What a personal support worker (PSW) does
Personal support workers help clients and residents with the activities of daily living: bathing, dressing, eating, mobility and toileting. They are often the people who spend the most time with a resident, so they notice changes first and play a large part in how cared-for someone feels. For an employer, reliable PSWs keep schedules running, reduce strain on nurses and directly shape the experience families see when they visit.
Turnover is a constant challenge in personal support work, which makes careful hiring worth the effort. Finch asks about your residents or clients, shift patterns, travel requirements for home care and the physical demands of the role. We then look for PSWs with the right training and temperament, check their certificates and references, and arrange interviews with candidates who are committed to the kind of care you provide.
Typical responsibilities
- Assist clients with personal care, including bathing, grooming, dressing and toileting
- Support safe mobility, transfers and repositioning using proper techniques and equipment
- Help with meals, feeding and hydration according to care plans
- Observe and report changes in a client's condition or behaviour to the nurse
- Provide companionship and support for residents living with dementia
- Complete care records and follow infection prevention and control practices
Qualifications and credentials
- Personal support worker certificate from a recognized Ontario college or career college program
- Training in safe lifting and transfers, and in dementia care where relevant
- First aid and CPR certification, which employers often require
- A recent vulnerable sector check, typically required for care roles
- For home care roles, a valid driver's licence and access to a vehicle may be needed
Who hires a personal support worker (PSW)
- Long-term care homes
- Retirement residences
- Home and community care agencies
- Hospitals and complex continuing care units
- Assisted living and supportive housing programs
Where we recruit personal support worker (PSW) candidates
We fill personal support worker (PSW) roles for employers across Toronto and the GTA, including North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Burlington, Oshawa and Pickering, and for employers across Canada. GTA employers can meet us at our North York office by appointment.
What Finch checks before you meet a candidate
- Confirm the PSW certificate and the training program completed
- Review hands-on experience with your client population, such as dementia or palliative care
- Discuss physical demands, shift patterns and travel for home visits
- Confirm willingness to complete a vulnerable sector check
- Check references from nursing supervisors or care coordinators
Interview questions to ask
- How do you support a resident who refuses care?
- Describe a time you noticed something different about a client and how you reported it.
- How do you keep yourself and the client safe during a transfer?