Developing a Common Education Standard for Personal Support Workers in Ontario

Abstract

In July 2014, the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) released the Personal Support Worker (PSW) Program Standard. Prior to this, there were three educational standards, inconsistently applied across a multitude of education and employ- ment settings, governed by three distinct pieces of legislation. The primary goal of the reform is to address variance in available educational options in which one can receive a certificate or diploma as a PSW. The decision emerged in response to a growing group of unregulated workers providing care for an increasingly complex long-term and community care population. The reform was achieved through a small consultation led by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC). A technical working group at the MTCU was responsible for developing the standard. The PSW Program Standard has the potential to simplify a complex educational landscape through standardization but is only the first step in addressing broader health workforce problems facing the long-term care sector in Ontario.