Inside the Circle – July 29, 2025

National Bank Open – Tennis Tournament

• When: July 26 – August 7
• Where:
  • Pioneer Village Station: High crowding on subway and surface transfers.
  • Finch West Station: The #960 bus is crowded due to people going to the stadium.
  • Steeles Avenue West area: Increased bus/shuttle traffic, possible road restrictions.
  • Local roads near Shoreham Drive & Weston Road: Drop-offs allowed in some areas, but some streets may be closed.

Easily view your pay stubs anytime, anywhere with the Dayforce mobile app. Follow these simple steps to access your pay stub right from your phone.

Dementia affects specific areas of the brain responsible for memory, language, and decision-making. Read below to learn about possible triggers of responsive behaviours in people with dementia:

• Lost Communication – Trouble expressing needs (hunger, pain) may lead to agitation, pacing, or yelling.
• Pain or Discomfort – Unexpressed pain (from illness or injury) can show as restlessness, aggression, or refusal to eat.
• Mental Health Issues – Depression, delusions, or delirium may cause withdrawal, fear, or suspicion.
• Environmental Confusion – Misunderstanding sights or sounds can trigger fear or defensive actions.
• Task Difficulty – Simple tasks may feel overwhelming, leading to refusal, frustration, or aggression.

Check out our quick guide on staying safe from heat-related illnesses this summer. Learn the signs, prevention tips, and what to do in an emergency.

Questions? Please reach out to our HR team HRDept@circleofcare.com.

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• Rewards & Contests | GoodLife Fitness
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) | GoodLife Fitness

Looking for fun activities to do with the family? Here are some current deals you can enjoy:

• Canada’s Wonderland – Save on tickets.
• Royal Ontario Museum – Discounted entry.
• Royal Canadian International Circus – 2-for-1 tickets.
• Toronto Harbour Cruise – Discounted price.

How to Join Perkopolis:

1. Go to perkopolis.com and click Sign In/Register (top right).
2. Click Register and enter your personal email.
3. Check your email and click the link to finish.
4. Enter your member ID: CC + your employee ID. (Please note that your employee ID is not your voicemail number. Your Employee ID will be on on your Circle of Care employee badge.)

Need help? Contact Perkopolis:

• Phone: 416-236-4985
• Email: customerservice@perkopolis.com or contact our HR at HRDept@circleofcare.com.

This video shares safe lifting techniques, including tips on maintaining proper posture, body position, and checking the weight before lifting. These methods help protect your back and make lifting safer.

How often do you take a moment to reflect on how you’re doing at work? The Well-being at Work Diagnostic is a quick, 5-minute assessment that helps you explore your experience at work. After completing it, you’ll receive a personalized report with tips to support and boost your well-being.

Relaxing music and nature sounds can help you feel calm and support your mental health. Enjoy this special playlist for any time you want to relax.

Has someone gone above and beyond at work? Give them a High Five!

The High Five program lets you publicly recognize staff members for their outstanding work. High Fives will be posted in your weekly Inside the Circle newsletter.

To give a high five, just click on the button below or use the link in the rotating banner on the Portal home page.

Please note: We do not accept anonymous submissions for this program. High Fives must be submitted by an individual person, whether they are a staff member or member of the community.

I want to talk about phone issues. In my case, the phone stopped charging despite being in good condition. After contacting IT multiple times, I was advised to exchange the device. However, upon visiting the office, I was told the phone was broken and was charged $250, even though the only issue was charging. That charge already started from my salary. I was given a replacement, also a used phone, which shut off automatically shortly after. I had to return again for another replacement. Now I am using a third used phone, and I am concerned that if this device also not working I will be charged another $250. This situation feels unfair, especially when we are provided with already-used phones. Why are staff being held financially responsible for equipment that is not functioning properly from the start? I would appreciate clarity on this policy and who to contact regarding such concerns.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused. Unfortunately, we are unable to issue new phones each time a device encounters an issue. However, we are more than happy to assist with any problems related to the replacement device. Please feel free to call us to schedule an appointment with IT, and we’ll be glad to address all your concerns. Kindly note that you will not be charged again for any issues with the replacement device, unless the device is lost. We truly appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

I would like to share my experience trying to get in contact with the call center. I had not-found my client , and tried to contact office to report the situation. I was on the phone for 45 minutes and didn’t get an answer. Thanks to my coordinator she answered when I called her. Luckily my visit was 2 hours so I had time to wait for a response. Had it been shorter this would have been a larger problem. I believe the call center should be more responsible and quicker to respond when workers are calling.

