Certificate in Personal Support Worker

at Fanshawe College - Woodstock-Oxford (Regional Campus) Canada

The Pre-Health Sciences Pathway to Advanced Diplomas and Degrees program provides students with the opportunity to study subject areas relevant to health career programs at Fanshawe College and to instill an appreciation of the professional roles, responsibilities and academic requirements of health care disciplines. The goal of the program is to prepare students for their chosen health career program.

This two-year professional program is designed to provide students with an extensive practical understanding and knowledge of business operations and processes. The emphasis is on interpersonal, communication, organizational, technical, and problem-solving skills applied to enhance the effective operation of the workplace.

Expert training in software applications, technical support, and training skills will be combined with analytical and multitasking strategies to facilitate scheduling, decision making, coordination and task completion. Utilizing these skills, students will be capable of overseeing projects and budgets; supervising and training others; organizing meetings, conferences and travel arrangements; managing a personal computer; and researching, developing, and presenting accurate business correspondence and reports.

Learning Outcomes:-
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to

• Conduct oneself professionally and adhere to relevant legislation, standards and codes of ethics.
• Manage the scheduling, coordination and organization of administrative tasks and workflow within specific deadlines and according to set priorities.
• Coordinate the collection, analysis, distribution and response to communications in the workplace to facilitate the flow of information.
• Operate and provide support related to the use, maintenance and procurement of office equipment and technologies.
• Evaluate, establish and administer a variety of records management systems* to ensure confidential, secure, accessible and organized electronic and paper records*.
• Produce financial documents and reports by identifying and compiling relevant information and using accounting software.
• Prepare and produce a variety of business documents using available technologies and applying industry standards.
• Use interpersonal, leadership and client service skills to respond to diversity and to support the vision and mission of the organization.
• Research, analyze and summarize information on resources and services and prepare summary reports with recommendations.
• Select and use information technologies to support communication with internal and external stakeholders and to promote the organization.
• Organize and coordinate meetings, conferences, special events and make travel arrangements, including the preparation of related documentation.
• Support the implementation of projects by applying basic principles of project management.

The Child and Youth Care program prepares individuals to provide care and treatment for children and youth experiencing emotional, behavioural, social and mental health challenges. This education and training combines both an academic facet with comprehensive and varied field experience.

Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to

• Develop and maintain relationships with children, youth and their families applying principles of relational practice* and respecting their unique life space*, cultural and human diversity.
• Assess and respond to the strengths and needs of children and youth, including complex responses impacted by developmental, environmental, physical, emotional, social and mental health challenges in order to promote positive change.
• Analyze and evaluate the impact of the inter-relationship among family, social service, justice and community systems on children, youth and their families and use this information in the planning of holistic care and in the reduction of systemic barriers.
• Plan, implement and evaluate interventions using evidenceinformed practices* in the areas of therapeutic milieu*and programming, and group work to promote resiliency* and to enhance development in children, youth and their families.
• Advocate* for the rights of children, youth and their families and maintain an anti-oppression perspective* and cultural competence in diverse cultural contexts.
• Apply communication, teamwork and organizational skills within the interprofessional team and with community partners to enhance the quality of service in child and youth care practice.
• Develop and implement self-care strategies using self-inquiry and reflection processes to promote self-awareness and to enhance practice as a child and youth care practitioner.
• Use evidence-based* research, professional development resources and supervision models to support professional growth and lifelong learning.

This two-year Ontario College Diploma program will provide the student with the concepts and skills necessary to manage or initiate a small to medium sized enterprise (SME).  Included will be the knowledge required to ensure that the graduate student will be a socially responsible manager or owner.   Students will be provided with information and guidance on conducting market research, feasibility studies, business plans, computer use,  and advertising and marketing development.

Each student will be encouraged to explore his or her own interests and to choose projects that are of particular interest to the individual.  In addition, each student will develop a comprehensive business plan, which could be used to start a small business after successful completion of the program.

Partnerships with existing community enterprises will allow the students to obtain essential practical experience through a mentorship component.  This mentorship opportunity will provide the student with networking opportunities, exposure to real situations and will increase the probability of success.

Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to

• Identify and discuss the impact of global issues on an organization's business opportunities by using an environmental scan.
• Apply principles of corporate sustainability, corporate social responsibility and ethics to support an organization's business initiatives.
• Use current concepts/systems and technologies to support an organization's business initiatives.
• Apply basic research skills to support business decision making.
• Support the planning, implementation and monitoring of projects.
• Perform work in compliance with statutes, regulations and business practices.
• Explain the role of the human resource function and its impact on an organization.
• Use accounting and financial principles to support the operations of an organization.
• Describe and apply marketing and sales concepts used to support the operations of an organization.
• Outline principles of supply chain management and operations management.
• Outline and assess the components of a business plan.
• Develop strategies for ongoing personal and professional development to enhance work performance in the business field.
• Develop strategies for the operation and management of a family-owned enterprise, franchise, or retail establishment.
• Propose effective management, team-building, and leadership techniques that encourage innovation in an entrepreneurial setting.
• Create ecommerce-based promotional plans and materials appropriate to small business enterprise.

Graduates of the Educational Support program will have the skills and knowledge required to become an Educational Assistant (EA). As an Educational Assistant, you will be a valued member of a school team, working together to positively impact students. EAs play an instrumental role in making a difference in the lives of learners with exceptionalities, while helping to create an inclusive learning environment. Our Educational Support program will give you the knowledge and skills to support a wide range of exceptionalities. You will learn how to develop strategies to encourage independence in accordance with learners Individual Education Plans (IEPs) including areas such as mobility, communication, and personal hygiene.

Additionally, you will have real-life opportunities to connect theory and practice in every level of the program. You will experience placements in learning environments ranging from elementary schools to colleges. During your placements you will cultivate skills to effectively support learners with exceptionalities under the guidance of experienced mentors.

Program Highlights:

• Gain experience during hands-on placements in every level of the program led by an experienced EA
• Develop a working knowledge of assistive technologies and other learning enhancement tools
• Cultivate the set of skills necessary to effectively assist students with special needs in personal care, life skills, behaviour, and academics
• Examine teaching strategies to assist in re-teaching material in a developmentally appropriate manner

The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician program will provide you with the academic studies and the practical experiences through which you will see a building as a system. Opportunities will be provided to develop and demonstrate skills in welding, sheet metal, electrical, plumbing, heating, refrigeration and air conditioning trades. As a Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician, you will be involved in many stages of design, testing, manufacturing, installation and servicing of mechanical, heating and cooling equipment.

With a combination of lab work and theory, this program is recommended for those who are interested in an apprenticeship with a mechanical, heating and cooling contractor or a position in the sales and service sector providing technical support. Graduates are eligible to write the Gas Technician II and Gas Technician III certificate exams.

Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Relate effectively to heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning supervisors, coworkers, and customers;
• Work safely and in accordance with all applicable acts, regulations, legislation, and codes to ensure personal and public safety;
• Select and use a variety of heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning tools and equipment safely and properly;
• Solve math and applied science problems required to effectively install and maintain heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning systems, and associated components;
• Prepare and interpret electrical, mechanical, and piping drawings;
• Install, service, and troubleshoot heating, refrigeration, air conditioning systems, and associated components;
• Develop strategies for ongoing personal and professional development, that will lead to enhanced work performance and career opportunities, and keep pace with industry changes.

This two-year Ontario College Diploma program will develop students' knowledge and professional skills in the early childhood educator's role and responsibilities. Your work placement will expose you to a wide variety of age groups and multiple organizations. You’ll have had dynamic and eclectic experiences that will make you more valuable to the field of Early Childhood Education.

Personal Support Worker is a two level program leading to an Ontario College Certificate.  Graduates, as entry-level unregulated workers, have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to provide personal care and home management services to clients in both community and institutional settings.

Personal Support Workers work with clients who are stable and who have clearly identified needs that are not expected to change significantly. They work under the supervision of care/service teams (which include nurses and other regulated or non-regulated care providers) as well as under the direction of the client.

