Private Career Colleges

Superintendent's Policy Directive: approval of Personal Support Worker programs

This policy directive identifies the training standard that personal support worker programs must meet to be approved by the Superintendent of Private Career Colleges and identifies the private career college's duty to inform students of the vulnerable sector screening requirements.

Issued: September 2015
Re-issued format: June 2020 (no policy changes)

This is a legal document and is binding on all private career colleges. Every private career college shall comply with and be operated in accordance with this policy directive.

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Authority

Clause 53(1)(a) of the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005 enables the Superintendent of Private Career Colleges to issue policy directives setting out standards for vocational programs or classes of vocational programs.

Subsection 53(2) of the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005 establishes that policy directives issued by the Superintendent of Private Career Colleges are legal requirements that are binding on all private career colleges and every private career college must comply with and operate in accordance with the policy directive.

Mandatory requirements

Programs offered by private career colleges that are designed to prepare students to work as personal support workers are required to:

  • Adhere to the Personal Support Worker Training Standard, developed by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
  • Inform students through a disclaimer that a vulnerable sector screening is required prior to commencing a placement or practicum.

The Personal Support Worker Training Standard forms part of this directive.

Program approval

Pursuant to subsection 23(1) of the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005, private career colleges that offer vocational programs in the skills and knowledge required to obtain employment as a personal support worker must have these program(s) approved by the Superintendent of Private Career Colleges.

Private career colleges seeking approval of personal support worker program(s) must comply with the directive outlined above and submit a complete program approval application to the Superintendent for consideration.

Upon receipt of program approval, the private career college must include the disclaimer language below in all student contracts.

Similar training programs

Programs that are related to personal support worker (e.g., personal attendant, housekeeper) are not subject to this policy directive. The private career college offering the related program must ensure that all promotional materials and enrolment contracts do not suggest that the program provides students with a personal support worker credential.

Related programs that do not follow the training standard will not lead to employment as a personal support worker in the long-term care homes sector.

Note: Ontario Regulation 79/10 under the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007 sets out the qualifications for individuals hired as personal support workers or hired to provide personal support services in long-term care homes.

Private career colleges must ensure that students are aware of and understand all the qualification requirements in the various sectors that employ personal support workers.

Enforcement

Under subsection 24 (1) of the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005, a private career college's program approval may be revoked if the Superintendent believes that the program fails to meet the conditions of the approval. If a private career college does not comply with the directive set out above, any or all of the following enforcement actions may be taken:

  • Issuance of a Notice of Program Revocation
  • Issuance of a Compliance or Restraining Order
  • Application to a court for a Judicial Restraining Order
  • Proposal to Revoke or to Not Renew Registration
  • Prosecution for offences under the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005

    • For more information, contact the Private Career Colleges Branch.

    Training program disclaimer

    College use only

    Important note to the registered private career college providing training:

    • The wording below must be used exactly as specified and must be provided by the private career college to students when the contract is being reviewed and signed.
    • Please insert the school and program name where indicated and include a signature and date line to record the student's acknowledgement.
    • The document must be kept in the student's file as a record of the disclosure.

    Disclaimer for students in programs leading to work with vulnerable sectors

    This program involves direct contact with vulnerable individuals. Students must obtain a Vulnerable Sector Screening before they start a placement or practicum.

    The screening involves a search of the Vulnerable Sector Database, maintained by the Ontario Provincial Police. The search looks for any information about a person in police files, including criminal convictions, outstanding charges, and information about suspected criminal offences or serious criminal investigations. This includes any contact a person may have had with police services under the Mental Health Act, 1990

    Screening can take 10 to 12 weeks to complete.

    It is a good practice to get the results before the training program begins to be sure that you can complete a placement or practicum and graduate.

    If you choose to begin the program before you have the results, please plan your time so that you can receive the report before applying for a placement or practicum. If you start the program and do not receive the report, you risk being ineligible for a placement or practicum, and you may not be able to graduate. Tuition and fee refunds may be affected.

    You must not do anything during the program or placement that would affect the results of your vulnerable sector screening report. If so, you may not be able to continue your studies.

    Further information regarding the Police Reference Check Program and the screening process can be viewed on the Ontario Provincial Police website

    I understand that if I do not obtain a vulnerable sector screening, I risk:

    • being unable to begin a placement or continue a placement.
    • being unable to graduate.
    • being unable to receive a partial refund or no refund of tuition, depending on when I withdraw or am expelled from this program.

    Student Signature:

     

    Date:

     

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