The personal support worker program standard in Ontario: An alternative to self-regulation?

Abstract

Personal support workers (PSWs) provide hands-on assistance in a variety of long-term care and community settings. The question of whether PSWs should become regulated similar to other self-regulating health professions is a perennial concern in policy circles, especially because of the intimate nature of their work and the potential for abuse of clients and workers. This article explores a chain of policy decisions around PSWs in Ontario culminating in the creation of a common educational standard for PSW programs, titled the PSW Program Standard. We argue that these policy developments may represent an alternative pathway to self-regulation of an essential workforce.