Developmental Services Human Resource Strategy ......Human Resource Strategy Evaluation Project...

Developmental Services Human Resource Strategy Evaluation Project

Assessing the impacts of the ten-year DSHR Strategy and informing continued efforts to advance workforce development and enhance HR practices in Ontario’s developmental services sector.

Summary Report

Queen’s UniversityEmployment Relations Programs Robert Hickey, Ph.D.138 Union St.Kingston, ON K7L 3N6

Robert Hickey, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Industrial Relations at Queen’s University.

This report is part of the Queen’s University DSHR Strategy Evaluation Project, funded by the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services. The conclusions in this report are solely the responsibility of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services or the Government of Ontario.

Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services

In June 2018, the Ministry of Community and Social Services merged with other areas of the provincial government to form the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. The DSHR Strategy Evaluation Project reports reference the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) to reflect the ministerial structure involved in the DSHR Strategy during the period under evaluation. Throughout the entire period of the DSHR Strategy under consideration, MCSS was the provincial partner and the ministry responsible for developmental services in Ontario. Developmental services, and the initiatives associated with continuing workforce develop strategies, are now managed under the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.

Acknowledgments:

Thousands of direct support professionals and other members of the developmental services workforce shared their thoughts and experiences to make this report possible. Over one hundred human resource managers and executives provided candid assessments of the progress and shortcomings of the DSHR Strategy. Queen’s University research assistants, Anna Fields and Emilio Frometa, contributed extensively to the evaluation project.

Members of the DSHR Strategy evaluation project’s Advisory Committee provided valuable feedback and important insights. In particular, the thoughtful and extensive feedback from Ms. Krista Lord and Ms. Aisha Dag–Ellams greatly improved the final report. Any shortcomings remain the responsibility of the author.

Table of Contents> Executive Summary .......................................................................................................... i

> Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1

> DSHR Strategy Milestones ........................................................................................... 13

> Workforce development & the DSP labour market .................................................. 14

> Recruitment .................................................................................................................... 30

> Retention and turnover ................................................................................................. 36

> Training and workplace learning ................................................................................46

> Leadership development ............................................................................................... 54

> Organizational practices and culture ........................................................................ 60

> Work and career experiences ....................................................................................... 68

> Sustaining efforts to enhance the workforce and improve HR practices .............. 74

> Glossary ........................................................................................................................... 82

> Frequently used acronyms ............................................................................................ 86

> Notes ................................................................................................................................ 87

> References ....................................................................................................................... 96

Evaluation of the Developmental Services Human Resource Strategy

Table of FiguresFIGURE 1: Growth in provincial spending on developmental services .................... 2

FIGURE 2: Job classification of survey respondents ..................................................... 6

FIGURE 3: Structure of DSHR Strategy ......................................................................... 9

FIGURE 4: Participation in the Core Competencies initiatives ................................ 10

FIGURE 5: 2010 marketing brand ................................................................................. 11

FIGURE 6: 2018 marketing brand ................................................................................. 11

FIGURE 7: Comparison of workforce educational attainment for the DS workforce in Ontario, the general Ontario workforce, and the DS workforce in Alberta............................................................................................................................ 16

FIGURE 8: DSW program enrollment ......................................................................... 17

FIGURE 9: Adequacy of educational background by degree type ........................... 17

FIGURE 10: Average DSP job satisfaction by educational attainment .................... 18

FIGURE 11: Proportion of DSPs who do not feel their work is respected in the community ......................................................................................................................... 20

FIGURE 12: Employment status by agency tenure ..................................................... 22

FIGURE 13: Reasons for part-time employment among recent college graduates, 2016-2017 ............................................................................................................................ 23

FIGURE 14: Job satisfaction with benefits by agency tenure ..................................... 24

FIGURE 15: Demographic profile of the DS agency-based workforce ..................... 26

FIGURE 16: Top industries entered by graduates ....................................................... 28

FIGURE 17: Pay satisfaction comparison ..................................................................... 31

FIGURE 18: Official unemployment rate, 2002 – 2018.............................................. 34

FIGURE 19: Turnover rates at DS agencies and in Canada, 2007 and 2017 ............ 37

FIGURE 20: Sector tenure among the agency-based workforce ............................... 38

FIGURE 21: Turnover by job classification and employment status .......................40

FIGURE 22: How often do staff think about quitting, 2012, and 2017 .................... 41

FIGURE 23: Feelings of employee involvement, 2007 and 2017 ..............................42

FIGURE 24: HR strategies linked to stronger feelings of organizational support .44

FIGURE 25: Workforce feelings of skills and competencies ..................................... 47


FIGURE 26: Trends in satisfaction with training ....................................................... 50

FIGURE 27: Senior manager overall job satisfaction .................................................. 55

FIGURE 28: Jurisdictional scan highlight: DSP specialty credentials ..................... 58

FIGURE 29: Average satisfaction rates with workplace relations ............................. 61

FIGURE 30: Impacts of DSHR Strategy on agency HR practices ............................. 62

FIGURE 31: Satisfaction with communication, 2010, 2012, and 2017 .....................64

FIGURE 32: Participation in DSHR Strategy by agency size .................................... 67

FIGURE 33: DSHR Strategy impacts on DSP work experiences .............................. 69

FIGURE 34: Prevalence of multiple job holding among DSPs .................................. 70

FIGURE 35: Comparison of multiple job holding by sector ...................................... 70

FIGURE 36: Satisfaction with career advancement opportunities, 2017 ................. 72

FIGURE 37: Strategies to support career growth and opportunities for advancement ...................................................................................................................... 73

FIGURE 38: The importance of sustaining the work of the DSHR Strategy by agency size .......................................................................................................................... 77


> Executive SummaryBACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES TRANSFORMATIONPrior to the 1960s, most adults with developmental disabilities in Ontario had to go to provincially run institutions in order to access services and supports. People with developmental disabilities, their families, and other allies advocated for a fundamental change in this segregationist government policy. In 2009, the Ontario government closed the last three remaining institutions and completed the shift to community-based services and supports. Direct support professionals, the people who provide daily supports to citizens with disabilities, have been critical to the success of this transformation and the sustainability of community-based services.

WORKFORCE CHALLENGESAchieving and sustaining the goals of the policy shift to a more inclusive society requires a stable, skilled, and dedicated workforce. The challenges of attracting, recruiting, retaining, and training the developmental services workforce in Ontario have the potential to undermine the progress of the transformation and threaten its sustainability. To address these challenges, the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) worked to identify the critical issues and chart potential strategies and solutions.

DSHR STRATEGYIn 2008, based on the recommendations of the Deloitte report and work by the Expert Panel on Training, MCSS, in partnership with developmental services (DS) agencies, launched the developmental services human resource (DSHR) Strategy. The ten-year Strategy targeted four key objectives:

1. Increased pool of qualified and engaged professionals with necessary competencies supporting people with developmental disabilities.

2. Consistency and congruency in education, workplace learning, and professional development programs across Ontario’s developmental services sector.

Evaluation of the Developmental Services Human Resource Strategy i

3. Opportunity and clarity for progression through a variety of career paths for all employees in the DS sector.

4. Competency-based management and leadership.

EVALUATION PROJECTAs the DSHR Strategy approached the end of its ten-year mandate, the DSHR Strategy Steering Committee approached researchers at Queen’s University to conduct an evaluation of the impact of the Strategy on organizations, employees, and services.

The evaluation project collected data through surveys, focus groups, and key informant interview. Nearly 3,000 surveys from the agency-based workforce were submitted, providing insights into work and career experiences. HR leaders and executives from 84 agencies provided survey data on their perspectives of the impact of the DSHR Strategy and the workforce challenges facing the sector.

THE DSHR STRATEGY AND KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SECTOR

STRONG EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND OF THE AGENCY-BASED WORKFORCEThe agency-based workforce has a strong educational profile. This contrasts sharply with other jurisdictions where the crisis in the workforce has resulted in significant reductions in the human capital profile of the DS workforce. In Ontario, DSPs reported that their educational backgrounds provided good or excellent preparation for work and careers in the sector.

POSITIVE IMPACTS OF THE DSHR STRATEGY ON HR PRACTICES AND WORK EXPERIENCESThe evaluation project found that the DSHR Strategy had a range of positive impacts on HR practices and work experiences. DSPs at agencies that had higher levels of participation in the strategy on average reported feeling more confident that they had the skills needed for increasingly complex support needs. The workforce at these agencies felt more support for learning and growth on the job. Participation in the strategy was also linked to higher average feelings that management shares important information and senior leaders have the skills and competencies needed to meet the challenges facing the sector.

Participation in the Strategy was also linked to stronger workforce perceptions of HR practices. Survey respondents at agencies which participated more in the strategy, also tended to feel that their organization had practices to support

Evaluation of the Developmental Services Human Resource Strategy ii

learning and personal growth, better perceptions of supervisors, and a greater sense of involvement in work-related decisions on average.

DIRECT FUNDING AND THE GROWTH OF INFORMAL LABOUR MARKETSThe evaluation project found evidence of a rapidly growing informal labour market in the developmental services sector. Innovative policy improvements through direct funding programs like Passport have been disconnected from the agency-based workforce development strategy. The evaluation project was able to identify and to estimate the size of the informal labour market. Nearly 24 per cent of DSPs in agencies reported working directly for a family through Passport or other private arrangements. While research has found that direct hiring improves the support relationship, the growth of informal labour markets poses a significant challenge to the sustainability of the DS workforce.

HR PLAYS AN INCREASINGLY STRATEGIC ROLE AT DS AGENCIESHR leaders reported that the Strategy had a positive impact on the overall state of HR practices at their organization. Nearly 90 per cent of executives surveyed reported that HR plays a strategic role in the organization. Given the critical role of people in human service organizations, this would hardly seem like an surprising assertion, but the organizational pressures to reduce HR to a purely administrative role are significant. The DSHR Strategy’s impact on succession planning provides a good example of this important development. Prior to the strategy, less than 30 percent of DS agencies had a formal succession policy to manage executive transitions. The DSHR Strategy developed a succession planning manual for executive and boards, along with sample formal policies. Nearly 70 per cent of HR managers identified the work of the Succession Planning and Talent Management committee as having had a positive impact on their organization’s practices.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO SUCCESS

EXPERIENCED, COMMITTED, AND PROFESSIONAL WORKFORCEFoundational to the success of the DSHR Strategy and central to the quality of services and supports are the thousands of skilled and dedicated DSPs, managers, administrative staff, specialized professionals, and executives. The evaluation project found that over 95 per cent of survey respondents reported that they found working in the developmental services sector personally meaningful. There were very high levels of satisfaction with the nature of the

Evaluation of the Developmental Services Human Resource Strategy iii

work and the vast majority of respondents felt that working in developmental services had been a good career choice for them. The dedicated and skilled workforce was perhaps the most important factor for success.

FOUNDATIONAL MODEL OF CORE COMPETENCIESThe development and implementation of a comprehensive model of core competencies for seven key positions in the sector served as a foundation for the Strategy and was found to be a key factor to success. The coordinated model allowed the sector to work with Ontario colleges at a provincial level to embed core competencies in the DSW curriculum. The provincial model allowed a common language and facilitated more inter-agency collaboration. Training and workplace learning practices improved by becoming more competency-based.

PARTNERSHIPS AND STAKEHOLDER RELATIONSAnother key factor in the success of the DSHR Strategy had been the various ways in which partnerships and stakeholder relations were supported and nurtured. At its foundation, the DSHR Strategy was a partnership between MCSS and agencies in the sector. Similarly, the DSHR Strategy resulted in much stronger relations between the sector and college programs at the provincial level. To sustain workforce development strategies, this model of effective partnerships among a broader set of key stakeholders will be essential.

KEY CHALLENGES FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND HR PRACTICES

RECRUITMENTHR leaders reported that most pressing challenge facing DS agencies is recruitment. Chronically tight labour markets ave been exacerbated by cyclically low unemployment rates. As a government-funded service, agencies cannot simply raise wage rates to increase labour supply. The majority of senior managers reported that the proportion of part-time to full-time jobs was a challenge at their agency. The lack of full-time jobs compounds recruitment challenges and constricts the workforce development pipeline by reducing the attractiveness of careers in the sector.

PREVALENCE OF INVOLUNTARY, PART-TIME WORK, AND MULTIPLE JOB HOLDINGBased on survey data from HR managers, more than 60 percent of DSPs work part-time. The evaluation project found that nearly 42 per cent of DSPs held multiple jobs; much higher than the average rate of multiple job-holding in

Evaluation of the Developmental Services Human Resource Strategy iv

Ontario’s health and social services sector (8.4 per cent). While the flexibility of part-time work is an attractive feature for many employees, the estimates for the proportion of part-time workers who would prefer to have a full-time job was found to be as high as 50 per cent among DSW college graduates. The lack of full-time jobs also contributed to high dissatisfaction rates with career advancement opportunities

SYSTEMIC PRESSURES, ORGANIZATIONAL STRAIN, AND MANAGING LARGE SCALE CHANGESystemic challenges have created barriers to workforce development and improving HR practices at DS agencies. The systemic barriers generally limited the effectiveness of the DSHR Strategy or overwhelmed the otherwise positive impacts of the Strategy. For example, the characteristics of the labour market reflect broader economic trends and systemic challenges related to job quality.

Another important systemic challenge has been the lack of base funding offsets for inflation, despite significant growth in government’s investment in developmental services. Without base funding increases, DSPs reported feeling devalued as a result of a lack of regular wage increases to keep pace with consumer inflation. Organizational capacity, especially in the HR function has also become strained as a result of the systemic funding challenges. The evaluation project found reduced satisfaction with training and communication in organizations stemming, in part, from HR functions not keeping pace with growth in the number of DSPs and persons supported.

OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND HR PRACTICES

SUPPORT AND ENHANCE ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCIESOne theme that emerged from the evaluation project was the need for organizational competencies. Many DS agencies in Ontario already engage in a form of organizational competencies development through accreditation bodies. Several common features of organizational competencies drawn from accreditation certifications and the broader HR literature include:

■ Continuous quality improvement and learning organization practices ■ Cultural competencies to support more diversity in the workforce ■ Effective use of technology, analytics, and evidence-based practices ■ High involvement work organization and open communication ■ Demonstrated leadership practices and effective management systems

Measurable organizational competencies would provide an important evaluative

Evaluation of the Developmental Services Human Resource Strategy v

tool for assessing the impact of leadership development programs.

JOB DESIGN, JOB QUALITY AND CAREER GROWTH STRATEGIESTo address the challenges facing workforce development and barriers to recruitment, stakeholders will need to work together to address critical problems with job design and job quality. Shifting the mix of part-time jobs to more full-time jobs presents significant operational challenges and systemic issues related to funding levels. While this may not be a quick fix, the long-term sustainability of workforce development strategies requires that the prevalence of multiple job holding is reduced.

Satisfaction with opportunities for advancement remains the lowest area of job satisfaction in the sector. In other jurisdictions, innovative efforts to create career growth opportunities for DSPs through specialized credentials may provide a model for non-hierarchical career growth opportunities. Sustainability strategies will also require addressing the systemic issue of unpredictable base funding. DSP work experiences make clear that protecting against the de-valuing of work in the developmental services sector is linked to sustaining efforts to support high quality, community-based supports. Likewise, organizational capacity to provide more than just mandatory training and compliance requires that the HR infrastructure of organizations keep pace with the growth of the sector.

MONITOR HUMAN CAPITAL NEEDS, STANDARDIZE DATA COLLECTION, AND SUPPORT EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICESFinally, sustainability strategies should build upon and formalize the type of data collection and evidence-based practices which were embedded in the DSHR Strategy. As a result of surveying agencies, commissioning focus group studies, and gathering evidence of the challenges facing HR managers, the DSHR Strategy was able to deliver concrete tools and trainings that provided tangible benefits and value to agencies and the workforce.

Monitoring human capital needs will be important as the service model in the sector continues to change and the expectations of families and people supported evolve. Training needs, and the skills and competencies required, will also change and evolve. Survey comments from DSPs highlighted new training needs based on the changing profile of people they support and issues they encounter. Provincial coordination of data collection will ensure reliable evidence to support and sustain future efforts to advance workforce development and enhance HR practices in Ontario’s developmental services sector.

Evaluation of the Developmental Services Human Resource Strategy vi

BACKGROUND

In Ontario, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and other allies, successfully advocated for the closure of government-run institutions and the shift to community-based supports and services. Ontario closed the last government-run institutions in 2009. This milestone reflected the transformation of developmental services from a medical model of segregated services to a more inclusive model of community-based supports. Direct support professionals, the people who provide daily supports to citizens with disabilities, have been critical to the success of this transformation and the sustainability of community-based services.

There is substantial evidence showing that achieving the goals of the policy shift to a more inclusive society requires a stable, skilled, and dedicated workforce.1 The challenges facing the developmental services workforce in Ontario have the potential to undermine the progress of the transformation and threaten its sustainability. To address these challenges, the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS)2 worked to identify the critical issues and chart potential strategies and solutions.

