Inside the Circle – November 25, 2025

You’ll soon have the chance to take part in TIDES (Trauma-Informed De-Escalation Education for Safety and Self-Protection), an award-winning program from CAMH designed to help you safely respond to challenging situations.

What you’ll learn:

• How to recognize and respond to escalating behaviours
• Practical de-escalation techniques rooted in trauma-informed care
• Strategies to intervene safely while protecting everyone’s dignity and well-being

Training sessions will run from January to March. We’ll share registration details soon so you can sign up.

We strive to make the training relevant to you. To share your experiences, please complete the short, 5-minute needs assessment survey below by December 5, 2025. Thank you!

Lakeshore Blvd W near Ontario Place

• When: November 17 – December 1, 2025
• TTC/Traffic Changes: Lane reduction to 1 lane in each direction.

Westbound On-ramp Closed from Park Lawn Rd to the Gardiner Expressway

• When: November 2025 – April 2026
• TTC/Traffic Changes: The westbound on-ramp from Park Lawn Road to the Gardiner Expressway will be fully closed for bridge replacement work over Mimico Creek.

Just a friendly reminder to take a few minutes to complete the Global Workforce Survey. It’s your chance to share your thoughts about your workplace. Your feedback helps us learn what’s going well and what we can make even better.

The survey is anonymous (your name will not be shared). Thank you in advance for your participation!

Please complete the survey as soon as you can.

It’s important for you to recognize risks and stay safe while you work alone in the community. PSW Maria C., the co-chair of our Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC), has prepared these great tips to help keep you safe.

1. Check your schedule. Let a supervisor, colleague, or family member know your schedule, client information, and estimated visit times.
2. Assess the situation. Review client files, medical history, and potential risks before visiting.
3. Check your vehicle. Ensure your vehicle is in good working condition, and you have a full tank of gas, phone charger, and emergency kit.

1. Be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention to the client’s environment, potential hazards, and exit routes.
2. Keep your phone accessible. Keep your phone charged, with important numbers saved, and consider using a phone with a panic button or safety app.
3. Trust your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable or sense something is wrong, trust your instincts and leave the situation.

1. Establish a panic protocol. Know what to do in case of an emergency, such as calling 911 or a designated emergency number.
2. Use a buddy system. Consider having a colleague or a family member accompany you on visits, especially in high-risk situations.
3. Keep emergency contact information. Carry a list of emergency contact numbers, such as your supervisor’s phone number and local emergency services.

1. Check out. Inform your supervisor or designated contact person that you’ve completed the visit and are safe.
2. Document any incidents. Record any incidents, near-misses, or concerns, and report them to your supervisor.

When a Care Plan indicates a two-person assist, it means two people are needed for safety, not convenience.

Never attempt a solo transfer when two PSWs are scheduled. It’s okay to wait. It’s not okay to risk injury.

Answer the poll question to test your knowledge below.

Nourishing your body is one of the easiest and most powerful ways to practice self-care. The quality of your diet directly impacts your energy levels, mood, and overall well-being. Treat eating well as an act of self-care because when you feel your best, you’re able to show up for yourself and others.

Need some healthy recipes? Check out these great resources below.

Just a reminder that our GoodLife Fitness Corporate Membership is still going strong! You can enjoy a 25% discount on a GoodLife Fitness membership with a $0 enrollment fee.

Whether you’re looking to boost your energy, improve your mental health, or just get moving, this is a great benefit to take advantage of. You can also add 2 family members to your plan!

When you’re ready to register, make sure you have your employee ID handy. Your employee ID number (not your voicemail or badge number) can be found in your Dayforce profile or at the top of your paystub.

If you have any questions or need help, please reach out to our HR team HRDept@circleofcare.com for assistance.

Additional Resources

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

Want to learn more about budgeting, saving, or fraud prevention?

The Credit Counselling Society offers free, self-directed financial courses you can complete anytime, anywhere!

These short lessons include useful topics like budgeting basics, saving strategies, understanding credit, and protecting yourself from fraud. Visit the link below to learn more.

We are pleased to welcome the following PSWs to Circle of Care:

• Amala Pillai
• Malika Alkozai
• Khushbu Patel
• Bhawana Subedi
• Adeola Awolesi
• Ernestina Asiedu
• Sarah Sida
• Iveen Dela Pena
• Aishat Soderu-Tajudeen
• Rayanna (Vannessa) Antoine
• Aiswarya Mohanan Nair Lathikakumari
• Samiha Mohamed
• Shivani Shrestha
• Ruth Nakanwagi
• Myrah Valle
• Aastha Vasdev

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.

High Five for PSW Dorcus Asekenye

“Dorcus provides excellent service!” – Client

High Fives for PSW Irma Raquel & Liza Miranda

“I am very happy with their regular care and I’m grateful for Circle of Care’s support.” – Client

High Five for PSW Nichola Morgan

“I am very happy with Nichola and I hope to have her as often as possible.” – Client

High Five for PSW Christina Tierra

“Christina is a very good PSW and always on top of things.” – Client’s daughter-in-law

What are our responsibilities when it comes to doing dishes? I have clients that ask me to help with dishes and it’s like they had a party or something, with how many dishes there are! I end up doing dishes for the full hour visit, and there isn’t even enough space to put all the dishes. It’s frustrating. I see that some clients take advantage of new PSWs when it comes to such things. It’s not fair.

PSWs are only responsible for washing a reasonable amount of dishes that are used by the client only. We encourage you to contact your CSS to review your concerns about any clients asking you to wash an excessive amount of dishes so that expectations of the care plan can be reviewed with these clients.  Depending on the services the client is receiving, there are different tasks per visit that can be re-assessed if needed.

Can Circle of Care provide us with an app or website to use on our phones for logging in and out or other stuff at work? The phone provided by Circle of Care is very slow and old and has an expensive repair cost.

We understand your concerns regarding your Circle of Care work phone. However, as per our organizational policy, we do not permit company data or applications to be used or installed on personal devices. This policy helps ensure data security.

If you have any concerns regarding your phone, please reach out to the IT team for further assistance.

Have a question? Submit your questions or feedback anonymously below!

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.