A Not Seen Not Found visit is a priority call. When you call the Call Center, you should select #2 (transfer to customer service) and then #3 (Field Staff), and then #1 Safety & Risk Issue for a Not Seen Not Found visit. Your call will be answered by the next available representative. Without knowing who you are (what your number is and when you were calling) we are unable to look into your exact situation and understand what happened in terms of the wait time. That being said, we have forwarded your feedback to our call centre supervisor, so she is aware of what occurred.

This 1300 hours requirement to maintain or obtain the benefits doesn’t make sense at all as we don’t get enough hours as a full-time PSW. The coordinator or whoever is making the schedule doesn’t cooperate with us when we ask for more clients or hours. I can’t reach the coordinator every time I call. The coordinator knows our status, and if we are full-time, they should be giving us the right hours to maintain our status.

There are many factors that need to be considered when scheduling clients.  Client needs, location, time requests, travel distance and PSW availability are some of the main areas of focus. As a result, Circle of Care cannot guarantee that there will be clients available within a specific worker’s work area and/or availability. You can consider increasing your availability as a way to get more hours. If you’re willing, you can speak with your service coordinator about opening up your area of work to include surrounding areas, keeping in mind the 1hr travel expectation. Additionally, you may request to be placed within a “Cluster site or Interval care” building, if your area includes one. Keep in mind, however, this does not guarantee hours. It is recommended that you maintain communication with your Service Coordinator in order to advise on any changes to your availability, including requesting additional hours when your availability allows.

Why don’t coordinators want to answer our calls? I even left a voice mail! They are supposed to be there for us when we have concerns or issues.

There are many reasons as to why your coordinator may not answer your call – they may be on the phone with someone else, or handling another situation at the moment. If you leave a voicemail, they should call you back when they are available. Depending on what information you are seeking, they may be able to resolve your issue without a call back.

Why did you remove a client from my schedule and give it to another PSW? That client is my regular client every Monday, but you took it out and gave them to someone else. Now I have nothing to do here for 2 hours. This is messed up! Fix your system when it comes to the schedule! I’m a full time employee I need hours!

If a client requests you as their PSW and you have availability, then we make the switch for them. If this is not happening, you should escalate this for investigation. You can either reach out to Alicia (x232) or Tariq (x256). We are not trying to keep clients from having their preferred PSWs. If you are available to take the visits, we would like to assign you to these visits. It’s possible you have not updated your availability for the Service Coordinator to see. There may also be a lack of communication between you and the client, where the client is not willing to change their visit time to accommodate the time slots when you would be available.

I am inquiring about travel time for a PSW using TTC. My coordinator one time gave me 15 mins to get to a client who was added on my schedule as I was working on my last client. I called and explained that the travel time was 1 and a half hours to that client so I wasn’t able to see the client because I would get there late and also I would be working past my availability time, and I had scheduled a personal appointment for that time, as it would be after my availability ended. I was threatened that my schedule would show that I declined the assignment, which was done eventually. That hurt me a lot.

We recognize that travel time, particularly when relying on public transit like the TTC, can sometimes be significantly longer than anticipated. We understand how this can impact your ability to provide quality care and balance your personal commitments. We want to assure you that your availability and personal time are important, and we strive to provide that work-life balance. Assignments that require you to work beyond your stated availability should be addressed immediately. Please reach out to your service coordinator to discuss your schedule and travel time expectations. If you ever feel uncomfortable or believe your concerns are not being heard, please do not hesitate to escalate the issue to your CSS.

You put client cancelled on my schedule and didn’t replace the visit with another one. I found out that you sent another PSW to that client. You keep hiring new PSWs and now we have to share clients, which is so unfair!

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We understand your frustration and would like to clarify a few things to help explain the situation. When a visit is marked as “cancelled” in our system, it means that the client has either canceled the service for that day or has made a change in their schedule. In such cases, we cannot reassign that visit to another PSW unless the client specifically requests to reschedule. Whenever a PSW receives a cancellation, our Service Coordination Team does their best to find a replacement visit, if possible, to help minimize the impact on your schedule. However, this depends on availability and client needs at that time. We are committed to providing fair opportunities to all our PSWs while also meeting client expectations. As our team grows, we strive to balance as effectively as possible while maintaining quality care for our clients. Thank you for your ongoing hard work and understanding.

You should schedule hours for PSWs based on seniority.