In 2007, MCSS partnered with stakeholders to form the Expert Panel on Training. This group, comprised of executives from agencies, ministry officials, and family members, reviewed a study by Deloitte on recruitment, retention, and training in the sector. The Expert Panel on Training developed a set of recommendations to address the workforce challenges identified in the Deloitte study.

In 2008, based on these recommendations, MCSS and the Provincial Network on Developmental Services (comprising executives from transfer payment agencies in the developmental services sector), created a Developmental Services Human Resource (DSHR) Strategy. The DSHR Strategy was launched with a vision and ten-year mandate to advance professionalism in the sector and ensure the best quality of supports for people with developmental disabilities in Ontario.

> Introduction

Evaluation of the Developmental Services Human Resource Strategy 1

CHANGES IN DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES

Prior to the 1960s, most adults with developmental disabilities in Ontario had to go to provincially run institutions in order to access services and supports. People with developmental disabilities, their families, and other allies advocated for a fundamental change in this segregationist government policy. In 2009, the Ontario government closed the last three remaining institutions and completed the shift to community-based services and supports. The transformation process continues as the government works with stakeholders to enhance a system of accessible, fair, and sustainable community–based supports.3

SERVICE EXPANSION AND BUDGET GROWTHUnlike health care, access to developmental services in Ontario is not an entitlement and is therefore characterized by wait-lists and more constrained by government financial pressures. Nevertheless, the provincial budget dedicated to developmental services has grown steadily over the past decade. This reflects both an increase in the number of people receiving supports and services and substantial increases in the demand for a qualified workforce.

FIGURE 1: Growth in provincial spending on developmental services

$0 B

$1 B

$2 B

$3 B

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017* 2018** - budget estimates, not actual expenditures

(Source: Compiled from Ministry of Finance Annual Reports. 2009 to 2016 figures represent the actual expenditures on line item 702-6, Developmental Services - Adults and Children.)

WORKFORCE CHALLENGES IN THE DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES SECTORDespite the growth in the provincial budget for developmental services,

POLICY SHIFT “In the 2004 Ontario budget, the government announced that the province would be transforming supports for people who have a developmental disability in order to create an accessible, fair and sustainable system of community-based supports.”12


there has been a chronic wait-list for services in the sector. The demand for services exceeds supply despite significant efforts to reduce the wait. However, government funding is not the only constraint facing access to services. Access to quality services requires a much larger pool of skilled direct support professionals (DSP) than has historically been available.

In some jurisdictions, most notably across the US, there are considerable difficulties in providing adequate developmental services.4 In its 2017 report, the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities details how “challenges in finding, keeping, and training this workforce persist and have reached crisis levels in the long-term services and supports industry.”5 While the depths of the workforce crisis are certainly much more severe in the US, Ontario faces similar challenges to sustaining a system of developmental services supported by a qualified workforce of DSPs.

The overall labour market in Ontario is characterized by an historically low unemployment rate.6 The labour market conditions for community and social service workers, including DSPs, have been even tighter. As a result, labour market conditions have been making it more difficult for developmental services (DS) agencies to find and recruit employees. The challenge of tight labour markets is even more difficult for DS agencies since these organizations generally cannot raise wages given the funding structure of service contracts.

Two demographic factors exacerbate the challenges facing the workforce. On the one hand, the demand for services will increase as aging parents are unable to support at home their sons and daughters with disabilities. At the same time, the supply of workers from traditional sources are projected to decrease, also due to the aging of a large proportion of Ontario’s population.

CRITICAL ROLE OF DSPs

The work of DSPs is one of the more complex in the broader field of occupations in health and human services.7 Beyond the personal care work central to the PSW occupation, DSPs engage in activities to assist with employment, relationships, and opportunities for the people they support to make contributions to their community. At the same time, DSPs also develop skills related to medications, positive behavioural interventions, and the implementation of other clinical supports.

Researchers have confirmed the critical role that DSPs play in the lives of people

DSP“Direct support professional” (DSP) has become the dominant term used to identify the workforce supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

DSWDevelopmental service worker (DSW) refers to the credential gained through educational programs that prepares the workforce to support people with disabilities.

EAEducational assistants (EA) typically work in school boards supporting students with disabilities.

PSWPersonal support worker (PSW) is both an educational credential and an occupational designation for the workforce that provides paraprofessional services, often in home care settings.


with disabilities.8 In a large-scale study in the US, researchers found that DSP turnover adversely affected critical outcomes for the people supported, with results that included:

■ Reduced feelings of human security ■ Greater denial of the right to be in community ■ Less likelihood of having relationships ■ Less likelihood of realizing personal goals ■ Less likelihood of exercising real choice

CHALLENGES FACING THE WORKFORCE IN ONTARIOIn 2007, MCSS commissioned Deloitte to study the developmental services (DS) workforce and identify strategies for “improving training, recruitment, and retention in Ontario’s developmental services sector.”9 Deloitte identified a range of challenges facing agencies and DSPs and made three overarching recommendations to address the workforce challenges:

1. Achieve competitive total rewards

2. Adjust workforce composition

3. Increase workforce planning

In response to the report, MCSS brought a variety of stakeholders together to form the Expert Panel on Training to review the report and consider its recommendations. One of the central themes to emerge from these discussions was the need to “establish core competencies for key positions to ensure consistent standards, skills and training across the province.”10 The Panel recognized that to effectively implement such a standard, the sector needed a Strategic Human Resource Plan.

OBJECTIVES OF THE DSHR STRATEGYIn 2008, based on the recommendations of the Deloitte report and work by the Expert Panel on Training, MCSS, in partnership with DS agencies, launched the developmental services human resource (DSHR) Strategy. The ten-year Strategy targeted four key objectives:

1. Increased pool of qualified and engaged professionals with necessary competencies supporting people with developmental disabilities.

2. Consistency and congruency in education, workplace learning, and


professional development programs across Ontario’s developmental services sector.

3. Opportunity and clarity for progression through a variety of career paths for all employees in the DS sector.

4. Competency-based management and leadership.

PURPOSE OF EVALUATIONAs the DSHR Strategy approached the end of its ten-year mandate, the DSHR Strategy Steering Committee approached researchers at Queen’s University to conduct an evaluation of the impact of the Strategy on organizations, employees, and services. The goals of the evaluation research project were to:

1. Understand the DSHR Strategy’s impacts and outcomes.

2. Determine the effectiveness and achievements of the Strategy.

3. Identify shortcomings, gaps, and residual as well as emerging challenges.

4. Understand the factors that enabled the outcomes.

5. Inform the development of a plan (or framework) for those in developmental services to continue advancing as a professionalized workforce in a transformed sector.

This report summarizes the findings and analyses from the evaluation project. The Final Summary Report builds on the projects previous reports:

■ Agency-based workforce survey results ■ Survey results of HR leaders and sector executives ■ Labour market study of Ontario’s developmental services sector ■ Literature review and jurisdictional scan

METHODS

The research design for evaluating the role and impact of the DSHR Strategy on the developmental services sector was primarily based on two surveys, supplemented with qualitative interviews. The research team at Queen’s University designed one survey for the agency-based workforce and the second survey for HR managers.


AGENCY-BASED WORKFORCE SURVEYSThe agency-based workforce survey built on the earlier studies conducted at the time of implementation of core competencies in the sector. For example, the 2017 agency-based workforce survey used the same questions as the earlier surveys for measuring job satisfaction, affective organizational commitment, and perceptions of organizational support. This allowed for comparisons of data from three distinct rounds of surveys.

The survey measured employee perceptions of local human resource practices to provide an important and distinct perspective on work and careers in the sector. It also explored a diverse range of work experiences such as job satisfaction, training, recognition and employee involvement, compensation, and career advancement opportunities.

Over 3,000 electronic surveys were returned and nearly 230 paper surveys were submitted. Of the 3,238 returned surveys, 2,977 complete and usable surveys were submitted as part of this study. As shown in Figure 2, most of the respondents to the survey were direct support professionals (DSPs).

FIGURE 2: Job classification of survey respondents

Specialized Professional5.9%

Senior Manager4.2%

Admin Support5.1%

Supervisor7.7%

Direct Support Professional77.1%

HR MANAGER AGENCY SURVEYS

The survey of HR leaders built on the 2007 Deloitte study. For example, the 2017 HR leader survey used the same questions for measuring barriers to recruitment and retention. This allowed for comparisons of data from the pre-Strategy time period to results from the end of the DSHR Strategy’s ten–year mandate.

A total of 84 organizations participated in the survey of HR leaders and

53%of the agency-based developmental service workforce is casual or part-time.

62%The estimated percentage of agency-based DSPs who work as casual or part-time employees.


executives. The response rate for the target population of DS agencies was 42 per cent. As shown in Table 1, the size of participating agencies ranged from small organizations with 24 staff, to large agencies with over 3,700 employees.

TABLE 1: Workforce characteristics of respondent agencies

RangeMinimum Maximum Average Total

Full-time 0 1,429 136 10,502Part-time 2 1,255 105 7,907Casual 0 1,038 49 3,791Total 24 3,722 291 22,200

The survey measured participation in the specific aspects of the DSHR Strategy to gain a better understanding of the breadth and depth of participation by DS agencies. It also asked HR leaders to assess the impact of the DSHR Strategy on their organization, the agency-based workforce, and on services and supports.

The survey included a number of qualitative, open-ended questions regarding recruitment, retention, critical HR challenges facing the organization, ideas about ways to sustain workforce development, and strategies to enhance HR practices. Finally, the survey solicited responses to three critical questions:

1. Please identify the most critical human resource challenge currently facing your organization.

2. What is the most important factor that will help the DS sector to continue developing a professional and qualified workforce to meet evolving expectations and needs in the sector?

3. Please describe one way that stakeholders can sustain a coordinated strategy to improve HR practices in the sector.

EVALUATION PROJECT ADVISORY COMMITTEEThe research team at Queen’s University has worked with and received input from an advisory committee of executives, college faculty, MCSS officials, and an independent HR professional. The advisory committee members included:

Ann-Marie Binetti DSHR Strategy Project Manager

Ann Bilodeau KW Habilitation Services, Co-Chair Steering Committee

Luciano Contini Owner, HR Capacity Management Consulting

Aisha Dag-Ellams Program Analyst, MCSS

11%of DS agencies surveyed did not have a manager whose primary responsibility focused solely on managing human resources.

84Developmental service agencies participated in the survey of HR leaders and executives.


Holly Duff Field Coordinator, DSW Program, Fanshawe College

Krista Lord Senior Policy Advisor, MCSS

Joe Persaud Regional Executive Director, Community Living Toronto

Nancy Wallace-Gero Executive Director (retired) Community Living Essex Co.

The Queen’s University’s General Research Ethics Board reviewed and approved the project’s ethical protocols and data collection instruments. These ethical protocols included the protection of confidentiality of individual participants and their organizational affiliations.

LIMITATIONS

There are a number of limitations to the interpretation of results from the evaluation project. First, the evaluation project was a cross–sectional study, examining the profile of the agency-based workforce and work experiences at the end of the 10–year Strategy. While surveys measuring job satisfaction and other work experiences were conducted at the beginning of the Strategy, the evaluation is not a longitudinal study measuring specific impacts of the Strategy on individual workers over time.

Second, the challenges facing the workforce are complex. There are many factors contributing to recruitment and retention problems and other challenges facing the agency-based workforce. The evaluation cannot fully isolate the impacts of the DSHR Strategy from other factors, such as business cycles and unemployment rates. For this reason, the evaluation project has focused on correlations — the association between key initiatives by the DSHR Strategy and work and career experiences among the agency-based workforce.

Third, it is impossible to measure what would have happened in the sector without the effects of the DSHR Strategy over the past 10 years. In other words, the absence of progress on some of the critical challenges facing the agency-based workforce does not necessarily reflect the failure of the Strategy. Preventing the deepening of the challenges to the level of a workforce crisis seen in other jurisdictions,11 may have been an important impact of the DSHR Strategy. However, without the tools to measure the counter-factual, this evaluation project did not engage in such speculation.


KEY INITIATIVES

STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATIONAL OF DSHR STRATEGYThe Strategy was led by a steering committee of sector leaders and government officials, co-chaired by an executive director from an agency and a director level official from MCSS. The overall structure of the DSHR Strategy was built upon sub-committees focused on key project areas as displayed in Figure 3.

FIGURE 3: Structure of DSHR Strategy

Human Resource Strategy for Developmental Services Plan: 2008–2018Increased pool of quali�ed developmental service professionals

Consistency in education, training, and professional development in Ontario’s DS sectorOpportunity for movement through a variety of career paths for DS professionals

Expert management

Core Competencies Committee

Best HR Practices Committee

Program Standards Committee

Agency-based Training

Committee

Marketing Committee

Shared Interest Committee

Common under-standing of the use

and value of the core competencies

for DS sta�

Use of best HR practices in

recruitment, sta� recognition, training, and

retention

Consistent DS education program, including agency-based training

programs

Agency-based training is recognized and credited in college programs

Increased aware-ness of DS sector

and DS career opportunities

Strong collaborative stakeholder

relations commit-ted to the success of the DSHR Strategy

A member of the steering committee chaired each sub-committee. The sub-committees were comprised of HR leaders and executives from the sector with participation from MCSS officials. The Shared Interest committee also included representatives from the main unions in the sector as well as representatives of non-union DSPs.

CORE COMPETENCIESThe primary objective of the Core Competencies committee was to develop and implement a model of core competencies for seven key positions in the sector. These competencies would provide the foundation for workforce development, training, and career advancement.

In 2008, the DSHR Strategy commissioned the Hay Group to develop the core competency model. In addition to the basic model, the committee worked


with the Hay Group to develop training materials, a resource manual, and an implementation guide to support local agencies. As shown in Figure 4, about 42 per cent of agencies surveyed reported full participation in the core competency project. Agencies that participated in the initial pilot implementation phase of core competencies in 2010 (about 12 per cent of surveyed agencies), became the lead champions and trainers for their peers in the sector.

FIGURE 4: Participation in the Core Competencies initiatives

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Leadership participation

Full participation

Some participation

Limited participation

Stayed informed

No participation

Not aware

1.4%5.5%

15.1%11.1%

24.7%

30.1%

12.3%

AGENCY-BASED TRAININGThe primary objective of the Agency-Based Training committee was to assess the current state of training and development programs at local agencies. A key output of the committee was a survey that asked agencies to identify training topics to create a consistent profile of training activities across the sector. The Agency-Based Training committee identified 31 training topics that became the basis for the Strategy’s subsequent initiative on workplace learning.

PROGRAM STANDARDSThe mandate for the Program Standards committee was to recommend updates to the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities (MTCU). The committee also explored ways for agencies to gain college credit for agency-delivered trainings and improve relationships between local colleges and DS agencies.

One of the most significant achievements of the DSHR Strategy in general, was the success of the Program Standards committee, working with MTCU, to integrate the core competencies model developed by the sector into the program standards for the Developmental Service Worker (DSW) standards.


BEST HR PRACTICESThe primary objective of the Best HR Practices committee was to investigate current HR practices and research effective practices from other fields and the broader HR literature. Based on focus group meetings and additional research, the Best HR Practices committee developed a checklist and guide for DS agencies to adopt and implement effective HR practices.

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONThe objective of the Marketing and Communication committee was to build awareness and promote careers in the developmental services sector. Some of the key outputs of this committee has been marketing materials which local DS agencies could use as part of their own recruitment campaigns.

FIGURE 6: 2018 marketing brand

FIGURE 5: 2010 marketing brand

SHARED INTERESTThe mandate for the Shared Interest committee was to facilitate dialogue among key stakeholders and support implementation of the DSHR Strategy’s initiatives. The most important outputs of the committee included materials to support the implementation of core competencies, such as the joint implementation guide, and a background document explaining the developmental-focus of core


competencies as a standard for DSPs in the sector. The feedback from the Shared Interest Committee facilitated and enhanced collaboration between DSPs and local HR managers, addressing potential conflicts and mitigating barriers to the implementation of core competencies.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND HR PRACTICES IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEEThis committee combined the work of the predecessor committees: Agency-Based Training, Best HR Practices, and Program Standards. The primary objective of the committee was to continue to advance the work of the previous initiatives, especially in the area of agency-based training. Some of the key outputs of the committee included the development of training templates for the 31 topics and the Workplace Learning and Development Guide for DS agencies.

SUCCESSION PLANNING & TALENT MANAGEMENTBased on a survey of executive transitions in Ontario’s DS sector, the DSHR Strategy formed the Succession Planning and Talent Management committee in 2013 with the objective of supporting strategic policies and procedures to manage executive changes. The committee developed a series of manuals for managers and members of the board of directors at DS agencies to promote effective practices in the area of succession planning. The impact of this initiative was one of the most positive and measurable of the Strategy. Nearly 70 per cent of HR managers and executives reported positive or strongly positive organizational impacts linked to these initiatives.

MIDDLE MANAGEMENTThis committee was incorporated into the Strategy in 2017 following the work of a task group which explored leadership development practices and the challenges facing middle managers in the sector. The committee has a broad mandate and multifaceted work-plan to develop strategies to enhance training and support the development of middle managers.

