Inside the Circle – January 20, 2026

The HSCPOA (Health and Supportive Care Providers Oversight Authority) is organizing a virtual town hall where they will review the benefits to PSW registration in the HSCPOA, as well as how you can apply for registration. As of December 1, over 8,400 PSWs have registered. If you are interested in participating, please see the registration below:

Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Two Options — tap your preferred time to register:

• Most of the training dates will be held online. You can log in from anywhere onto Teams, using your phone. A small number of sessions will be held at our main office at 4211 Yonge St. in the boardroom.
• You’ll receive a meeting invitation 1-2 days before the training date in your mobile app under the message centre. It will tell you if your session is in the office, or virtual.
• Please note: The schedule in your app will always have the office address listed even if it is NOT in person. If you are unsure, please call the office to check if your session is in office or not.

The entry on your phone should look like this:

Southbound Off-ramp of the DVP Closed to Richmond Street

• When: Until Spring 2026
• TTC/Traffic Changes: The southbound off-ramp of the DVP to Richmond Street remains closed until spring 2026.

Please take a few minutes to complete the Global Workforce Survey. This is your chance to share your thoughts about your workplace anonymously. Your feedback helps us learn what’s going well and what we can make even better for you.

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

Please complete the survey as soon as possible.

You are invited to join Your Health Space for an interactive session, titled “Strengthening Psychological Health & Safety – Introduction to PH&S.“

Developed by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Ontario Division, the session will explore what it means to work in a psychologically healthy and safe workplace, why it matters, and how positive workplace culture supports our overall well-being. It’s a great opportunity to learn, reflect, and take part in meaningful discussions with your colleagues.

Wednesday, January 21, 2026
12:00 – 1:00 PM
Zoom (link below, or use the button)

Please plan to join a few minutes early and come ready to participate. Handouts will be shared during the session, and to support confidentiality, the session will not be recorded.

Meeting URL:
https://cmhaontario.zoom.us/j/89812600029?pwd=UZjDYsaPp2rAtaanClvcEAt43J0x9B.1&from=addon

Meeting ID: 898 1260 0029
Passcode: 738418

Many people who survive a cardiac emergency are helped by a bystander. In this short video, you can learn how to perform hands-only CPR – so that you can help deliver life-saving care to someone until professional emergency responders arrive.

Watch the short CPR video to refresh your skills and stay prepared for emergencies.

Verbal de-escalation is an important skill to have. It involves using respectful language, active listening, and a calm tone of voice. You can use these skills to reduce conflict, build trust, and prevent situations from becoming dangerous.

These techniques help calm upset clients or their families and make the environment safer for everyone. Follow the five steps below:

1. Do your best to keep calm.
2. Keep your voice low in tone and volume.
3. Be aware of your body language.
4. Try to keep an agitated person in a space where there are other people.
5. Always keep yourself between the agitated person and the door, so you can escape if you need to.

By learning how to respond to workplace violence, you can protect yourself and also help keep your clients safe. Read the full list of steps using the button below.

If there is ice on the ground, it is best to slow down and take small steps. Walk like a penguin by following these steps:

1. Walk slowly and take short, flat steps
2. Point your feet slightly outward, like a penguin
3. Keep your center of gravity over your feet
4. Watch where you are stepping
5. Keep your arms at your sides, not in your pockets
6. Focus on balance and move carefully

Please watch the video above to learn more.

Looking for something fun to do on your day off?

Through Perkopolis, you can get discounts on local attractions like the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). Right now, Perkopolis members can get discounted tickets to the ROM, so you can explore exhibits, culture, and history for less.

First time with Perkopolis? Follow these steps to register:

1. Go to perkopolis.com and tap “register” at the top of your screen.
2. Enter your preferred personal email.
3. Then look for an email from them with a link to complete registration. For your member ID code, use CC + your employee ID number (for example, CC12345).

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.

Most times these coordinators are something else. It seems like we have to do them a favour for them to give us the basics of giving us hours. I shouldn’t have to work beyond my scheduled availability in order to force them to give me extra clients.

Thank you for sharing your feedback. We understand how frustrating it can feel when scheduling and communication do not meet expectations, and we appreciate you raising this concern.

We encourage you to connect directly with your CSS to discuss your availability and any challenges you’re experiencing with hours or client assignments. Your CSS is best positioned to review your situation, clarify expectations, and provide support or guidance as needed.

Your feedback is important to us, and these conversations help ensure we continue working toward fair and transparent scheduling practices.

Can I have 4-5 clients in Toronto area in the morning and another 4-5 clients in Scarborough or Etobicoke in the afternoon? I’m willing to expand my availability and area but it should be 4-5 clients straight in each location.

Thank you for sharing your flexibility and interest in expanding your availability. We appreciate your willingness to support additional clients.  To ensure schedules remain manageable and sustainable, it’s important to be mindful of cross-caseload and travel considerations, as working across multiple regions in a single day can sometimes create logistical and service challenges. We recommend discussing this request directly with your CSS, who can review your availability, preferred locations, and current caseload to determine what may be feasible. Your CSS will be best positioned to explore options with you while balancing client needs, travel time, and continuity of care.

My service coordinator is removing clients from my schedule when I am halfway to their place, and not informing me about it.

Thank you for bringing this forward. We understand how upsetting and disruptive this can be, especially when you are already traveling to a client. While we do our best to keep schedules stable, there are times when unforeseen circumstances or last-minute changes (such as client cancellations or urgent care needs) require adjustments. That said, timely communication is important, and we recognize how a lack of notice can impact your time and planning. We encourage you to connect directly with your Service Coordinator and/or CSS to review these concerns so they can look into what’s happening and work with you on improving communication around schedule changes moving forward.

What is LT/GTE if the client cancelled their visit in our schedule? 

Thank you for your question.

LT is – less than 3 hours

GTE is – greater than 3 hours

It primarily depends on the length of the visit regarding whether you are paid if a client cancels their visit 3 hours before. If the visit is of less than 3 hours, then the worker will not be paid, no matter when it was cancelled. If the visit is of more than 3 hours and cancelled with less than 3 hour notice, then a certain amount that will be paid, and this is determined based on a set calculation.

From the previous years, Circle of Care gave a gift card to PSWs for the holiday season, but why this year they gave nothing.

In December, our admin team organized and mailed out gift cards for our PSWs for 2025. If you have not already received yours, it may be coming in the following days.

Why is Easter Sunday not being paid by Circle of Care?

According to Article 18.01 of the Collective Agreement, the holidays that are paid are New Years Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Civic Holiday, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and Float Holiday (as described in 18.08). Easter Sunday is not considered a statutory holiday in the province of Ontario.

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.