At Circle of Care, we truly value the time, experience, and dedication that come with seniority. Many PSWs have given years of care and compassion to clients, and that commitment doesn’t go unnoticed. Service coordinators absolutely take seniority into account when making schedules. Our Service Coordinators must also balance several other important factors. Scheduling decisions often depend on the specific needs of clients. Such as care requirements, language preferences, or compatibility, which may not always align with seniority. Coordinators also need to account for PSW availability, shift coverage, and last-minute changes. Sometimes, the most senior staff may not be available for a particular client/time, and filling those gaps requires flexibility. For more information regarding seniority please refer to your Collective Agreement or reach out to your Coordinator/CSS to discuss further.

Forrest Hill Place clients are not being distributed to all workers evenly and some PSWs get all the hard clients.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Clients at Forest Hill Place are assigned based on PSW availability and scheduling needs. However, we understand that some assignments may feel more challenging than others. If any PSW is experiencing difficulties with their current client assignments or feels that the workload is not manageable, we strongly encourage them to reach out to their CSS. The CSS is there to support you and will be happy to discuss any concerns and explore possible solutions. We appreciate your commitment and the care you provide to our clients.

Why do we need to call our coordinator or live agent on the phone especially for overriding the schedule? Is this not a waste of time on the side of the coordinator or live agent? Many times they are hard to reach, and we’re waiting a long time to have the phone answered by them. I would suggest that you put options on our phone that let us explain why the client released us early, for example. A. Early dismissal B. Client not found, C. Client refused, D. Client is in the hospital. Then it will save in the server , and all the information will be there and the coordinator or supervisor can see the reason. Then if the client complains about the schedule, you can see the reason in the server. This could minimize calling and save time for both parties. Then the coordinators and live agents can spend more time answering calls from clients, instead of consuming time just for overriding schedules.

We understand the concern. Calling a coordinator or live agent for schedule overrides can sometimes be frustrating, especially during peak times when response times are delayed. We recognize that reducing unnecessary phone calls can help coordinators and live agents respond faster to urgent client needs. Your suggestion to allow workers to record reasons such as early dismissal, client not found, refusal, or hospitalizations, directly in the mobile app is a thoughtful way improve efficiency for both PSWs and coordinators. That said, there are a few important requirements that must be followed for client safety and service documentation.

These include but are not limited to:

• Live phone notification is required for high-risk “not found” visits and hospitalizations and safety concerns. These situations need immediate attention to ensure the client’s well-being and appropriate follow-up.
• If the client is not high-risk and their location is known, PSWs may record a “not found” visit directly through the app without needing to call, providing it does not involve hospitalization.
• Visit verification is required when a PSW leaves more than 15 minutes early or if the client refuses service. It is also required when you’re unable to check in/out and unable to call in from a landline.  These situations must be reported and verified within 3 hours of the scheduled visit time to ensure accurate records and care planning.

Thank you for your feedback. It helps us explore better ways to support both staff and clients through improved tools, while still meeting safety, accountability, and documentation standards.

I have a problem with coordinators adding new clients on last minute without calling me. The phones don’t update the schedule that fast. It’s too common that the update to the schedule is missed. You say that it’s our fault for not checking the phone, but last minute adding of clients without notice can overwhelm workers especially if they have to check where the location of the new client is, and if there’s parking etc. We are flexible but if it’s not done with letting us know ahead of time, it’s a bit of a challenge.

Thank you for sharing your concerns — we truly value your feedback. To clarify, Service Coordinators are expected to call PSWs when a visit is being added less than one hour before the scheduled time, or if a new client is added after the PSW is already at their last scheduled visit. In all other situations, when a client is added within your availability, Service Coordinators are not required to call, as it is expected that PSWs regularly check and refresh their schedule. Please note that your schedule will not update automatically unless the phone is refreshed. PSWs are expected to refresh their phone before and after each visit to ensure the most up-to-date schedule is displayed. If you’re continuing to experience issues with your phone not updating even after refreshing, please reach out to IT support for assistance. And if you ever feel overwhelmed or have concerns about last-minute schedule changes, don’t hesitate to reach out directly to your Service Coordinator – we’re here to support you. We appreciate your flexibility and continued dedication to client care.

How can a PSW be scheduled for 3 hrs over an 8 hr space?

We have fluctuations in clients services and authorized hours. Some clients go to hospital, put their services on hold for a variety of reasons, move outside of our catchment area, have a reduction in hours or are discharged from our services. This can have an impact on PSW schedules, as our volumes from our funders are not guaranteed. We continue to try and accept as many new clients as possible, so as to be able to increase the hours for our PSWs.

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Please note that it may take us longer to provide some answers. If your question hasn’t been answered yet, we will get back to you as soon as we can.