70%of human resource leaders and executives felt that the DSHR Strategy had positive or strongly positive impact on their organization’s succession planning practices.


Pre-2008DELOITTE REPORT & EXPERT PANEL ON TRAININGTwo critical events led to the launch of the Developmental Services Human Resources Strategy. First, in 2007, Deloitte conducted an extensive survey of the workforce and agencies about working in Ontario’s DS sector. Second, MCSS convened an Expert Panel on Training for the sector. A key recommenda-tion from both events was the need for a consistent model of core competencies for Ontario’s DS sector workfoce.

2008-2009STRATEGY LAUNCH

In early 2008, MCSS partnered with the Provincial Network on Developmental Services to launch the DSHR Strategy. To achieve its primary objectives, six sub-committees were formed: Core Competencies, Program Standards, HR Best Practices, Agency-based Training, Marketing and Awareness, and Shared Interest. �e creation of a model of core competencies for seven key positions in Ontario’s developmental services sector served as a cornerstone for the Strategy and provided a common focus for the work of the sub-committees.

�e Hay Group conducted extensive consultations, focus group meetings and interviews to develop an Ontario-based, sector speci�c model of core competencies. �e Shared Interest sub-committee worked with unions and non-union employee groups to ensure a collaborative approach to workforce development in general and the implementation of core competencies in particular in particular.

2016-2018SUSTAINABILITYEVALUATION AND TRANSITION PLANNING

2013-2015FIRST HR FORUMWORKPLACE LEARNING PROJECT

In February 2013, the Strategy team hosted the �rst annual HR Forum. By 2018, the event drew together a network of nearly 300 human resource managers and executives to share resources and ideas to improve HR practices and workforce development strategies.

�e Strategy team launched the Workplace Learning Project in 2014 with the goal of supporting collaborative strategies for consis-tent, high quality training and development. �e Succession Planning and Talent Manage-ment sub-committee was formed to support executive transitions and career development.

2010-2012PILOT LAUNCHED“MAKING A DIFFERENCE EVERYDAY”In 2010, 16 agencies volunteered to pilot the implementation of core competencies. �e pilot sites developed an agency implementation guide and a network of experienced champions to train peer organizations. In 2012, the champions helped launch the implementation of core competencies province-wide.

�e Strategy team worked with Ontario colleges to embed core competencies in educational standards and eventually into the curriculum for the Developmental Services Worker diploma. �e Agency-based Training committee identi-�ed 31 key topics for ongoing professional development of the agency-based workforce.

July 24, 2009

Building Capacity:Core Competencies for Developmental ServiceProfessionals in Ontario

CORE COMPETENCIES DEVELOPED

In 2017, the Strategy team further developed materials for HR metrics and hosted training seminars on HR analytics.

A transition period to ensure continued sustainability of the work of the DSHR Strategy.

> DSHR Strategy Milestones


> Workforce development & the DSP labour marketThe evaluation of the DSHR Strategy’s impact on workforce development focuses on the education and preparation of people to enter labour markets from which developmental service agencies recruit staff. Additional training and development of employees and managers at agencies is explored in the section on training and workplace learning.

The College of Trade designation for DSPs is Developmental Services Worker (DSW). Working as a DSW is a designated trade in Ontario, but a Certificate of Qualification is not required to work in the sector.13 The College of Trades offers an apprenticeship program as one method for earning the DSW designation. The more common route for educational preparation in the sector is through a variety of applied programs in Ontario’s college system. More than a dozen Ontario colleges offer DSW diplomas which are typically two–year programs involving both academic coursework and work experience practicums.

While HR leaders often expressed a preference for hiring DSW graduates, only 25 per cent of the agency-based workforce have earned DSW diplomas.14 Police background checks and certain health and safety certifications are required, but there are no educational or related credentials needed to work in the sector. Individual agencies may have educational requirements as part of their HR policies and procedures for selection and hiring, but there are no consistent or mandated educational standards for DSPs.

DSHR STRATEGY OBJECTIVES

The DSHR Strategy sought to address several critical challenges related to workforce development. First, the number of people attracted to the sector and entering the labour market is insufficient to meet demand. Second, there have been concerns over the qualifications of the workforce. Third, the demand for services will increase and this will require an increased pool of qualified professionals. These challenges translate into questions about how to get more people interested in working in the sector and how to make sure they have adequate skills and competencies.


Two of the primary objectives of the DSHR Strategy specifically targeted improvements in workforce development practices and outcomes:

1. Create an increased pool of qualified and engaged professionals with necessary competencies for supporting people with developmental disabilities.

2. Provide consistency and congruency in education, workplace learning, and professional development programs across Ontario’s developmental services sector.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND THE DSHR STRATEGY

THE DSP WORKFORCE HAVE STRONG EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT RATESThe vast majority of direct support professionals and other agency-based staff hold college diplomas or university degrees. These educational achievement rates compare favourably to the general Ontario workforce (see Figure 7). Moreover, Ontario’s maintenance of a strong human capital profile for the DS agency-based workforce contrasts with the experience of people in other jurisdictions.

In other jurisdictions, where the workforce crisis is more pronounced, there is substantial evidence of lower human capital in the disability services sector. Researchers at the University of Minnesota estimate that, on average, only 35 per cent of direct support professionals working in community–based settings have a post-secondary degree.15 In Alberta, just 24 percent of direct support professionals have a college diploma and another 19 percent have a university degree (see Figure 7).16

Between 2008 and 2013, eight Disability Studies Programs closed in Alberta. This left the province with just three college programs and some private training enterprises. With an estimated workforce of 17,000 staff and an annual turnover rate of 20 per cent on average, there have been serious concerns regarding the college sector’s capacity to meet the workforce development needs of the province. In

Advantages of a DSW DiplomaAnalysis of the survey data revealedthat earning a DSW diploma islinked to better work experiences:

• Better preparation for DS work• Higher satisfaction with the nature of work• Higher overall job satisfaction• Stronger feelings that they made a good career choice• Better relations with supervisors and support for personal goals


2007, Deloitte found that Ontario DSW college programs faced similar threats of closure due to low enrolment.

FIGURE 7: Comparison of workforce educational attainment for the DS workforce in Ontario, the general Ontario workforce, and the DS workforce in Alberta

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Advanceddegree

Universitydegree

College diploma

Some collegeHigh school

Ontario DS workforce

Total Ontario workforce

Alberta DS workforce

Sources: DS agency-based workforce survey, Statistics Canada, and Hogarth, D. (2014). Current Post-Secondary Programs and Recent Closures, Alberta Council of Disability Services

RELATIVE STABILITY OF COLLEGE ENROLMENTAt the time of the Deloitte study in 2007, college DSW programs were under threat of closure and some prominent programs had to suspend admissions due to lack of applicants. Currently, enrolments in college DSW programs are stable and have been so for the past five years (see Figure 8). This relative stability in the primary educational credential program in Ontario contrasts with significant program closures in other jurisdictions. However, Ontario’s college sector still faces significant challenges in sustaining the apprenticeship program and meeting the labour demand from DS agencies.


FIGURE 8: DSW program enrollment

0

500

1000

1500

2012 - 2013 2013 - 2014 2014 - 2015 2015 - 2016(Source: Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities, Enrolment and statistical data for colleges of applied arts and technology in the province, 2016)

DSW AND OTHER COLLEGE PROGRAMS PROVIDE A GOOD PREPARATION FOR WORK IN THE SECTORSurvey respondents confirmed that the DSW diploma and other college programs in Ontario provided good preparation for work in the sector (see Figure 9). Nearly 40 per cent of DSW graduates felt that the college program had provided excellent preparation for working in the sector.

FIGURE 9: Adequacy of educational background by degree type

High-school Trade certificate

Some college

DSW Other college

University Advanced

Not relevant Poor preparation Adequate preparation Excellent preparation

1009080706050403020100

The evaluation project found that for DSPs college diplomas tended to provide

95%of college DSW graduates felt that their educational background was adequate or excellent.


a better match for work in the sector compared to university and advanced degrees. This was especially evident at agencies where a greater proportion of DSPs held DSW diplomas compared to university degrees. On average, DSPs with DSW diplomas reported slightly higher job satisfaction ratings than DSPs with another college diploma or a university degree (see Figure 10). The evaluation project found substantial evidence that Ontario college diploma programs, especially the DSW program, generate qualified professionals for work in the DS sector. Among senior managers and specialized professionals, advanced degrees provided strong educational preparation for work in the sector.

FIGURE 10: Average DSP job satisfaction by educational attainment

0

1

2

3

4Satis�ed

Dissatis�ed

Neutral

Very dissatis�ed

Nature of work Advancementopportunities

Overall jobsatisfaction

DSW graduate Other college graduate University graduate

DSPs new to the sector, those who reported one year or less, reported more confidence than their more senior colleagues on average in having the skills and competencies for more individualized supports.

ENHANCED RELATIONS BETWEEN COLLEGE PROGRAMS AND DS AGENCIESDS agencies have been engaged with local colleges through partnership and advisory tables well before the launch of the DSHR Strategy, but the Program Standards committee worked to improve those relationships. Nearly 60 per cent of HR managers reported frequent engagement with local colleges.17 Only 10 per cent of the agencies surveyed reported no engagement with their local college.


However, the development of partnership and coordination at a provincial level was one of the key achievements of the DSHR Strategy. Program standards, the elements comprising the curriculum for a DSW diploma, are established at the provincial rather than a local level. This was a prerequisite to embedding core competencies in the sector’s primary workforce development program.

CORE COMPETENCIES EMBEDDED IN COLLEGE CURRICULUMOne of the most significant outcomes from the DSHR Strategy was the embedding of core competencies into the DSW program curriculum. The Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities (MTCU) updated the DSW program standards in 2012. The new standards made explicit references to the core competencies developed by the DSHR Strategy and incorporated the language into the Vocational Learning Outcomes for the diploma. This created a consistent language for college graduates going to work at DS agencies.

“Graduates of the Developmental Services Worker program are trained to provide person-directed supports and services for people with developmental disabilities in a manner that is respectful and fosters self-determination and empowerment. Additionally, graduates are prepared to promote the development of inclusive communities.

In practice, graduates demonstrate qualities such as creative problem solving, resiliency and initiative as outlined in the Developmental Services Human Resources Strategy Core Competencies.”18 (MCTU, Developmental Services Worker Program Standard)

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO SUCCESS IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

WORK IN DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES INCREASINGLY IS SEEN AS PROFESSIONAL AND MORE RESPECTED BY THE COMMUNITYHistorically, working in the developmental services sector has been stigmatized in relation to the broader social attitudes towards people with disabilities. In the medical model of institutional care, negative attitudes towards people with developmental disabilities also devalued the workforce who provided services and supports. The evaluation project found evidence that the shift of services from institutionalized, custodial care to community–based supports has

Community Respect“I feel the community understands and respects the professional work we do at my organization.”

Feelings of community respect have improved by 33 percent since 2007,but more work needs to be done.


resulted in work in the sector being more socially valued.

In 2007, Deloitte found that “a third of survey respondents indicate that they do not feel respected by the community at large for the work they do.”19 By 2017, the proportion of the agency-based workforce who did not feel that the “community understands and respects the professional work we do at my organization,” fell to 22 per cent. This shift has important implications for workforce development by making work and careers in the DS sector more attractive.

FIGURE 11: Proportion of DSPs who do not feel their work is respected in the community

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

2007 2017

CONSISTENCY THROUGH A PROVINCIAL MODEL OF CORE COMPETENCIESCore competencies are not new to the field of human resource management, nor are they new to some agencies in Ontario’s DS sector. However, the introduction of a provincial model of core competencies for seven key positions in organizations has provided consistency and coordination—two key factors contributing to success. The common, provincial model facilitated adoption of core competencies in college curricula and created a common language across diverse DS agencies.

COORDINATED RELATIONSHIP BUILDING WITH ONTARIO COLLEGES AT THE PROVINCIAL LEVELProvincial relationships with the college sector become more formalized during the ten-year DSHR Strategy. There was already a foundation based on the relationships between DS agencies and local colleges, as well as the work by the Ontario Association on Developmental Disabilities (OADD). However, working at the provincial level at relationship building allowed more direct coordination of program standards and alignment of the DSW curriculum with the sector’s

64%of human resource leaders and executives felt that the DSHR Strategy had a positive or strongly positive impact on employee skills and competencies.


model of core competencies.

AGENCIES STRIVE TO MAINTAIN STANDARDS IN HIRING AND SELECTION PRACTICESOrganizational practices have been another important factor contributing to the success of workforce development strategies. Specifically, efforts by DS agencies to work with local colleges continue to be important. In addition, organizations strive to maintain educational credential requirements despite a very tight labour market and significant pressures to relax the educational qualifications for new hires. These efforts have been an important complement and critical foundation for the provincial initiatives of the DSHR Strategy.

HIGH EMPLOYMENT RATES FOR DSW GRADUATESGiven the tight labour markets and high demand for DSPs, it is not surprising to find that DSW graduates are very successful in finding relevant post-graduate work opportunities. Since 2012, Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) employment statistics for DSW graduates have been consistently in the 90-95% range. Employment rates for related fields (educational assistants and PSWs) have been at the same levels for the past four years.20 However, although there is a very high employment rate for DSW graduates, less than half report having a full-time job.21

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES

LOW ENROLMENTS, INSUFFICIENT DSW GRADUATES, AND TIGHT LABOUR MARKETSWhile enrolments in DSW programs has been relatively stable in recent years, the college pipeline is insufficient to meet current demand and will likely fall behind as demand increases. College DSW programs currently accept most applicants and the applicant pools have not grown.22 The insufficient number of DSW graduates, combined with the tight labour markets in community and social services has significant impacts on services and DSPs.

“I think that people are being hired without proper education. A DSW diploma is the best possible education and people with diplomas that are unrelated should not be hired. Some people are hired with educations such as Police Foundations which does not relate to what we do as DSW’s. The turnover rate is high because people are walking into the job without fully understanding the work we do. It makes the current staff’s job more difficult because the training is much more intense when a person doesn’t have a background in this field.” - DSP survey comment


The lessons from the DSHR Strategy in Ontario and experiences in other jurisdictions show that marketing and awareness campaigns are important, but these efforts tend to be eclipsed by the challenges of tight labour markets and persistent job quality concerns.

JOB QUALITY, SECTOR ATTRACTIVENESS AND PART-TIME WORKHR leaders identified the lack of full-time work as a critical barrier to recruitment. The prevalence of part-time work and the length of time it takes to obtain full-time work have also been significant barriers to building the workforce development pipeline. This reflects findings in other sectors in Ontario in which job quality affects sector attractiveness.23 The “employment brand” for people who might be interested in going to work in the sector is diminished by the dominance of part-time work.

On average, newly hired part-time DSPs have to wait years to be promoted to full-time work. Figure 12 presents the breakdown of employment status by sector tenure. By ten years of seniority in the sector, only half of DSPs hold a full-time position.24

FIGURE 12: Employment status by agency tenure

0 - 4 years 4 - 8 years 8 - 14 years

14 - 20 years 20 - 28 years 28 + years

Full-time CasualPart-time

(Source: Queen’s University, Work and career experience survey, 2017)

63%of human resource leaders and executives felt that the DSHR Strategy had no impact on the employment brand of their organization.


REASONS FOR PART-TIME EMPLOYMENTThere are many reasons why new graduates may enter a part-time job, including the desire to continue their education, family responsibilities, flexibility, and labour market pressures. As shown in Figure 13, nearly 50 per cent of DSW graduates who accepted a part-time job did so because of labour market pressures when they would have preferred full-time employment. These rates had been as high as 60-65 per cent for DSWs in the 2013-2014 MTCU graduate survey.

FIGURE 13: Reasons for part-time employment among recent college graduates, 2016-2017

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

PSWEADSWAll college programs

UnknownOtherLabour marketStudiesPersonal reasons

(Source: MTCU Ontario Graduate Outcome Survey)

Statistics Canada estimated that fewer than 25 per cent of the part-time workforce in Canada was involuntary in 2017.25 The national trends for involuntary part-time work have been declining since 2008, but this is not the case for Ontario’s DS sector.

NEW HIRE ACCESS TO BENEFITSAnother of job quality concern is reflected in new hire and part-time workers’ satisfaction rates with benefits. While new hire satisfaction with pay was positive and higher on average compared to more senior staff, satisfaction with benefits was negative and lower on average compared to more senior staff.


FIGURE 14: Job satisfaction with benefits by agency tenure

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

>2 years at agencyNew hire

Very satis�ed

Satis�edNeutralDissatis�edVery dissatis�ed

DIRECT FUNDING AND THE GROWTH OF INFORMAL LABOUR MARKETSDisability rights activists, and people with disabilities and their allies have long advocated for direct funding as a mechanism to empower people using developmental services.26 This policy shift, alternately called individualized budgets, provides funding to service users who then purchase the type of services and supports they want.

