Personal Support Worker (Contract)

Overview

West Neighbourhood House is a multi-service, neighbourhood-based agency that has served the diverse communities of downtown west Toronto since 1912.  The central purpose of West Neighbourhood House is to enable less-advantaged individuals, families and groups in the community to gain greater control over their lives and community.

The Personal Support Worker provides in-home personal care and light housekeeping services to seniors and people with disabilities who are frail, vulnerable and/or suffering from social isolation.  Individuals may live in the community or in a supportive housing environment.

West Neighbourhood House is actively seeking applications from Indigenous, Black and People of Colour, persons with disabilities, women and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions.  Applicants with lived experience as a participant of West Neighbourhood House programs, or related programming from similar organizations, are also strongly encouraged to apply.

West Neighbourhood House will provide accommodation throughout the recruitment and selection process to applicants with disabilities. During any stage of the recruitment process, please indicate the nature of any accommodation(s) you may require. Any information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.

Responsibilities:

• Attending to clients and/or their caregivers by providing support and respite; monitoring the in-home environment, their mental/physical health and their self-care capacity;
• Reporting incidents, changes or observations regarding clients’ well-being; responding to requests, providing assistance as needed and following up on issues;
• Attending to personal emergencies or crises; documenting occurrences and following up with Program staff;
• Accompanying clients home who have been discharged from the hospital
• Assisting clients with any stopover requests (e.g. pharmacy, groceries, medical supplies, etc.)
• Ensuring clients are settled-in at home, e.g., prepare a light meal, provide personal care, light housekeeping, and/or discarding expired foods, etc.
• Identifying any potential safety issues in the home and document the discharge accompaniment accordingly
• Providing hands-on personal care as needed for such activities as bathing, dressing, toileting, grooming/hygiene, preparing meals, adhering to dietary restrictions, monitoring medications, and ensuring medications are taken as prescribed;
• Assisting clients and/or their caregivers with light housekeeping tasks such as cleaning (vacuuming, dusting), laundry, shopping, and errands, e.g., accompanying the client to bank, medical appointments, etc.;
• Assisting clients and caregivers in maintaining a clean and safe living environment;
• Documenting services provided to clients to assist in service evaluation reports and funding proposals;
• Attend scheduled training and team meetings as required;
• Participating as a team member on planning initiatives, in-House committees or activities;
• Providing other related assistance to the Older Adult Centre programs as required.

Qualifications:

• Personal Support Worker (PSW) Certification from an accredited institution.
• Knowledge of the in-home needs of seniors, who may be frail, chronically ill, palliative, cognitively impaired, and/or living with disabilities in the community.
• Physical ability to provide program services such as personal and hygiene care, light housekeeping duties and to physically assist the clients with transferring from bed to chairs, wheelchairs and washrooms.
• Skill is also required in crisis intervention, with good interpersonal and verbal skills in order to interact with clients, their families and their caregivers, and to provide support and empathy, in a multi-cultural community setting.
• Ability to work staggered shifts, including evenings, overnight and weekends, and to be available on-call if required;
• CPR and First Aid Certification is an asset;
• Good written and verbal language skills in English;
• Ability to speak another language is an asset;
• Residing within the West Neighbourhood catchment area is an asset;
• Possession of a valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle is an asset.

Status: Long Term Contract to March 31, 2025 (CUPE Local 3393 Bargaining Unit Position)

Start Date: ASAP

Hours: 35 per week

Rate: $23.86/hour (4 weeks’ vacation, paid sick days, 3 floater days, full benefits package after 3 months, Multi-Sector Pension Plan after 6 months)

Unit: Older Adult Centre

Immediate Supervisor: Coordinator, Home Support

Posting Date:  January 12, 2024

Closing Date:  January 26, 2024

Compensation

Rate: $23.86/hour (4 weeks’ vacation, paid sick days, 3 floater days, full benefits package after 3 months, Multi-Sector Pension Plan after 6 months)

How to Apply

Please send resumes by 5:00pm on the closing date to:

Hiring Committee

248 Ossington Ave.

Toronto, ON

M6J 3A2

E-mail: jobs@westnh.org