Inside the Circle – October 28, 2026

Line 1 – Early Nightly Closure

• When: October 26-29
• Details: Subway service will end at 11:59 PM between Lawrence West and St George stations. Shuttle buses will run.

Halloween on Church Street

• When: October 31 (6:30 PM – 12 AM)
• Details: Church Street will be closed from Carlton Street to Gloucester Street. Drivers are strongly advised to use Yonge Street or Jarvis Street as north-south bypass routes.

Before starting a task, take a moment to make sure it is safe for you and your client.

If a task feels unsafe or you are unsure what to do (such as bathing, walking, or transfers), stop and contact your CSS for guidance. Review the Unsafe Work Policy for more information.

Remember: Your safety and your client’s safety always come first.

Each week, we’re proud to recognize the PSWs who are celebrating their work anniversaries. Every anniversary—no matter the number of years—represents the dedication, compassion, and commitment you bring to supporting our clients and community. Thank you for the important role you play at Circle of Care. This week’s list includes PSWs celebrating work anniversaries between October 25-31. 

Congratulations to the following staff on their years of service with Circle of Care:

October 25:

• 5 Years (MILESTONE!): Lorna Batollog, Melba Cabilin, Sadia Mohamed, Sylvester Bartley

October 26:

• 6 Years: Gigi Layson, Karen Soon, Marie Anne Johnson
• 18 Years: Judith Boyce

October 27:

• 18 Years: Elizabeth Pascua

October 29:

• 36 Years: Julita Fernando

Individuals celebrating milestone anniversaries (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 years) will receive a one-time cash award to their pay cheque at the end of the quarter. Payment amount will depend on service length.

High Five for PSW Janet Maina

“Janet provides excellent care, and I’m always happy when she visits.” – Client

High Five for PSW Devansh Pandya

“Devansh was kind, helpful, and did a great job cleaning my kitchen and taking out the garbage.” – Client

High Five for PSW Valerie Palen

“Valerie provides excellent support, and we would like her services ongoing.” – Client’s Son

High Five for PSW Jeramie Desiderio

“Jeramie is amazing at everything she does and provides outstanding care.” – Client’s Spouse

High Five for PSWs Juliet Masade & Alma Rhoda Delis

“Juliet and Alma are amazing. I loved having them support me and truly appreciated their care.” – Client

High Five for PSW Nellya Ochirova

“I would like to commend Nellya for the outstanding service she has been providing to my father. Nellya has been absolutely amazing, going above and beyond in ensuring my father is well taken care of. Always upbeat and positive, always professional and patient, always ready to help him.” – Client’s daughter

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 had a fill-in client on Oct 12 (holiday). I was close to the house, and it was 10 minutes before the visit was supposed to start when suddenly the visit was removed from my schedule. I called the office right away and waited to get through. I questioned why my client’s name was removed 10 minutes before my visit, but I was already there. What about my effort in reaching the client? Should this visit not be listed as a “refused visit?” I think I should be paid for this visit.

Thank you for bringing this concern forward. It can be frustrating to arrive at a client’s location and then discover that the visit has been removed from your schedule, especially when the change happens at the last minute.

Our office is expected to inform PSWs of any last-minute client cancellations or schedule changes as soon as possible. If the client is cancelling at the last minute when you are on your way to the client, it should be entered as a refused visit. PSWs are paid for refused visits.

But there is a possibility that the client has an app and must have cancelled it via the app at the last minute. We apologize for the inconvenience this situation has caused you. In your specific situation, we would need to have more details before deciding if you should get paid or not for this visit. Please consult with your SC and CSS.

I pay for my parking spot at my client’s rental apartment because there is no visitor parking. Sometimes I get a parking ticket, which I have to pay out of my own pocket. Can we decline a client who has no parking spot for workers like me who drive? We are helping a lot of vulnerable people, so paying high fees for parking seems unfair.

Unfortunately, Circle of Care does not cover parking costs for employees. If you have concerns about parking, you can call your Service Coordinator or CSS for guidance on where to park.

Circle of Care tells us to be nice to the call centre staff, but they are not being nice to us.

We’re sorry to hear that you are not having a good experience with our call centre staff. We would like to hear more about your experience so we can investigate. You can contact the supervisor who oversees the call centre, Alicia Cimini, at extension 424 if you have concerns about the professionalism of any of our staff.

Can we request a good DJ to play music at the next annual party? We were not happy with the DJ at this year’s party.

Thank you for your feedback. We have passed along your feedback to our social committee. Unfortunately, at our June party this year, our planned DJ cancelled, and we had to hire a last-minute replacement.

We know we are supposed to follow the care plan left by the CSS for the client, but we end up doing so more than what is on the care plan. This is because if there’s some time left, the clients and their families want us to clean the stove, vacuum the floor, and dust the room.

There are certain light housekeeping-related tasks that Personal Support Workers may be asked to take on, in addition to their regular tasks assisting a client. These can include wiping down counters, washing dishes, or dusting. You should not be cleaning the client’s stove. If you’re concerned about the tasks that your clients are requesting from you and feel that they are beyond your scope of duties, please speak with your Client Services Supervisor, who can have a detailed discussion with the client and/or their family.

Am I still allowed to order a parking sign? I put an order in when I ordered by supplies but it’s being ignored, so I’m just wondering if parking signs are still offered.

Yes, PSWs are allowed to order a parking sign. Please put your request to order a sign in the comments section of your order. If you are picking up your supplies from our head office, you can also ask reception for a sign when you come pick up your supplies.

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.

If you experience violence, harassment, discrimination, or hate at work or during working hours, please report it to your Supervisor or Human Resources.

If you would prefer to remain anonymous, you can submit a report using the Anonymous Incident Reporting Form by clicking the button below.

You may choose to include your name to help with the investigation, but it is not required. Anonymous reports will still be reviewed and investigated.