Researchers have identified both improved outcomes and new challenges associated with the policy transformation towards direct funding. A recent survey in the US found this approach improved relations between DSPs and the people they support.27 They also found it supported increased opportunities for self-determination. Critics of direct funding, while supportive of self-determination in principle, find the policy too focused on creating private markets for social services without the regulatory oversight to protect vulnerable populations and the workforce supporting them.28

Research on the direct support workforce in the context of direct funding has found that these policies have significant implications for workforce development and labour markets.29 Comments by survey respondents identified the challenges associated with this policy transformation.


DSP concerns about an informal labour market“Funding schemes such as the Passport program will create financial insecurity and decreased compensation for employees. I feel it will lead to DSWs constantly working in private contracts rather than employed securely by an agency. What professional is going to put time and money into an education and developing skills to spend a life time going from contract to contract. We will not be able to get car loans or mortgages and we will be competing against uneducated and inexperienced people off the street. Essentially our lives will become unstable and unhealthy. We will be at the mercy of people who want to get the most for their money, so if you try to assert your rights under labour laws or OHSA they will simply dispose of you and get someone not as competent but willing to tolerate anything to replace you. People with other options will leave this field and new people will not enter it. That will result in a degradation of services, professionalism and safety for both staff and supported people. How is that good for employees or people with disabilities?” – DSP survey comment “A huge issue we are running into is with the incoming individuals with subsidized funding and with passport money comes a decrease in pay for employees. I am currently just filling a Maternity leave position for a year with this company but there is no opportunity for employment that is full time or with any sort of benefits afterwards. Currently our rate is 20.15$/hr but passport positions are more around 17$/hr which is not a liveable wage.” - DSP survey comment “At this time people doing passport contracts get paid whatever a family decides, as opposed to a fair, standard wage for the support. Many in-home workers have not claimed those earnings on taxes. There is no government watchdog for in-home supports meaning the person receiving support is dependent on family, and this opens the door for more abuse.” – DSP survey comment

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES

LONG-TERM COORDINATED MARKETING, AWARENESS, AND PROMOTIONResearchers have documented the importance of building long-term strategies for workforce development in the disability services sector. One such tool has been the Career Pathmaker developed by the Human Services Research


Institute to assist schools and workforce centres to promote careers in human services.30 Such longer-term marketing strategies require provincial coordination and funding support.

Participation in the DSHR Strategy’s marketing and communication initiatives has been mixed. Fewer than 20 per cent of agencies surveyed reported frequent use of the DSHR Strategy marketing materials. There is an important opportunity to enhance workforce development strategies by targeting marketing and awareness campaigns earlier in the workforce development pipeline. DS agency use of the marketing materials tend to be limited to local labour markets and serve specific recruitment functions. Some local agencies reported sharing materials with colleges and high schools.

Coordinated marketing campaigns at the provincial level would significantly contribute to sustainable workforce development strategies. But local college programs and local DS agencies generally face organizational and financial constraints that preclude longer–term investments in workforce development. This type of initiative has been reported in other jurisdictions,31 but there is limited data on the return on investment from these marketing campaigns. Another associated objective of these marketing campaigns has been to increase the awareness of and respect for the field of developmental services.32

DIVERSIFY THE SOURCES FOR THE AGENCY-BASED WORKFORCEThe evaluation project identified a critical need to enhance diversity in the agency-based workforce. Promoting diversity begins at the early stages of workforce development and cannot be achieved solely through changes in recruitment practices. Specifically, as shown in Figure 15, the agency-

Workforce diversity profile at Ontario’s DS agencies

28.5%

12.7%

25.9%

8.3%

Ontario workforce DS agency workforce

% of workforce foreign born % of workforce visible minority

2.4%

3.6%

6.9%

11.2%

% of workforce person with a disability% of workforce Indigenous

Gender profile of the DS workforce

14.6%

85.4%

91.3%

70%

86.8%

30% 15.2%

8.7% 13.2%

Direct Support Professionals

Specialized Professional

Senior Management Supervisor

84.8%

Administrative sta�

FIGURE 15: Demographic profile of the DS agency-based workforce


based DS workforce does not reflect the make-up of the general Ontario labour force.

Some individual agencies reflect a more diverse workforce. However, for the agency-based workforce in the sector to better correspond with the general population, there is a critical need to diversify entry into the sector. While marketing and promotion activities targeting new Canadians and other non-traditional segments of the workforce are important, the strategies need to be more comprehensive and systemic barriers, such as the prevalence of part-time work, will need to be addressed.

For example, one HR manager reported initial success in targeting and recruiting immigrant workers.

“A lot of [international students] are coming here, and we employ quite a few. They want to stay in the role, except in order to get their permanent residency, they need something that says they work full-time. It usually takes a lot longer than three years to get full-time. They can only work for two years after they’ve done school, so they couldn’t even qualify to get full-time. So once they realize that, unfortunately, they leave us.” - HR Director at a developmental services agency.

INCREASE PROPORTION OF DSWs GOING INTO THE DS SECTORThere may be an opportunity to increase the proportion of DSW’s who choose to work in developmental services rather than in health, education, or other social service sectors. According to data from MTCU (see Figure 16) two-thirds of DSW graduates work in other sectors. Addressing the barrier of the lack of full-time jobs in the sector for recent graduates may attract a greater proportion of current DSW graduates.


FIGURE 16: Top industries entered by graduates

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

Food and bar services

Ambulatory health care

Educational services

Social assistance

Residential care facilities

(Source: MTCU Graduate Outcomes Survey)

NURTURE AND EXPAND STAKEHOLDER PARTNERSHIPSIn addition to working with college DSW program coordinators, there are opportunities to engage additional stakeholders in workforce development strategies. In particular, local workforce development boards and the Ontario Centre for Workforce Innovation could enhance and help sustain workforce development strategies for the sector. While some agencies may engage these entities as part of their employment supports program, engagement and coordination at the provincial level could be transformative as it was for the college sector.

There is research evidence to suggest that expanding the network of stakeholders engaged in DSP workforce development strategies creates sustainable improvements. Along with her colleagues, Amy Hewitt, director of the US’s Institute on Community Integration, identified a number of promising practices to improve workforce development and attract more people to the sector such as engaging the public workforce system to support the recruitment and training of DSPs, developing worker registries, and creating stakeholder coalitions to create workforce development plans.33

Given the growth of Ontario’s Passport funding program and the increasing proportion of DSPs working directly for families and people with disabilities, the future of the DS workforce may not be reflected by the agency–based DSPs that are currently the norm. The ongoing transformation of the sector requires


direct input from families and people with disabilities to ensure that workforce skills and competencies match the expectation and needs in the sector.

INTEGRATE DIRECTLY HIRED DSPs INTO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIESThere are currently no accurate estimates concerning the size and characteristics of the workforce employed directly by families or persons with disabilities. Many jurisdictions in Canada, the US, the UK, and Australia have increasingly shifted towards direct funding programs to promote inclusion, choice, and control of services by people receiving supports. Given the substantial policy shifts towards more individualized and direct funding programs, this labour market is poised to grow substantially. In Ontario, nearly one in four agency-based DSPs also reported working directly for families or person receiving Passport funding.34 In Washington State, fully 60 per cent of the home care workforce, including those who supported people with developmental disabilities, were individual providers working directly for the consumer.35

As Ontario continues to invest in the Passport funding program, it will be increasingly important to monitor this labour market and integrate recruitment, retention, and training strategies with the broader, agency-based workforce. Sustainability requires supporting the positive outcomes associated with direct funding policies, while working with all stakeholders to address the problems of informal labour markets and potential threats to maintaining a qualified DSP workforce.


HR leaders in the sector overwhelmingly identified recruitment as the biggest challenge facing their organizations currently. For some organizations the recruitment crisis has forced the agency to relax educational credential requirements in their selection process, or worse, sustain vacancies, resulting in reduced services. Such concerns were echoed in comments by DSPs.

One of the primary objectives of the DSHR Strategy was to create an “increased pool of qualified and engaged professionals.” This section presents a summary evaluation of the DSHR Strategy’s impact on recruitment practices and recruitment outcomes at DS agencies in Ontario.

DEVELOPMENTS IN RECRUITMENT AND THE DSHR STRATEGY

DS agencies face cyclical pressures and challenges in their recruitment activities. Labour market developments and other broad economic trends represent important external factors that organizations and the DSHR Strategy have contended with but have little ability to change. However, the evaluation project found that organizations could still implement strategies to improve recruitment processes and outcomes.

SUPPORTED AND EXPANDED BBI PRACTICESOne important impact of the DSHR Strategy on recruitment was support and training for behaviour-based interviewing (BBI) practices. Over 80 per cent of the agencies surveyed reported using BBI practices frequently. Extensive research has shown these type of structured and situational selection processes to be the most effective recruitment practice.36

HR managers reported that one of the most positive impacts of the DSHR Strategy on the agency-based workforce concerned employee fit with the organization.37 HR managers also reported that applicant characteristics were the most important factor in successful recruitment. Recruitment and selection practices using BBI techniques appeared well aligned with DS agencies that emphasize a value-based and mission driven organizational culture.

The DSHR Strategy supported BBI practices by training HR managers in the process and in the concrete skills of conducting the structured and situational

> Recruitment

60%of human resource leaders and executives identified staffing and recruitment as the most critical challenge facing the sector.


interview techniques of BBI. For example, the training involves hands-on experiential learning of the importantce and practice of ensuring inter-rater reliability (or consensus) of the selection panel. The survey data indicated the investment in more robust selection procedures resulted in better recruitment outcomes. Nearly 55 per cent of HR leaders and executives surveyed identified improved employee fit with the organization as one of the positive or strongly positive impacts of the DSHR Strategy on employees at their agency.

However, the use of BBI practices has legitimate critics in the broader academic literature as well as among HR leaders and sector executives. The amount of time, and therefore expense, to conduct structured and situational interviews for every applicant may not always be worth the cost. This concern was raised by HR managers at DS agencies when they were hiring for part-time positions involving only a few shifts a month.

LOW WAGES NOT SEEN AS A PRIMARY BARRIER TO RECRUITMENTAnother factor important to workforce development success has been efforts at achieving a competitive wage floor for new hires. DSP wages are modest but compare to similar occupations such as educational assistants, personal support workers and health care aides.38 As shown in Figure 17, job satisfaction with pay is was higher on average for DSPs who have worked in the sector for less than two years, compared to more senior staff.

FIGURE 17: Pay satisfaction comparison

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

>2 years at agencyNew hire

Very satis�ed

Satis�edNeutralDissatis�edVery dissatis�ed

82%of agencies surveyed frequently used behaviour–based interview techniques.


In a 2017 survey, HR managers and sector executives did not report compensation to be a major barrier to recruitment.39 In 2007, Deloitte found that low pay, more than the lack of full-time jobs, was the primary barrier to recruitment. Still, 30 per cent of new hires reported being dissatisfied with pay. This could be related to total compensation, from a lack of full-time job opportunities and limited access to benefits. These factors were identified as major barriers to recruitment.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO RECRUITMENT SUCCESS

CONCRETE MATERIALS AND TRAINING FOR HR MANAGERSIn focus groups and interviews, HR managers identified the hands-on materials and training provided by the DSHR Strategy as one of the key factors contributing to improvements in recruitment practices. As part of the core competency training program, experienced HR managers would conduct trainings with their peers on BBI selection practices and similar techniques for embedding core competencies into HR practices.

NETWORKING AND SHARING EFFECTIVE PRACTICESThis model of peer training also facilitated another key factor contributing to improvements in recruitment practices. The training model built on and contributed to networking and sharing among HR managers and sector executives. Such sharing of effective practices by peers improved the dispersion and adoption of effective practices in the sector.

APPLICANT CHARACTERISTICS IN A VALUES-BASED SECTORWhile skills, qualifications, and experience were certainly critical factors in recruitment, and significant contributors to recruitment challenges, other applicant characteristics were identified as important factors in successful recruitment. Specifically, HR managers emphasized applicant values that aligned with the organization’s mission as a critical factor for success. This means DSW graduates have a comparative advantage, as the curriculum stresses the importance of values and progressive philosophies of disability rights.

WORKPLACE SAFETY AND SUPPORTING WORK THAT CAN BE CHALLENGINGSafety and working conditions and challenges related to supporting the people served did not appear to be major barriers to recruitment. Most HR managers,

66%of HR managers and executives felt that the DSHR Strategy had a measurable and positive impact on inter-agency collaboration.


over 80 per cent of those surveyed, identified these two issues as either not being barriers or only being minor barriers to recruitment.40 While health and safety issues were not targeted by the DSHR Strategy, these findings are important given concerns about burnout and the challenging work experienced by DSPs.41

RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES

Recruitment has emerged as the most significant challenge facing DS agencies. The nature of recruitment challenges is multifaceted and highlights the shortcomings and gaps of the DSHR Strategy. In general, many of the challenges are systemic, related to tight labour markets and a funding arrangement that does not allow DS agencies to increase DSP wages to boost labour supply. However, other challenges may be mitigated or addressed by targeted HR strategies.

LACK OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATESNearly 60 per cent of HR managers surveyed identified the lack of qualified candidates and the lack of regular full-time positions as major or critical barriers to recruitment. The lack of candidates, a labour supply problem, is exacerbated by the lack of full-time job opportunities, which significantly reduces the attraction to work in the sector.

HR managers reported that the DSHR Strategy had a limited impact on the ability of DS agencies to compete in a tight labour market or improve the employment brand. These shortcomings appear linked to the issue of part-time work. Given the systemic challenges of the tight labour market for DSPs, it is not surprising that the DSHR Strategy failed to increase the pool of qualified professionals in the context of decreasing and low unemployment rates.

LACK OF FULL-TIME JOBSHowever, strategic interventions in job design could reduce the reliance on part-time workers and improve the employment brand. In 2007, one of Deloitte’s key recommendations identified changes in job design and the shift towards more full-time positions or permanent part-time blocks as ways to improve recruitment and reduce costs associated with turnover.

33%of supervisors do not feel that there are many quali�ed peopleinterested in working in the DS sector.

43%of senior managers do not feel thereare enough quali�ed people interestedin working in the sector.


While Deloitte identified this recommendation as a “quick hit,” easy-to-implement change, the operational and financial challenges are significant for individual DS agencies. Operationally, the creation of more full-time positions has become more complex with the transformation of services and the prevalence of funding packages providing limited hours of service. DS agencies face significant financial constraints making the shift to more permanent full-time positions with benefits. Without broader stakeholder support, reducing the prevalence of part-time jobs is a difficult investment to initiate even with the promise of longer term cost savings from the reduction of turnover.

LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATES AND TIGHT LABOUR MARKETSFor organizations the recruitment challenge is linked to the challenges of workforce development. But the evaluation project also found that recruitment challenges are impacted by broader economic trends and in particular changes in unemployment rates and local labour market conditions.

“We are opening up a new home here in February and I have to have 16 people hired by then and that’s what is keeping me awake at night. I don’t know where I am going to find 16 people. Years and years ago we went through this slump. This would have been prior to the Strategy. And I remember hiring, and even when I hired I thought, oh god, I hope this is going to work out. It didn’t and that ended up costing us a lot of money and time actually to get rid of poor hires. I feel like I am going into that slump again.” – HR Manager

FIGURE 18: Official unemployment rate, 2002 – 2018

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

Oct

- 20

02Ap

r- 2

003

Oct

- 20

03Ap

r - 2

004

Oct

- 20

04Ap

r - 2

005

Oct

- 20

05Ap

r - 2

006

Oct

- 20

06Ap

r - 2

007

Oct

- 20

07Ap

r - 2

008

Oct

- 20

08Ap

r - 2

009

Oct

- 20

09Ap

r - 2

010

Oct

- 20

10Ap

r - 2

011

Oct

- 20

11Ap

r - 2

012

Oct

- 20

12Ap

r - 2

013

Oct

- 20

13Ap

r - 2

014

Oct

- 20

14Ap

r - 2

015

Oct

- 20

15Ap

r - 2

016

Oct

- 20

16Ap

r - 2

017

Oct

- 20

17Fe

b - 2

018

(Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey CANSIM Table 282-0085)


RECRUITMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES

PROMOTE CULTURAL COMPETENCIES AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL LEVELResearchers have found that the challenge of supporting workforce diversity involves more than simply expanding advertising efforts. The development of cultural competencies in organizations is seen as a prerequisite to successful efforts to diversify the workforce through recruitment from non-traditional sources.

CRITICAL REVIEW OF JOB DESIGN AND JOB QUALITY CHARACTERISTICSTo address the systemic issues creating barriers to sector attractiveness and recruitment, stakeholders will have to engage in a critical review of job design and job quality characteristics in the sector. This could entail a variety of strategies, such as creating a stable, guaranteed number of hours for part-time workers or experimenting with more flexible full-time work assignments and support models. The current job design model, with over 60 per cent of the DSP agency-based workforce working part-time or casual, is not sustainable.