Learning Outcomes:
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to

• Work within the personal support worker role in community, retirement homes, long-term care homes and/or hospital care settings* in accordance with all applicable legislation and employer's job description, policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Act responsibly and be accountable for own actions while recognizing the boundaries of knowledge and skills within the personal support worker role that require collaboration with the clients, families, supervisors and/or other members of the interprofessional care/service team*.
• Participate as a member of the interprofessional care/service team* and maintain collaborative working relationships in the provision of supportive care* in community, retirement homes, long-term care homes and/or hospital care settings*.
• Provide client-centred* and client-directed* care that is based on ethical* principles, sensitive to diverse client and family values, beliefs and needs, and which follows the direction of the plan of care/service plan*.
• Establish and maintain helping relationships* with clients and their families reflecting open communication, professional* boundaries, employer's policies and adhering to confidentiality and privacy legislation.
• Identify relevant client information using basic assessment and communication skills and report and document findings in accordance with the requirements of employer policies and procedures and all applicable legislation.
• Promote and maintain a safe and comfortable environment for clients, their families, self and others including the implementation of infection prevention and control measures and emergency first aid procedures that are in keeping with the plan of care/service plan*, employer policies and procedures, and all applicable legislation.
• Assist clients across the lifespan with routine activities of daily living* by applying basic knowledge of growth and development, common alterations in functioning, disease prevention, health promotion and maintenance, rehabilitation and restorative care*.
• Assist clients with medication* in keeping with the direction of the plan of care/service plan* and under the direction and monitoring of a regulated health professional* or most accountable person* and in accordance with all applicable legislation and employer's policies.
• Assist with household management tasks* and instrumental activities of daily living* in accordance with the plan of care/service plan* and considering the preferences, comfort and safety of clients, families and significant others.
• Assist clients who are caring for dependent individuals* considering client and family choices, professional* boundaries and the direction of the plan of care/service plan*.
• Identify and report situations of neglect, and potential, alleged or witnessed/actual incidents of abuse, and respond in accordance with all applicable legislation and employer's policies and procedures.
• Assist in the provision of culturally relevant* palliative and end-oflife care* to clients experiencing life threatening illness and to their families and significant others, from diagnosis through death and bereavement, and in accordance with clients' choices and the plan of care/service plan*.
• Use identified approaches and best practices to support positive and safe behaviour in clients experiencing cognitive impairment, mental health challenges and/or responsive behaviours*.

The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician program will provide you with the academic studies and the practical experiences through which you will see a building as a system. Opportunities will be provided to develop and demonstrate skills in welding, sheet metal, electrical, plumbing, heating, refrigeration and air conditioning trades. As a Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician, you will be involved in many stages of design, testing, manufacturing, installation and servicing of mechanical, heating and cooling equipment.

With a combination of lab work and theory, this program is recommended for those who are interested in an apprenticeship with a mechanical, heating and cooling contractor or a position in the sales and service sector providing technical support. Graduates are eligible to write the Gas Technician II and Gas Technician III certificate exams.

Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Relate effectively to heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning supervisors, coworkers, and customers;
• Work safely and in accordance with all applicable acts, regulations, legislation, and codes to ensure personal and public safety;
• Select and use a variety of heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning tools and equipment safely and properly;
• Solve math and applied science problems required to effectively install and maintain heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning systems, and associated components;
• Prepare and interpret electrical, mechanical, and piping drawings;
• Install, service, and troubleshoot heating, refrigeration, air conditioning systems, and associated components;
• Develop strategies for ongoing personal and professional development, that will lead to enhanced work performance and career opportunities, and keep pace with industry changes.

Practical Nursing is a five level (63 week) program leading to an Ontario College Diploma in Practical Nursing.  The Practical Nursing programs at Fanshawe College have received a CATEGORY 1 PROGRAM APPROVAL from the College of Nurses of Ontario.

The purpose of the program is to educate practical nurses to work with individuals, families, groups, and entire communities in a variety of settings. In this program, students learn to work as autonomous and collaborative partners with clients and other health care providers, and to do so effectively within the practical nurses' professional role and scope of practice. The program has been designed with a focus on health promotion, caring and humanistic principles and the curriculum continues to evolve in response to current nursing and health care evidence and trends. This program will assist students to develop a sensitivity to people's experiences of health, healing and health promotion. Clinical practice and simulations are integrated throughout the program providing experience in long term care, hospital, and community settings. Graduates qualify to write the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination and if successful, become eligible for registration with the College of Nurses of Ontario as a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN).