that's the very last thing we would ever want to do."

The oversight authority is not popular with unionized workers.

Melissa Wood is on the executive for Mine Mill Local 598 Unifor representing several long term care facilities in Sudbury.

Wood says they've instructed members to file a grievance if any employer forces them to apply to the registry, and doesn't see the need for another layer of oversight.

"We already have in place a lot in our collective agreements process that we would follow in regards to any sort of abuse and neglect within our individual organization," she said.

Wood added that complaints can escalate to Ontario Health.

"I'm not sure what this authority is going to do, and how it'll affect even communities in northern Ontario," she said.

On the other hand, Sylvia Ryan is a certified PSW in home and community care with the Victoria Order of Nurses (VON) in Barrie, Ont.

Ryan says she's always advocated for more regulation of personal support workers.

"It's kind of like a scenario of somebody calling themselves a carpenter when really they are a handyman," she said. "Not that there's anything wrong with either one, but it needs to be more monitored just to kind of weed out the good from the bad because it's such an important role."

Ryan has applied to the registry and has just been appointed to the PSW advisory committee with HSCPOA.

That committee will advise and make recommendations to the HSCPOA board of directors and the CEO about issues surrounding the training and standards of care for personal support workers.