UNIQUE LABOUR MARKETS NEED CUSTOMIZED OR ENHANCED OPTIONSThe evaluation project found that certain labour markets face unique challenges due to their rural settings, northern geography, or needs for a bi-lingual workforce. Sustainability strategies will need to be sensitive to these unique challenges and work with stakeholders in those areas to develop more accessible and customized recruitment strategies.

REALISTIC JOB PREVIEWSThere is substantial evidence from other jurisdictions and in the research literature that realistic job previews have positive effects on workforce development programs and recruitment outcomes.42 Realistic job previews, often presented in the form of short videos, provide potential employees with clear expectations for all aspects of the role of direct support professionals. These materials have been used for both general marketing purposes and by agencies for individual recruitment and selection processes. Larson and Hewitt (2005)43 found that the use of realistic job previews reduced turnover. This strategy may address an important gap for non-DSW college programs that do not include a work placement at a DS agency or any other comprehensive view of working as a DSP.


Retention and turnover are critical concerns among disability service providers, but the experience in Ontario is much better compared to other jurisdictions. For example in the US, average turnover rates for DSPs have been estimated to be 46 per cent, with some states reporting turnover rates as high as 70 per cent.44 The situation in the UK has been less severe but still substantial with an average general workforce turnover rate of 26 per cent as compared to a 33 per cent turnover rate among DSPs in the UK workforce.45

Researchers have identified multiple factors associated with high turnover rates of DSPs.46 These include low wages, deficient training, lack of career advancement opportunities, and challenging work. Similarly, DSPs have reported that low pay, difficulties with coworkers, and poor relations with supervisors are important reasons for leaving.47 Given this complex array of factors that drive turnover, an equally diverse range of retention strategies have been examined and promoted in the research literature.48 This section will examine the extent to which the DSHR Strategy was able to improve organizational practices and retention outcomes.

RETENTION AND THE DSHR STRATEGY

REDUCED TURNOVER RATES ON AVERAGETurnover rates among DS agencies in Ontario have improved substantially over the past 10 years, although challenges remain particularly among part-time and casual employees. As shown in Figure 19, agencies reported an average turnover rate of 18 percent in 2007.49 Based on the 2017 survey returns from HR managers, the average turnover rate in the sector dropped to 12 per cent. This compares favourably to average turnover rates in Canada of 16 per cent.50 Researchers found similar average turnover rates among firms in Ontario nearly 40 years ago.51

> Retention and turnover


FIGURE 19: Turnover rates at DS agencies and in Canada, 2007 and 2017

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

DS Sector 2007(Deloitte)

Canadian average(Mercer)

DS sector 2017(Evaluation project)

18.7%

12.2%

16.0%

DSPs FEEL THAT WORKING IN THE SECTOR HAS BEEN A GOOD CAREER CHOICENearly 80 per cent of DSPs and nearly 90 per cent of supervisors reported that they felt that working in the DS sector has been a good career choice for them. Only 7 per cent of DSPs did not feel that they had made a good choice.

AN EXPERIENCED WORKFORCE - HIGH TENURE IN THE SECTORThe evaluation project found that the agency-based workforce in Ontario has relatively high tenure rates. As shown in Figure 20, full-time DSPs had an average tenure of 18 years. Part-time DSPs had nearly ten years of experience in the sector on average. Supervisors have worked in the sector for 22 years on average.

80%of the agency-based workforce agreed or strongly agreed that working in the DS sector has been a good career choice. Only 6% did not feel that way.


FIGURE 20: Sector tenure among the agency-based workforce

12 to 20 years22.2%

20 to 30 years18.4%

7 to 12 years17.6%

1 to 8 years9.2%

3 to 7 years14.5%

30 years +9.5%

< 1 year4.8%

9.8years

Average tenure ofpart-time DSPs

Average tenure ofadministrative sta�

Average tenure ofsupervisors

Average tenure offull-time DSPs18

years

22years

11years

ADVANCING STRATEGIC HR MANAGEMENT THROUGH SUCCESSION PLANNINGNearly 70 per cent of HR managers reported that the DSHR Strategy had a positive or very positive impact on succession planning at their organization. Succession planning has important implications for organizational practices in general, and has been identified as a specific factor to improving retention.

The DSHR Strategy team conducted a survey in December 2013 that found that half of all agencies surveyed did not have a succession plan for the executive director.52 Nearly two-thirds did not have succession plans for senior managers. As with most non-profit organizations, the majority of DS agencies did not have a formal, written policy to manage executive transitions.53 The DSHR Strategy developed manuals and shared model policies to promote succession planning and talent management practices.


FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO SUCCESS IN RETENTION

COMPETENCY-BASED TRAINING IMPROVES RETENTION

Researchers studying DSPs have found that competency-based training positively impacts retention in the disability services sector.54 There are a number of factors that might explain why this is so. First, such training improves the confidence of DSPs to feel that they have the skills to succeed in their roles. Second, the competency-based model of training reinforces feelings of professionalism among DSPs. Significantly, many of the research studies found that competency-based training improved retention even when there were no improvements to wages.

IMPROVED SUPERVISOR RELATIONS AND PRACTICESSupervisors play a critical role in employee retention. The evaluation project found several areas in which supervisors contribute to retention success. First, on average, survey respondents who reported that their supervisor meets with employees to set personal goals, had much higher rates of perceived organizational support, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment.

Second, over 54 per cent of survey respondents agreed or strongly agreed that performance appraisals at their agency provide employees with feedback for personal development, not just discipline. These respondents who had positive experiences with supervisors in performance appraisals reported better work experiences and job satisfaction on average.

HR MANAGERS IDENTIFY JOB QUALITY AS KEY FACTOR IN RETENTION SUCCESSHR leaders and executives identified job quality as the most important factor in successful retention. HR manager comments claimed that if they could offer full-time hours, fair pay, and opportunities for growth, they would be able to address the critical challenges facing retention in the sector.

TURNOVER AND RETENTION CHALLENGES

CASUAL EMPLOYEE TURNOVER RATES REMAIN HIGHDespite the improvements in turnover rates between 2007 and 2017, over 70 per cent of HR managers surveyed felt that the DSHR Strategy had a limited impact on retention. In part, this appears to reflect the systemic factors driving

38%Perceptions of organizational support was much higher on average among survey respondents who indicate that their supervisor meets with employees to set personal goals.

30%The average level of organizational commitment was much higher among survey respondents who felt that performance appraisals supported personal development.


turnover particularly among part-time and casual employees. Turnover rates among part-time and casual employees remain significantly higher (22 percent) than with full-time staff. Job quality, specifically the lack of full-time jobs, was most commonly cited as the key factor driving turnover.55

FIGURE 21: Turnover by job classification and employment status

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Specialized professionals

Senior management

SupervisorsCasual / reliefPermanent part-time

Permanent full-time

All employees

12.2%

4.1%

10.7%

21.7%

2.8% 2.7% 2.5%

The lack of full-time job opportunities has been identified by HR managers as a systemic issue in the sector involving both financial and operational challenges. Strategic improvements to HR practices may have improved retention in some ways, but such strategic initiatives did not address the underlying financial and operational problems experienced.

COSTS OF TURNOVERHigh turnover rates, particularly amongst part-time and casual employees result in significant cost pressures on organizations. Cost estimates for training new employees at one agency range from $1,690 to $2,350.56 The full cost of turnover has been found to be much higher. Estimates in the US suggest that the average turnover costs can be as high $5,200 USD per vacancy.57 However, the most significant cost of turnover results in the degradation of the quality of services and loss of quality of life for the people supported.58

LACK OF FULL-TIME JOB OPPORTUNITIESHR leaders and agency executives identified the lack of full-time jobs as the primary driver of turnover.59 Nearly 78 per cent of senior managers surveyed felt that the proportion of part-time to full-time work was a serious challenge at

$18MThe estimated total direct and indirect cost of annual workforce turnover in Ontario’s developmental services agencies.

$9MThe estimated savings from reducing annual workforce turnover between 2007 to 2017.


their organization.

INCREASES IN THE FREQUENCY OF THINKING ABOUT QUITTINGCompared to the survey results in 2012, the proportion of the workforce who reported that they frequently thought about quitting grew to over 12%. Contrary to the HR literature, the evaluation project found that actual turnover was much higher among part-time and casual employees who reported that they did not think about quitting. Therefore, this consideration may not be a driving factor in turnover, but rather linked to organizational commitment and emotional exhaustion. The job classification with the highest rate of thinking about quitting was that of specialized professionals.

FIGURE 22: How often do staff think about quitting, 2012, and 2017

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

FrequentlyOccassionallyRarelyNever

2012 DSP surveys 2017 DSP surveys

Research involving direct support staff at day program centres in the UK found that 55.7 percent of staff often thought of quitting, 22.2 percent were undecided, and the rest, 22.2 percent, never thought about leaving their current position.60

OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE RETENTION

Researchers, especially those in jurisdictions with exceptionally high DSP turnover rates, have examined the factors that can improve retention and decrease turnover. Not surprisingly, turnover is strongly linked to low wages, and increased wages have been shown to significantly decrease turnover.61 However, government funding levels establish the wage rates for most service


providers who simply cannot raise wages in response to labour market pressures. Still a variety of HR strategies, at both the organizational and individual levels, have been found to improve retention and reduce turnover. Researchers have also found that the factors linked to retention (a DSPs intent to stay) are distinct from the factors that contribute to turnover (intent to leave).62

CONTINUE ENHANCING THE ROLE OF SUPERVISORS AND WORKPLACE RELATIONSThe DSHR Strategy has helped advance a more strategic role for HR at DS agencies. Poor supervision has been one of the primary reasons cited by DSPs for quitting.63 Researchers in disability services and more generally in human resource management studies have found that supervisors play a critical role in retention and job satisfaction.64 For example, supervisors who set clear expectations, ensure accountability, provide consistent encouragement, and support their staff, improve retention. Developing positive supervisory relationships, and providing supervisors with training in conflict resolution and communications are additional recommendations from the literature.65

STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE PARTICIPATIVE ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURESIn 2007, Deloitte found that “DS agency cultures are not very participative. Only half of survey respondents feel they are involved in decisions that affect their work, and are encouraged to provide feedback to make improvements to the programs and/or agency.”66 In 2017, only 31 per cent of the agency-based workforce felt that if they had a good idea about how to improve services, there was a significant chance the organization would act on it.67

FIGURE 23: Feelings of employee involvement, 2007 and 2017

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Deloitte 2007 Work and career experiences survey 2017


Research on high-performance work systems, sometimes called high-involvement work systems, has explored how participative strategies might improve organizational and employee outcomes.68 Specifically, research in the disability services sector has found that “greater DSW involvement in decision making and care planning is associated with lower retention problems, fewer vacancies, decreased turnover.”69 Employee involvement may take many different forms, ranging from management listening sessions to formal roles in person-directed planning processes. Importantly, the research suggests that sustaining such practices requires more substantial organizational change than simply introducing another meeting forum or work procedure.

HR STRATEGIES LINKED TO DSP PERCEPTIONS OF ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORTFigure 24 identifies the key HR practices that were linked to increased perceptions of organizational support (POS).70 Survey respondents with high levels of POS had higher levels of job satisfaction and generally reported better work experiences. Research has found that organizations with high levels of employee POS experience better outcomes such as improved performance and reduced turnover.71 Statistical tests of the survey data revealed that recognition for great effort and good work was the most important factor to increase DSP perceptions of organizational support.

MULTI-STAKEHOLDER INPUT NEEDED TO ADDRESS JOB DESIGN CHALLENGESOne of the most pressing challenges to threaten the sustainability of workforce development and the advancement of professional status of the sector is the lack of full-time job opportunities and the extensive reality of multiple job-holding. The vast majority of senior managers identified the proportion of part-time to full-time jobs as a serious problems at their agency. This suggests that unless stakeholders in the sector address the systemic and strategic challenges underlying the lack of full-time job opportunities, workforce development, recruitment, and retention challenges will remain a chronic problem in the sector.


The challenges of creating more full-time job opportunities are complex and will require all of the stakeholders in the sector to work together to address the problem. Families and people supported, especially those using Passport funding, will need to have input to help address this issue. The government of Ontario, as both funder and regulator, will need to have input to address financial and other systemic barriers. Executives, DSPs, and unions representing employees in the sector will need to work with the government to find creative solutions to this complex problem.

HR strategies linkedto stronger feelingsof organizationalsupport

Fair HR practices

Informationsharing

Recognition

Leadership

Fair pay

Employeeparticipation

Communication

Employeeinputs

Employees feel HR practices are fairDSPs and other sta� reported

more organizational support ifthey felt there were fair and

e�ective HR practices.

Participation in decisionsHaving opportunties

to participate in workrelated decisions linked

to greater support.

Satisfaction with communicationsE�ective internal

communications arelinked to stronger

feelings of support.

Contributions to quality improvementEmployees feel more organizational

support if their ideas to improveservices might be implemented.

Agency works hard for fair payEmployees are familiar withthe �nancial constraints butwant to see their agency workinghard to provide fair pay.

Competent managersSta� perceptions of organizational supportstart with competentleadership.

Recognition is keyRecognition for good work and greate�ort was the mostimportant factor.

Management shares informationFeeling that management sharesimportant information translatesinto feelings of organizationalsupport.

FIGURE 24: HR strategies linked to stronger feelings of organizational support


MONITOR LABOUR MARKET TO ENSURE COMPETITIVE WAGE LEVELSThe increase in Ontario’s minimum wage has significant implications for the DS sector. While average wages of DSPs in Ontario are above the new minimum wage, the increased minimum wage floor reduces the perceived extrinsic value of working in the DS sector. There is the potential that DSPs will not see the value of investing in their education if it does not continue to provide a comparative advantage over minimum wage work.

The challenge related to increasing minimum wage floors was especially pronounced in New York State in 2015.72 State legislation raised the minimum wage for fast food workers and state workers but DSPs were exempted. As a result, fast food workers were projected to earn more than experienced DSPs by 2017. Stakeholders in the sector feared that these changes would significantly increase turnover rates. In Ontario, stakeholders need to monitor the impact of increased minimum wages and the loss of pay differentials for DSPs.

IMPACT OF STAGNANT WAGES“{The biggest challenge facing the sector is] to maintain a fair and increasing wage to be comparable with the increasing cost of living, and tax increases. Not receiving a fair pay increase over several years can be interpreted as a lack of appreciation for the your life long commitment to your job and organization.” - DSP survey comment


The evaluation project explored current HR practices and employee experiences with agency-based training. In this section, the evaluation of training focuses on workplace and lifelong learning beyond the educational programs examined as part of workforce development. One of the key objectives of the DSHR Strategy was to promote “consistency and congruency in education, workplace learning, and professional development programs across Ontario’s developmental services sector.” In particular, the evaluation project assessed the factors contributing to effective training practices and the sustainability of workplace learning in the context of a changing sector.

Sustaining the quality and responsiveness of services requires ongoing training. The shift from institutional, custodial care practices to community-based services and supports demanded new skills and competencies in qualified DSPs.73 Continuing changes in the expectations of families and people with disabilities, as well as the changing characteristics of the population, require that training practices and topics be monitored and updated.

However, enhancing training involves more than simply expanding the topics covered in a curriculum. Researchers have identified a range of challenges associated with training and workplace learning practices. Historically, training in the disability services sector has not been-based on a clear set of competencies and skills needed in community-based settings.74 Pre-service and post-service training requirements have tended to involve completing a specific number of hours of work on health and safety topics, not competencies.75 There are also financial barriers to effective training. Perhaps the most significant challenge has been the lack of opportunities for promotion and career pathways in organizations providing disability services. Complicating this, researchers have found that there are no incentives for employees to engage in training. This is, in part, because employers generally do not have funding to provide training based wage enhancements.76

Despite these challenges, training is seen as a key mechanism to enhance retention and improve service quality. Researchers have found that competency based training has been linked to reductions in turnover in the disability service workforce.77 In Canada, researchers found that staff at DS agencies identified “meaningful training” as one factor that could improve retention.78 More

> Training and workplace learning

Changing Training Needs“Many of the youth transitioning to the DS sector have complex needs that expand far beyond my experience, education and training received over the last 28 years in my career. Training in areas such as drug use, addictions, prostitution, human trafficking, mental health, Indigenous affairs is certainly needed in our sector. More funding is needed for training.” - DSP survey comment


importantly, training is an essential component in the sustainability of high quality, community-based supports.

DEVELOPMENTS IN TRAINING AND THE DSHR STRATEGY

DSPs FEEL THEY HAVE THE SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES NEEDEDDSPs overwhelmingly indicated that they have the skills and competencies to adapt to changing expectations for more individualized supports. In 2007, Deloitte found that 40 per cent of survey respondents did not believe they had sufficient training to do their jobs.79 In contrast, only five per cent of those surveyed in 2017 did not feel that they had the skills and competencies for more individualized supports. Only 12 per cent of the 2017 survey respondents did not feel that it was clear to them what skills and competencies they needed to succeed.80

FIGURE 25: Workforce feelings of skills and competencies

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Stronglydisagree

Stronglyagree

Disagree Neutral Agree

“I have the skills and competencies to adapt to changingexpectations for more individualized supports.”

“�e skills and competencies to succeed in my role are clearto me at this organization.”

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Stronglydisagree

Stronglyagree

Disagree Neutral Agree

GROWTH IN ORGANIZATIONAL PRACTICES AND INNOVATIONHR leaders reported that the DSHR Strategy had a positive or strongly positive impact on their organizations’ workplace learning practices.81 Over 55 per cent of the agencies surveyed had some participation in the Workplace Learning project that reflected two important developments in organizational practices and innovation.

86%of DSPs surveyed feel that they have the skills and competencies needed for individualized supports.


First, there have been significant advances in the adoption of technological innovations to promote and sustain workplace learning. Technology-based training platforms may help to overcome challenges associated with dispersed staff and continuous operations.82 Second, the workplace learning initiative demonstrated the value and importance of partnerships and collaborations between DS agencies and external stakeholders. Most DS agencies have a staff member in charge of training, but the partnerships allowed agencies to access expertise in adult learning methods and instructional design through partnerships with external experts.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO SUCCESS IN TRAINING

TRAINING STRATEGIES INCREASINGLY LINKED TO COMPETENCIESThe DSHR Strategy’s Workplace Learning Project team worked with local DS agencies to embed core competencies in the training modules and create clear links between the competencies and the desired learning outcomes. By linking competencies to mandatory topics of training, such as medication administration, these training practices shifted towards a more competency-based approach, not simply a compliance-based training event.

The core competency model also provided a mechanism for consistency in a sector with the diverse range of organizational cultures. Creating this balance between consistency in training and respect for organizational and individual diversity was a key factor in the success of the DSHR Strategy.

COLLABORATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND EXPERTSDevelopmental service agencies in Ontario have a rich tradition of value-based training. However, as the scope and volume of mandatory trainings have expanded,83 HR leaders reported challenges related to training budgets and traditional training practices. The DSHR Strategy Workplace Learning Project facilitated collaborations between agencies and external stakeholders, such as web-based training platforms and learning management systems. While such partnerships existed prior to and independent from the Strategy, the Workplace Learning Project provided coordinated expansion of and learning from these partnerships. Collaboration helped agencies overcome training capacity constraints, promoted consistency, and was an important factor in the success of training initiatives.

71%of the agency-based workforce feel that the skills and competencies o succeed in their role are clear.

58%of survey respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their organization invests considerable time and resources in training. In contrast, only 24 per cent of survey respondents disagreed.


CONCRETE AND TANGIBLE TOOLS AND RESOURCESOnce again, the provision of relevant, concrete, and tangible tools was cited by HR managers as an important factor in the impact of the DSHR Strategy on training practices and outcomes. These tangible tools include templates, modules for specific training topics, and a robust learning guide and resource manual.

PROVINCIAL COORDINATION OF WORKPLACE LEARNING PROJECT INITIATIVETraining in the DS sector involves a diverse range of topics—31 distinct training modules—and an even more diverse constituency of DS agencies. The promotion of consistent education and professional development programs in the DS sector requires extensive coordination of the initiatives. Individual agencies would not have been able to achieve the level of cohesion and coordination achieved by the DSHR Strategy. The role of the project coordinator and the funding needed to hire experts in adult learning practices were essential factors to the success of the initiative.

TRAINING CHALLENGES

THE CHALLENGE OF LARGE SCALE TRAINING PROJECTSA consistent opinion held among many HR leaders and executives in the sector was that they found the DSHR Strategy initiatives overwhelming. The adoption of core competencies for example, involved significant in person training of all staff members and broad changes in organizational management practices.

“We did a lot of training around core competencies. I actually was really excited about it, because I thought that it looked like it was based on strengths, and I really believe in that. I’m not looking for a tool that tells people how they suck, I want a tool that tells people what they’re good at, what they’re passionate about, how do we build that, and build opportunities so you can grow in that area, right? And I thought it was marvelous. And then I had to actually do it and we had a team of I think 15 or 16 managers, and I couldn’t do it. I could not keep up with it. It was a beautiful tool and I just couldn’t keep up with it.” – DS agency executive

DECLINING SATISFACTION WITH TRAININGThe evaluation project found that satisfaction with trainings provided to the agency-based workforce has been declining during the period of the DSHR Strategy.


FIGURE 26: Trends in satisfaction with training

0

1

2

3

4Satis�ed

Dissatis�ed

Neutral

Very dissatis�ed

2010 2012 2017

A variety of factors explain these trends of declining satisfaction with training, such as the amount of mandatory training crowding out desired training, the cost of training, especially for traditional formats requiring backfill staffing, as well as increasing unmet training needs due to new expectations and support requirements. The ‘Perspectives on Satisfaction with Training,’ on page 41 presents a variety of survey comments that reflect that factors associated with declining satisfaction with training.

LIMITED TRAINING CAPACITY AND MANDATORY REQUIREMENTSResearch in the US identified similar challenges to training as those found by the evaluation project. Larson and Hewitt found that “there never seems to be adequate time or money to train DSPs. For the most part, training has not been driven by the individual needs of DSPs and the people they support. Instead, training has been driven by regulations that were developed to identify the minimal level of training required of a DSP. To be effective in their work, DSPs need far more training than prescribed by regulations.”84

HR leaders at DS agencies reported that the scale and commitment of resources needed for the training associated with the implementation of core competencies was overwhelming. The capacity of small and medium-sized agencies to provide large-scale trainings to their entire workforce is limited. Such experiences are consistent with the broader research evidence regarding challenges related to training in disability services.


Perspectives on Satisfaction with TrainingWhile many factors may have contributed to the declines in satisfaction rates with training, open-ended survey comments and qualitative data from HR leaders suggest a few possible explanations.

First, the lack of base funding increases have forced some organizations to cut back the training budget. This is especially the case for models of learning and development that required back-filling positions.

“There has not been an increase in base funding for many years so wage enhancement is always an issue & full time positions or advancements are rarely available which results in poor morale. There has been little money available for training as well, so many people have not had the opportunity to attend a lot of seminars or training opportunities, only the mandatory training is completed annually.” - DS agency executive survey response

Second, exacerbating the budgetary constraints on training, there has been an increase in the scope and amount of mandatory training. Such requirements crowd out training opportunities to meet changing support needs and for training topics more desired by staff.

“Lacking in training to increase staff quality vs the mandatory training the agency is required to do such as WHMIS, CPI, FIRST AID, ... All important but not a balance on improving self or skills/mindset for most important - supports to people.” - DSP survey comment

Third, many survey comments noted the substantial cost pressures created by turnover among part-time and casual staff. These training costs are further exacerbated when newly hired employees do not have any experience in the sector or have not earned a DSW diploma. Some agencies experience as much as a 30 per cent turnover rate among casual employees, This factor has a significant impact on training budgets and satisfaction with training opportunities..

Finally, the agency-based workforce in general and DSPs in particular recognize the need for training to meet new and often more complex support needs. On the one hand, a majority of survey respondents agreed that their agency is supporting them to develop required skills. On the other hand, the was a clear desire for more training to meet new support needs.


TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AND SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES

SUPPORT CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT AS LEARNING ORGANIZATIONSDespite the progress in the adoption of adult learning strategies and instructional design practices, the DS sector in Ontario is still in the early stages of developing and supporting learning organizations. The factors that present barriers to training in general—funding, capacity, and expertise—have also limited to the development of agencies as learning organizations. The DSHR Strategy’s workplace learning guide provided agencies with a valuable resource, but becoming a learning organization involves a broad organizational change process. Beyond the DSHR Strategy, agencies involved in voluntary accreditation programs, such as FOCUS, the Commission on Accreditation and Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), or the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL), display some of the broader management practices needed to support the systems and culture of learning organizations

REVIEW AND MONITOR COMPETENCY MODELThe ongoing transformation of services and supports in Ontario’s developmental services sector requires regular review and possible updates to the original model of core competencies. The shift of services from custodial oriented institutions to community based supports required a new set of values, skills, and competencies.85 The continued changes in the sector, as well as the evolving needs and expectations of families and people with disabilities may result in newly needed competencies or changing emphasis within existing skill sets.

SUPPORT CONTINUED COORDINATION AND EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPSA key factor to support sustainability and advance training in the sector has been inter-agency coordination and partnerships with external stakeholders. The coordination effects of the DSHR Strategy suggests greater cohesion and inter-agency sharing of resources results in better outcomes. In particular, there may be a role for enhanced partnerships between the college sector and agencies supporting continued education and workplace learning practices.

EXPAND AND EVALUATE USE OF TECHNOLOGYDS agencies have increasingly turned to technological solutions to the challenges associated with training a diverse workforce engaged in continuous operations. Advances in learning management systems and other web-based training platforms have provided agencies with affordable options, but financial


barriers remain, especially for smaller agencies. Systemic barriers to technology adoption were not just financial, as there are legitimate concerns over training effectiveness especially in the context of values-based human service skills and competencies. Technology presents an important component of sustainability strategies, but the evaluation of the impact and effectiveness of technology-mediated training should be incorporated into those strategies.

AUDIT AND MONITOR EMERGING TRAINING NEEDSTo support the sustainability of high quality services, it will be important for stakeholders to work together to audit and monitor emerging training needs. Direct support professionals, families, and people supported need to have a strong voice in identifying topics and developing training curricula.

There were over 200 survey comments related to training experiences. While many of the comments affirmed the pride and passion of the skills developed through training, there was widespread recognition that the shift to more person-centred services and the changing needs of the people supported demands new and different skills and competencies.

“I feel one of the most challenging aspects of human resources is finding staff that have the training and ability to work with the changing needs of the people supported within the agency.” - DSP survey comment

EXPAND PARTICIPATION AND USE OF EXISTING TOOLS AND MATERIALSOnly 25 per cent of agencies surveyed reported that they were fully engaged in the workplace learning initiative. Another 30 per cent had some participation. These results suggest that there are significant opportunities to expand the use of existing tools and materials to promote training and workplace learning. Part of the challenge may be the perception within agencies that adopting and implementing the workplace learning guide is beyond their capacity. Sustainability strategies will need to mitigate these barriers and help agencies leverage available training resources.

A key factor in the success of the implementation of core competencies was the use of peer trainers and a network of peer supports to help agencies anticipate and work through the challenges associated with this change process. Creating this type of peer support infrastructure for other initiatives developed by the DSHR Strategy could increase the adoption and effectiveness of these existing tools.


Demographic changes, the retirement of the baby boomer generation, and policy shifts of the sector has made leadership development a priority for DS agencies. The 2012 survey of sector executives by the DSHR Strategy’s Talent Management and Succession Planning committee found that over a five-year period, two-thirds of the agencies surveyed had experienced or were planning for an executive transition. Such changes present unique challenges for the non-profit sector and heighten the need for effective leadership development strategies.86

The DSHR Strategy made the development of “competency-based management and leadership” one of the four key objectives of the initiative. The transformation from institution-based to community-based services, as well as the shift from government run to non-profit organizations, has enhanced the importance of leadership development.87 There is a growing body of research on leadership and management of non-profit organizations that draws from traditional management studies, but recognizes the importance of social missions in non-profit organizations.88 This section presents the evaluation project’s assessment of the DSHR Strategy’s impact on leadership development and the challenges in creating career pathways at DS organizations.

ADVANCES IN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND THE DSHR STRATEGY

HR PLAYS AN INCREASINGLY STRATEGIC ROLE IN DS AGENCIES One important development in the DS sector has been the growth of HR leadership in organizations. Over 80 per cent of HR managers and sector executives reported that the DSHR Strategy had a measurable, positive impact on the overall HR practices at their agency. This is an especially important finding given the increasingly strategic role that HR plays in the developmental services sector. Over 90 per cent of agencies now report that HR plays a strategic role in the agency rather than just an administrative role.

SUCCESSION PLANNING AND TALENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICESAnother important impact of the DSHR Strategy according to HR leaders and executives was on succession planning practices at agencies. Nearly 70 per cent

> Leadership development

90%of HR leaders and executives agreed or strongly agreed that HR plays a strategic role in their agency.


of executives surveyed reported that the Strategy had a positive or strongly positive impact on succession planning.

HIGH JOB SATISFACTION AMONG SENIOR MANAGERSThe evaluation project found high job satisfaction ratings among senior managers. Senior managers tended to have the highest satisfaction ratings of all job classifications.

FIGURE 27: Senior manager overall job satisfaction

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40%

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60%

Very satis�edSatis�edNeutralDissatis�dVery dissatis�ed

Senior managers reported the highest levels of organizational commitment on average. The executive leaders also had the highest average feelings of organizational support. Still, senior managers were realistic and recognized the challenges facing DS agencies. A higher percentage of senior managers felt that the “proportion of part-time to full-time jobs was a challenge” at their agency.

PARTICIPATION IN DSHR STRATEGY ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER PERCEPTION OF LEADERSHIP AND MANAGER SKILLSThe evaluation project found statistically significant, positive correlations between agencies with higher levels of participation in the DSHR Strategy and DSP perceptions that senior management has skills and competencies to meet the challenges facing the organization.89 Similar positive links were found between participation in the DSHR Strategy and other leadership characteristics, such as the feeling that management shares important information with DSPs about the organization.

Challenges of maintaining strategic HR practices“Agencies that sacrifice their infrastructure for services and supports, I get it. Right? But at a certain point, those decisions come home. And so if you don’t have the capacity to do QAM [quality assurance measures] and implement core competencies, well, what’s going to fall off? Well, core competencies or other types of elements that will advance the strategic role of HR in the organization and turn it back to a transaction role where we’re checking off the boxes, ‘Did you do your CPR? Your NCVI?’ Check, check, check. And then, we’re done.”

- HR Manager



DEFINED MODEL OF CORE COMPETENCIES FOR LEADERSHIP ROLESThe design of the core competencies model, which included distinct competencies and levels for supervisors, senior managers, and executive directors, was a contributing factor to success in leadership development. The approach clarified the skills and competencies needed for progression through a variety of traditional career paths for agency-based employees. The clear communication to employees regarding the skills needed for leadership roles in the organization was linked to participation in the DSHR Strategy.

STRATEGIC HR, NETWORKING, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIESA study of executive leadership development programs conducted for the Talent Management and Succession Planning committee found that executive seminars and workshops were the primary source of leadership development programs in DS agencies.90 In fact, 89 per cent of agencies surveyed for the report used seminars to develop leaders, compared to the 56 per cent who used executive education courses, and only 30 per cent who have internally developed learning programs. Low-cost networking events, such as the DSHR Strategy’s annual HR Forum are especially important given the challenges of financial constraints reported by a majority of agencies surveyed.

Another key finding from the study of leadership development programs in the DS sector was that an organizational focus on people and talent management was the most prevalent critical success factor according to 79 per cent of survey respondents. This finding aligns with the increasing strategic role played by HR in DS agencies.

CHALLENGES FACING LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

EVIDENCE OF STRAIN AMONG SUPERVISORS AND SENIOR MANAGERSThe evaluation project found that supervisors experience significant levels of job-related stress. Several factors explain these findings. First, when facing financial constraints many agencies trim middle-management before reducing direct service levels. This has had the effect of significantly

Supervisors feeling pressure�e evaluation project found thatsupervisors experienced higherstress and workload pressures compared to other job classi�cations in theagency-based workforce.

• Greatest feelings of increased workloads.

• �e highest rates of occassionally thinking about quitting.

• �e lowest rates of feeling that there are many quali�ed people interested in working in the sector.

80%of HR leaders and executives surveyed had participated in the annual HR Forum sponsored by the DSHR Strategy.


increasing workloads among supervisors. A study of middle managers in the DS sector in 2016 found that some supervisors had as many as 40 direct reports.91

Second, financial constraints have also led to salary compression and the very real prospect that taking a leadership role in the organization provides little or no compensation increase. Finally, supervisors also face pressure from more senior managers regarding maintaining quality services in the context of significant workforce challenges. Supervisors are prone to feeling squeezed in the middle of these growing challenges.

DIVERSITY GAP IN SENIOR LEADERSHIPThe evaluation project found a diversity gap between supervisors and senior managers. This gap was especially evident in the gender profile of the workforce. While 85 per cent of DSPs and supervisors were female, only 70 per cent of senior managers were female. The survey did not isolate executive directors and CEOs of agencies, but interviews suggested that the diversity gap at the top of DS agencies was even more pronounced.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES

DEVELOP A MODEL OF SPECIALIZED COMPETENCIES FOR CAREER GROWTHCore competencies provided clarity for traditional career pathways, but these opportunities have been systemically limited in the flat organizational structures of most DS agencies. Career pathway models from other sectors, such as healthcare, do not work in the DS sector since it has shifted from the medical model of service provisions to a community-based network of supports.

The Specialty Credential designations of the US-based National Association of Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) provides an alternate model that does not follow the traditional career ladder of organizational hierarchies nor does it reflect the occupational hierarchies of medical professions. To address the chronic problem of the lack of career opportunities, stakeholders will need to explore sustainable strategies that provide growth within DSP roles.

The evaluation project found that feelings of career growth are linked to regular increases in compensation. The systemic problems related to the lack of regular compensation increases are an important part of the challenge facing efforts to support career growth opportunities among DSPs.

15%the gender diversity gap between supervisors and senior managers.


MIDDLE MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISOR HR SKILL ENHANCEMENTThe evaluation project found that middle managers and supervisors face unique pressures in their roles. The DSHR Strategy’s Middle Management Task Group identified critical training needs in the areas of conflict management and general employee relations. It will be important for sustainability strategies to continue the initial work of the Strategy to enhance HR skills among supervisors at DS agencies. These efforts with middle managers will also contribute to broader strategies to advance leadership development and executive succession in the sector.

Jurisdictional Scan Highlight:DSP Specialty Credentials

As part of the evaluation project’s jurisdictional scan, examples of alternative career path models were identified. The National Association of Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) in the United States has a DSP credentialing program that includes advanced designations for DSP specialists in five key direct support areas.

• DSP Specialist Inclusion (DSP-S-I)

• DSP Specialist in Health Support (DSP-S-HS)

• DSP Specialist in Positive Behavior Support (DSP-S-PBS)

• DSP Specialist in Employment Supports (DSP-S-ES)

• DSP Specialist in Aging Supports (DSP-S-AS)

(Source NADSP)

FIGURE 28: Jurisdictional scan highlight: DSP specialty credentials


LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGEThe Talent Management and Succession Planning (TMSP) committee examined leadership development strategies among DS agencies. The committee found a diverse range of external programs and platforms for leadership development, but “the majority of agencies do not have funding for executive leadership programs.”92 Internal capacity for leadership development was limited, especially among smaller and more remote agencies.

Despite the financial barriers to leadership development, study participants identified ‘an organizational focus on people and talent management as the most critical success factor that influences executive leadership development. To sustain efforts around leadership development in the sector, it will be important to build on these insights. First, the identification and promotion of organizational competencies, especially those related to talent management and a focus on people, are critical to sustain efforts in leadership development. Organizational competencies would also provide potential measures of effectiveness for the leadership development programs to complement the annual performance reviews used by most agencies.

Second, the findings of the Talent Management and Succession Planning committee reflect broader themes in the evaluation project related to organizational capacity and the strategic role of HR in agencies. Executive director core competencies, especially strategic thinking and leading change, provide an important foundation for leadership development. However, the DSHR Strategy found that less than half of the agencies the TMSP committee surveyed felt that their leadership development activities were effective. Sustaining effective leadership develop strategies requires addressing some of the systemic barriers to training and internal HR capacity.

“The most important human resource challenge facing the developmental services field is lack of staff recognition. Many staff feel undervalued and under paid causing them to resent their employer. Managers should be trained in acknowledging exceptional staff and also acknowledging when a staff is struggling, which puts more work on coworkers.”- DSP survey comment


The evaluation project examined the impact of the DSHR Strategy on a broad range of organizational practices and DSP work experiences. Prior research in the field of disability services has found that organizational characteristics and HR practices have significant impacts on retention, stress, and other DSP work experiences. Many studies have found relatively high levels of stress and burnout among DSPs.93 While a number of studies have found linkages between the exposure to challenging behaviour and stress, the larger body of research in this field identifies organizational factors as the primary source for DSP stress and burnout.94

Researchers have identified a variety of organizational characteristics and human resource practices associated with higher retention rates and a higher quality of work-life.95 Job characteristics, such as competitive compensation, recognition, and participation in decision-making, have been found to be associated with lower rates of DSP turnover.96 Supervisor relations, and more generally the effectiveness of direct supervision, was also found to be a critical factor in retention and turnover.

Researchers have identified a range of characteristics associated with disability service organizations that excel in positive workplace culture and respect.97 First, these organizations were described as learning organizations which reflects commitment to continuous quality improvement. Second, executives at top-performing organizations relied on advice from DSPs and created opportunities for dialogue and open information exchange. Third, these organizations had a culture of employee involvement, ensuring that DSPs had decision-making authority and input on issues affecting their work. Finally these organizations were described as culturally competent, paying attention to issues of diversity, inclusion, and conflict resolution. This section presents the evaluation project’s assessment of current organizational practices and culture in Ontario’s DS sector.

> Organizational practices and culture


ORGANIZATIONAL PRACTICES AND THE DSHR STRATEGY

STRONG CULTURE OF POSITIVE WORKPLACE RELATIONSThe evaluation project found compelling evidence of positive workplace relations. The DS agency-based workforce reported relatively high levels of job satisfaction with supervisor and coworker relations. Even more important than the relationships with supervisors and coworkers, DSPs overwhelmingly indicated that their relationships with the people they support was the primary factor in their positive work experiences.

FIGURE 29: Average satisfaction rates with workplace relations

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Co-workers

Research literature for the DS sector and in the broader HR world, indicates that supervisor relations are key to job satisfaction and the quality of services and supports.98 These satisfaction ratings have held relatively stable despite declines in other areas of job satisfaction. Still, the finding of increased pressures on supervisors discussed below heightens the importance of protecting and nurturing these relationships at DS agencies.

PARTICIPATION IN DSHR STRATEGY LINKED TO IMPROVEMENTS IN ORGANIZATIONAL PRACTICESSimilar to work experiences, agency participation in the DSHR Strategy was linked to workforce perceptions of more positive organizational practices as shown in Figure 30. The regression analysis of survey data found statistically significant links between participation in the DSHR Strategy and workforce perceptions of local HR practices. For example, participation in the DSHR

84%of the agency-based workforce were satisfied or very satisfied with their relations with co-workers.


Strategy was found to be one of the most influential factors in improving perceptions that “performance appraisals provide employees feedback for personal development.” These findings are consistent with research literature which has found that effective supervision entails both accountability and encouragement to support DSPs.99

Despite the challenges experienced with recruitment and retention, over 80 per cent of HR managers and executives surveyed agreed that “HR practices have significantly improved over the past several years.” These improvements have taken place in the context of an expanding scope of responsibilities for HR

Participation in the DSHR Strategy was linked toenhanced sta� views of key HR practices

Organization invests time and resources in training

Organization supports opportunities to enhance skills and competencies

Employee involvementin work-related decisions

Supportive performanceappraisals for personaldevelopment

Better supervisor relationsto set personal goals

Organization works hard toprovide fair pay and benefits

Organization supports employees to provide highquality services

Qualified employees havegood opportunities for promotion

FIGURE 30: Impacts of DSHR Strategy on agency HR practices


managers and mixed concerns that organizations “have sufficient capacity in their HR functions to lead the organization effectively.”100


NETWORKING AND INFORMATION SHARINGThe evaluation found that networking and information sharing between HR managers was critical to the dispersion of effective HR practices. DSHR Strategy events, such as the annual HR Forum, were repeatedly identified in survey comments, interviews, and focus group discussions as a key factor in improving HR practices. These activities complemented and supported long – standing local networks of HR managers. Generally speaking, HR managers face a common set of challenges in relation to recruitment, retention, and training.

There are many annual conferences in the developmental services sector hosted by Community Living Ontario (CLO), Ontario Agencies Supporting Individuals with Special Needs (OASIS), and other organizations that organize special gatherings focused on service practice and support philosophy. The annual HR Forum has been a valuable event because of its focus on HR issues and the practical and applied nature of the workshop sessions. HR managers singled out the HR Forum as a critical factor in the sustainability of efforts to enhance workforce development and organizational practice. These claims are further supported by the evidence from the survey data which indicates that one important impact of the DSHR Strategy has been to improve inter-agency collaboration.

STRATEGIC HR FOCUSAnother critical success factor has been the focus on and support for the strategic role of HR at DS agencies. Just as policy shifts have changed the nature of services from institution-based to community-based, these changes hava also led to significant changes in organizational scale and design. A vast majority of HR managers and executives surveyed, confirmed that HR played a strategic role at their organization. Most organizations have also invested in the HR function in the past few years. Maintaining the strategic role of HR, in contrast to simply an administrative or record-keeping role, requires constant vigilance and consistent efforts.

DSHR STRATEGY DEVELOPED CONCRETE TOOLS FOR ORGANIZATIONSSimilar to the importance of practical and applied workshop sessions at the


annual HR Forum, another factor contributing to success was the Strategy’s focus on developing concrete tools for organizations. These materials, such as the core competencies training manual, provided HR managers with ready-to-use tools to support enhanced local practices. Likewise, the marketing and awareness materials were developed in such a way that DS agencies could imprint the materials with their own local brand. HR managers emphasized that a key factor in the sustainability of efforts to enhance local HR practices was the development of and training in the use of these types of relevant tools.

CHALLENGES EXPERIENCED BY THE AGENCY-BASED WORKFORCE

DECLINING SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATIONThe evaluation project found that internal organizational communication practices have been an increasing challenge among DS agencies in Ontario. As shown in Figure 31, satisfaction with organizational communication practices has declined since 2010. These trends reflect a variety of factors, as discussed on page 64, but the implications of ineffective communication practices present serious challenges to organizations and ultimately to the quality of services and supports.

FIGURE 31: Satisfaction with communication, 2010, 2012, and 2017

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2010 2012 2017

Satisfaction with communication is strongly linked with perceptions of organizational support, organizational commitment, workplace relations, and views on a wide range of HR practices. Similarly, over one third of survey respondents disagreed with the statement that “management shares important


Perspectives on Declining Satisfaction Ratings With CommunicationWhile many factors may have contributed to the declines in satisfaction rates with organizational communication, open-ended survey comments from the agency-based workforce and qualitative data from HR leaders suggest a few possible explanations.

First, many HR leaders have reported significant growth in the employee complement without corresponding growth in HR capacity. Satisfaction with communication in larger organizations has been found to be more challenging especially when the capacity for communication systems has not grown at the same pace as employment in the organization.

Second, organizational growth, combined with the volume of information everyone receives through smart phones, social media and other information platforms, may diminish perceptions of communication within organizations. Organizational growth may also explain the slight decline in satisfaction with supervisor relations. Supervisors with growing numbers of direct reports may experience declining relations with employees as a result.

Third, employment relations may impact perceptions of communication satisfaction. Feelings that “management shares important information with me about the organization,” were mixed and lower among more senior DSPs. Frustrations with wages or other aspects of the employment relationship may be reflected in satisfaction with communication.

Fourth, communication in organizations is a two-way dynamic. Most DSPs reported that they did not feel that if they had a suggestion on how to improve services their organization would implement their idea. The surveys revealed widespread feelings that the ideas and voices of DSPs are not heard in their organization.

Finally, as more communication shifts to electronic formats such as emails and text messages, the perceived quality of communication and relational interactions may diminish. Thus, while the volume of information shared may increase with electronic forms of communication, satisfaction of communication within the organization may still decrease.


information with me about the organization.” While a greater proportion of respondents agreed with that statement (44 per cent), this perception in the lack of information sharing undermines organizational trust and reduces organizational commitment.101

EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT AND PARTICIPATIVE CULTURESThe evaluation project also found that the DS agency-based workforce had serious concerns with the lack of participative cultures at DS agencies. More survey respondents (39.6 per cent) disagreed or strongly disagreed that their organization would implement good suggestions on how to improve services compared to survey respondents who agreed (31.4 per cent) with that survey question. Research has shown that employee involvement and participative cultures improve employee outcomes and ultimately the quality of service. “Greater DSW involvement in decision-making and care planning is associated with lower retention problems, fewer vacancies, and decreased turnover.”102

OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE ORGANIZATIONAL PRACTICES AND CULTURE

DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCIESOne consideration for sustaining efforts to improve HR practices and work experiences is to extend the concept of core competencies from the workforce to the agencies themselves. In the HR literature, the concept of competencies are not limited to individual staff members but is meant to be combined to form more effective organizations. The goal is to identify, define, and develop a set of competencies that are associated with organizations that excel in nurturing positive relationships, supporting professional practice, and delivering high-quality services and supports.

Many DS agencies in Ontario already engage in a form of organizational competencies development through accreditation bodies. Several common features of organizational competencies drawn from accreditation certifications and the broader HR literature include:

■ Continuous quality improvement and learning organization practices ■ Cultural competencies to support more diversity in the workforce ■ Effective use of technology, analytics, and evidence-based practices ■ High involvement work organization and open communication ■ Demonstrated leadership practices and effective management systems


ENSURE SUFFICIENT ADMINISTRATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE AND HR CAPACITYThe evaluation project found mixed perceptions regarding HR capacity in the sector. On one hand, most organizations and HR managers confirmed that the scope of responsibilities and workload of the HR function have increased substantially over the past decade. The survey findings indicated that organizations were increasing investments in the HR function. Ultimately, opinions of HR leaders were mixed with half reporting that the agency had sufficient capacity and half saying that their organization did not have sufficient capacity to manage and lead effectively.

There were no significant differences in the barriers to recruitment and retention faced by organizations with and without dedicated HR staff. While participation in the DSHR Strategy was significantly higher in organizations with dedicated HR staff, the most pronounced difference was related to the initiatives associated with the HR Best Practices committee. Having more capacity in the HR function facilitated more engagement with and implementation of the recommendations from the HR Best Practices committee.

FIGURE 32: Participation in DSHR Strategy by agency size

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igh

Small agencies(up to 100 sta�)

Medium-sized(101-250 sta�)

Medium-large (251 - 499 sta�)

Large agencies(500+ sta�)

The evaluation project found that many organizations may not have the resources to leverage technology to improve organizational practices. One important element of strategies for sustainability would be to coordinate efforts related to technology, especially expensive human resource information systems (HRIS). Leveraging HRIS and other technological platforms would increase capacity and improve efficiencies.


WORK EXPERIENCES AND THE DSHR STRATEGY

MEANINGFUL WORK AND A GOOD CAREER CHOICEThe vast majority of survey respondents, 95 per cent, agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “the work that I do is meaningful to me.” Engaging in work that is personally meaningful has positive impacts on the well-being and mental health of employees. In addition, more than 80 per cent of survey respondents agreed that working in the developmental services sector has been a good career choice for them. Only six per cent felt that working in the sector has not been a good career choice.

PARTICIPATION IN DSHR STRATEGY LINKED TO BETTER WORK EXPERIENCESAnalysis of the survey responses found that agency participation in the DSHR Strategy was linked to a range of better work experiences in the agency-based workforce (see Figure 33). Given the cross-sectional design of the research study, it is not possible to conclude that the Strategy alone created these developments, but the analysis found a clear and statistically significant linkage between participation in DSHR Strategy initiatives and the enhanced work experiences of individual survey respondents.


STRONG FOUNDATION OF PROFESSIONALS COMMITTED TO THE PEOPLE THEY SUPPORTConsistent with research on organizational culture, the foundation of strong workplace relationships and the workforce’s universal commitment to the mission, vision, and values of the developmental services sector was an essential factor in positive work experiences. This foundation reflects a variety of strategic HR practices, such as effective recruitment strategies to ensure employee fit, creating stronger feelings of organizational commitment and perceptions of organizational support.

> Work and career experiences

95%of the agency-based workforce find working in developmental services personally meaningful.


WORK AND CAREER CHALLENGES IN THE DS SECTOR

LACK OF FULL-TIME JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND EXTENSIVE MULTIPLE JOB HOLDINGBased on the analysis of the evaluation data, job quality concerns emerged as the single biggest threat to sustainability and continued advancement of workforce development in Ontario’s developmental services sector. Job quality concerns included the prevalence of part-time/casual work, the lack of full-time job opportunities, and the extensive practice of multiple job holding among DSPs in the sector.

The workforce survey measured three distinct forms of multiple jobs: working for another agency (15.2 per cent), working outside the sector (16.6 per cent), and working directly for family or person using Passport funds (23.9 per cent).

Participation in theDSHR Strategy was linked to more positive work experiences

Management shares important informationwith me about the organization.

I feel that senior management has the skills andcompetencies to meet the challenges facing the sector.

My organization is supporting me to develop the skills and competencies needed to meet increasingly complex support needs.

�ere is clarity for the skills and competencies neededfor progression through a variety of career paths.

Enhanced skills

Growth and learning

I feel my organization supports my learningon the job and growth in my career.

Clarity of skills needed

Information sharing

Leadership

FIGURE 33: DSHR Strategy impacts on DSP work experiences

78%of senior managers reported that the proportion of part-time to full-time jobs was a challenge at their agency.


These rates were higher among part-time (27 per cent) and casual (31 per cent) DSPs. The evaluation project provides the first insight into the growth of the informal labour market generated by direct funding policies.

FIGURE 34: Prevalence of multiple job holding among DSPs

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

Worked at more than one agency

Worked outside the sector

Worked directly for family/person

15.2%

16.6%

23.9%

These rates of multiple job holding in the developmental services sector in Ontario contrast sharply with rates for the broader Canadian workforce. The evaluation project found that nearly 42 per cent of DSPs reported holding at least two jobs. In 2017, Statistics Canada estimated that 5.6 per cent of the Canadian labour force held multiple jobs.103 In Ontario’s broader health and social services workforce, the rate of multiple job holding was 8.4 per cent.

FIGURE 35: Comparison of multiple job holding by sector

Single job holder

Multiple job holder

Ontario health & social services workforce Ontario developmental services workforce


COMPENSATION AND STAGNANT WAGESOver 500 survey comments by DSPs focused on compensation issues. Most notably, the effects of multiple years without pay increases fundamentally undermined efforts to promote the field as a professional career.

“The rate of pay has not kept up with other service agencies. This agency has given one raise in the last seven years [a one dollar increase] and that was almost three years ago, with no cost of living increase in the last seven years. That is a very long time to go with out any increase to your salary. We cannot retain staff because of this. I work as Coordinator and my workload has more than doubled in the years I have been in this role but there is no extra help assigned... I truly enjoy working with people with disabilities and it is because of this that I have never left but it is very disheartening to work without an increase to your wages for years on end. It does not attract new hires and it certainly does not retain them.” - DSP survey comment

Satisfaction with pay, perceptions of organizational support, and a variety of other important work experiences are negatively impacted by the lack of regular pay increases. Since DSP wages are largely set by government funding rates, the challenges associated with compensation are systemic issues, beyond the ability of individual agencies to resolve. DSPs are aware that the organization is dependent on increases in the base budget to provide pay increases, but the negative effects are still significant.

CHRONICALLY LOW SATISFACTION WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVANCEMENTA chronic challenge facing all human service organizations has been the lack of advancement and career growth opportunities.104 Satisfaction rates with opportunities for advancement for promotion have consistently been the lowest of all job satisfaction measures.105 The findings in Ontario are consistent with research in disability services organizations in other jurisdictions as well as research in the broader HR field.106

In 2017, respondents to the agency-based workforce survey gave satisfaction with advancement opportunities the lowest marks, lower than pay and benefits and much lower than overall satisfaction rates as shown in Figure 36.

31%of DSPs surveyed were satisfied with opportunities for advancement at their organization.


FIGURE 36: Satisfaction with career advancement opportunities, 2017

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There are two distinct characteristics to advancement and promotional opportunities discovered in the survey findings. First, at most agencies in Ontario, the shift from part-time to full-time constitutes a significant promotion. However, it may take years for part-time employees seeking a full-time job to secure that promotion. The average tenure for part-time employees was over nine years.

Second, the traditional form of hierarchical promotions from front-line staff to supervisor to manager have been very limited at DS agencies due to their relatively flat organizational structure. DS agencies in Ontario have extremely low administrative overhead and few managerial promotion opportunities. Therefore, it is not surprising to find low satisfaction with opportunities for advancement at DS agencies.

OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE WORK AND CAREER EXPERIENCES

JOB DESIGN REVIEWThe most serious challenge facing the DS agency-based workforce stem from the problems associated with the lack of full-time job opportunities. The prevalence of part-time work undermines the attraction of the sector and reduces entry to college DSW programs. The lack of full-time jobs presents a critical barrier to recruitment and is the primary factor driving high turnover rates. The prevalence of part-time and casual employment in the sector is a systemic


barrier that requires multi-stakeholder coordination and action.

STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT CAREER GROWTHStatistical analyses of the survey data found several factors that were linked to improving satisfaction with advancement opportunities and supporting career growth. Figure 37 presents findings from a regression analysis and lists only the factors that were found to be statistically significant. Clarity of skills and competences needed to succeed was the most important factor.

FIGURE 37: Strategies to support career growth and opportunities for advancement

What improves satisfaction with career growth and opportunities for advancement?

Recognition: Feeling recongized for great e�ort and good work was strongly linked to satisfaction with advancement opportunties (and was even more in�uential than pay).

Compensation: Satisfaction with pay and bene�ts matters when it comes to satisfaction with career growth and advancement opportunties. Feelings of professional growth were linked with compensation.

Organizational support for learning: Feelings of career growth satisfaction were linked with perceptions that the organization supports learning and promotes opportunities to enhance competencies.

�e evaluation project analyzed the survey data to test what factors were linked to satisfaction with advancement opportunties and feelings that quali�ed employees can progress through a variety of career pathways.

Clarity of skills and competencies needed: �e strongest factors linked to career growth satisfaction were perceptions that the skills and competencies needed to advance were clearly communicated.

Contributions to quality improvement: Employee involvement and feeling that the organization will act on ideas to improve services, were linked with satisfaction with career growth and advancement opportunities.


The evaluation project has found that the DSHR Strategy achieved substantial progress and positive outcomes in relation to its four primary objectives. Maintaining the DSHR Strategy over the full 10 year project has been a substantial achievement on its own. Systemic challenges, especially labour market and recruitment issues as well as the prevalence of part-time/casual work and multiple job holding, present substantial threats to the sustainability of workforce development and the provision of high quality services.

In other jurisdictions, such as Alberta and Manitoba, similar workforce development initiatives failed to make progress and were not sustained. In the US, organizations like the National Association of Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) and the University of Minnesota Research and Training Centre have a long track record of sustained advocacy for workforce development. However, progress in the US has been chronically undermined by the systemic problem of poverty–level wages for DSPs.

This final section considers key opportunities and strategies to sustain efforts to improve HR practices and enhance workforce development in the sector. While systemic issues are a major threat to sustainability, this section will focus on strategies that agencies have the power to implement with the goal of mitigating those threats. The section will also highlight some of the critical lessons learned over the past 10 years of the DSHR Strategy and how the lessons might inform future efforts to continue the progress on enhancing workforce development and improving HR practices.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO SUCCESS AND SUSTAINABILITY

PARTNERSHIP ESSENTIALParticipants and leaders in the DSHR Strategy consistently reported that the partnership between sector executives and ministry officials was a key factor in sustainability and success. In part, this was a function of individual leadership capabilities and personal characteristics. More generally, MCSS provided a level of stability in personnel assignments and its investment in the DSHR Strategy

> Sustaining efforts to enhance the workforce and improve HR practices


that created trust and resilience. For example, the lead senior policy analyst had a stable portfolio assignment to the DSHR Strategy for nearly eight years.

There was an equal measure of stability and leadership from sector executives. While HR managers played a critical role in the strategy overall, the active participation of executive directors and agency CEOs in the Strategy signaled commitment to the initiatives and support for the strategic role of HR at DS agencies. Sector executives and ministry officials invested the time and effort needed to establish a foundation of trust. Despite conflicts between DS agencies and the government funder on broader issues, leaders in the DSHR Strategy maintained a clear focus on initiatives to advance workplace development and enhance HR practices.

MINISTRY FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR WORKFORCE STRATEGIESGovernment financial support was an indispensable factor in the partnership and sustainability of the DSHR Strategy. Ministry leaders were able to effectively advocate for stable financial support for the strategy based on its ability to demonstrate effective outputs.

MCSS financial support provided the Strategy with two key elements of sustainability and success. First, the project coordinator position was critical to managing the work plans of the various DSHR Strategy subcommittees. Dozens of HR managers and sector executives volunteered to work on the subcommittees, and the project coordinator helped ensure that these volunteers had the necessary administrative support to move their work plans forward.

The other critical element enabled by MCSS financial support was the targeted funding of special initiatives such as the development of a model of core competencies for key positions in the sector and the workplace learning project. Individual agencies, and even the existing sector associations such as CLO and OASIS, do not have the resources or coordinating capacity to effectively manage these provincial initiatives.

CHALLENGES TO SUSTAINABILITY

Through interviews and surveys of HR managers and sector executives, the evaluation project identified several challenges to the sustainability and effectiveness of efforts to enhance HR practices and workforce development in Ontario’s DS sector. These challenges fell into two broad categories: communication and HR capacity.


COMMUNICATION AND INCLUSIVE STRATEGIESJust as communication within organizations appeared to have become more difficult, survey respondents and key informant interviews with HR leaders identified similar communication challenges between the DSHR Strategy and HR managers at local agencies. In part, HR managers reported that this was a reflection of their increased scope of responsibility and the sheer volume of communications that they had to manage. In this context, announcements and communications from the Strategy may have failed to reach their intended audience.

Some of the communication challenges were administrative in nature. Communication list serves send messages to the Executive Director at the agency who may not always forward those messages to their HR manager. At the same time, the DSHR Strategy had multiple initiatives active at any given time, potentially contributing to information overload.

Agencies in Ontario’s developmental services sector are very diverse, both culturally and in terms of HR practices and capacity. Sustaining efforts to improve workforce development and HR practices requires strategies that are sensitive to this diversity and the unique challenges faced by some agencies. Accessible initiatives that are sensitive to the unique cultures and varying capacities of DS agencies are important for sustaining workforce development strategies.

INCREASING WORKLOADS AND LOCAL HR CAPACITYAnother common theme expressed by some HR leaders and sector executives was a sense of being overwhelmed by the workload involved with the core competencies initiative. The evaluation project found a clear link between participation in the various DSHR Strategy initiatives and agency size. Over 10 per cent of the survey respondents reported that the organization did not have a manager dedicated to the HR function. Typically, the executive director at a small agency has to manage multiple portfolios including the human resource function at the organization.


FIGURE 38: The importance of sustaining the work of the DSHR Strategy by agency size

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Not important Somewhat important Very important

Large (500+ sta�)

Medium-large (251 - 500 sta�)

Mid-sized (101 - 250 sta�)

Small (1 - 100 sta�)

However, capacity and the ability to effectively manage HR were not simply functions of organizational size. Executives at smaller organizations often enjoyed more direct contact with DSPs and felt that they had effective HR policies and procedures in place. Several HR leaders and executives at larger organizations reported that they were simply overwhelmed by the work involved in implementing core competencies. For most organizations, the implementation of core competencies reflected a much larger organizational change project. HR managers who may have already felt stretched thin could not take on this extra work.

Regardless of the reasons why individual agencies may not have fully implemented core competencies, the centrality of the core competencies model to other initiatives in the DSHR Strategy may have contributed to a perception of insider/outsider dynamics in the sector. Those agencies that had fully implemented core competencies were the insiders, while those not fully on the program may have felt like outsiders to the DSHR Strategy. Sustainability strategies will have to consider how to effectively maintain engagement and support organizational change practices while mitigating the challenges of overwhelming workloads.

OPPORTUNITIES AND STRATEGIES TO SUSTAIN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

JOB DESIGN AND CAREER GROWTH STRATEGIESJob design issues and the challenges of multiple job holding in the sector are systemic problems that can be mitigated by multi-stakeholder strategic


interventions. The most pressing challenge facing the DS sector in terms of recruitment, retention, service quality, and workforce development is the prevalence of part-time/casual employment. HR leaders have identified the lack of full-time job opportunities as a critical barrier to recruitment and retention. The prevalence of part-time jobs and multiple job holding has created a negative employment brand that limits attraction to DSW programs and ntry into the developmental services field as a career of choice. According to survey responses, part-time and casual DSPs love the work but are unable to turn it into a career without taking on multiple jobs and foregoing access to benefits.

Not all part-time employees want to work full-time. Flexibility is one factor researchers found to be important to retention for many DSPs. However, based on the estimates of the proportion of involuntary part-time workers, as high as 50 per cent according to MTCU survey estimates, this could mean that as many as 30 per cent of the entire DSP workforce is working part-time when they want full-time work. Turnover rates for part-time and casual employees will remain high unless and until this challenge is effectively addressed.

Creating more full-time job opportunities is one way of improving advancement and career growth opportunities in the sector. Most models of career growth are still dominated by the traditional, hierarchical steps from front-line worker to supervisor to manager. Examples from other jurisdictions highlight opportunities to create professional growth trajectories focused on specialized aspects of DSP work.

It is important to distinguish career pathways in the DS sector from models in the healthcare sector. Specialized credentials should not lead to the occupational silos that were more common in the institutional model of custodial care. Rather, specialized credentials may be designed to provide enhanced resources to coworkers and people supported rather than create an occupational niche that is isolated from the rest of the organization. The Specialist certifications of the NADSP provide one example for consideration of how career growth is possible through models not limited to the traditional hierarchical pathways.107

STAKEHOLDER NETWORKS AND COLLABORATIONOne of the primary lessons from the past 10 years of the DSHR Strategy has been the importance of stakeholder networks and collaboration. Among HR leaders at DS agencies, the annual HR Forum has become an important professional development opportunity and practical information sharing event. Sustaining workforce development and HR strategies should consider ways to leverage, maintain, and expand this critical factor for success.


First, there are incentives to continue expanding the inclusion of key stakeholders in Ontario’s developmental services sector. The DSHR Strategy invested in the relationship with the college sector and expanded committee membership to include representative faculty from college programs. MCSS has also worked to expand participation beyond the policy branch to engage other divisions within the ministry. Building on this, there may be opportunities to include family groups or people supported, especially given the growth of a directly hired workforce.

Engaging with workforce development boards at the provincial level through organizations such as the Ontario Centre for Workforce Innovation, or at the local level with regional workforce development boards, may leverage broader resources for workforce development initiatives. Expanding connections within the developmental services branch and other areas of the ministry and reaching out to other ministries as appropriate may also contribute to the benefits of broader networking.

Second, as the evaluation project learned from the examples in Alberta and the United States, sustainability depends upon some level of government funding. Agency associations in the sector simply do not have the capacity or mandate to undertake these initiatives. More importantly, the partnership between government and DS agencies was found to be an indispensable ingredient for sustainability and success. Without the funding to support a project coordinator and a limited number of key provincial initiatives, it is unlikely that agencies in the sector would be able to sustain broader workforce development strategies.

Third, launching and sustaining a 10–year strategic initiative demonstrated that pursuing long-term strategies is possible, even in the context of pressing short-term needs. In contrast to the 2007 Deloitte recommendations that redesigning jobs in the sector could be a “quick hit,” stakeholders should anticipate a longer term strategy to address the systemic issue of part-time work and strategically shift towards more full-time job opportunities. These opportunities may reflect a very different type of work arrangement in which the “employer of record” is not a single family or agency, but through which DSPs have the stability of full-time hours and the sector has a more stable workforce.

Likewise, promoting awareness of DSP careers and increasing enrollments in DSW college programs may require investments in longer-term strategies. Sustaining initiatives to work with local workforce development boards and coordinating efforts to promote these careers through high school counselors may require provincially coordinated strategies.


Finally, agency leaders, ministry officials, families and people using Passport funding to purchase services and supports directly will need to work together to maximize opportunities and mitigate challenges related to the directly hired workforce and future initiatives. Given the growth of the directly hired workforce, the overlap of this workforce with the agency-based workforce, and the threat of problems associated with informal labour markets, sustainability requires a comprehensive approach to the entire DS sector workforce.

A multi-stakeholder approach is critical given the systemic challenges with informal labour markets and the emerging importance of this segment of the workforce. There are a variety of options based upon experiences from other industries in Ontario and other jurisdictions around the globe. These strategies might include a voluntary credentialing program as seen in New York State, a formal registry as developed in Washington State, or initiatives similar to those considered in Ontario’s home care sector. Sustainably including this increasingly important segment of the DS workforce requires a coordinated strategy involving multiple stakeholders.

SHARING EFFECTIVE PRACTICES AND CONCRETE TOOLSAnother important lesson on sustainability from the past 10 years has been that any future strategy needs to continuously prove its value and relevance to HR leaders in the sector. Sensitivity is needed to engage agencies wherever they are at in terms of HR capacity and sophistication. Another consideration is how to support agencies that are already working hard on HR issues and service quality improvements to take on new strategic initiatives without being overwhelmed. Sustainability may require more attention to the challenges of organizational change associated with the adoption of core competencies.

At the same time that sustainability strategies target the big picture challenges of changes in the sector and job redesign, it is important not to lose sight of the value of concrete and practical tools for busy HR managers. This could include networks to facilitate information sharing of effective practices and model policies. Importantly, a provincially coordinated strategy should identify gaps in HR tools and resources that might be difficult to develop on an individual level or have not already been addressed by one of the provincial associations. The role of peer-based training and mentorship in the DSHR Strategy provides a model for sustaining efforts to advance workforce development and HR practices. The peer networks of HR leaders that were central to the effectiveness of the DSHR Strategy, provide an infrastructure to sustain these efforts going forward.


MONITORING, DATA COLLECTION, AND EVALUATIONNearly every initiative by the DSHR Strategy involved some form of data collection, problem analysis, and evaluation. For example, the HR metrics initiative started with a survey of current practice and experience with technology and human resource information systems. Based on the survey feedback, the HR Metrics project worked to create a toolkit and provide training to promote effective use of HR analytics among DS agencies. One objective of the coordinated toolkits would allow stakeholders to track a common set of key indicators, such as turnover, which could be monitored and serve as important benchmark information on HR issues in the sector. The use of evidence-based practices and principles would provide a solid foundation for sustaining efforts to advance workforce development and enhance HR practices in the sector.

Those developing sustainability strategies may consider ways to formalize monitoring, data collection, and evaluation. This is especially important in the context of continuing changes in the sector. For example, changes in the profiles of people supported may increase the importance of competencies not currently included in the core competencies model.


Developmental Service (DS) Agency

MCCSS funds some 380 entities in Ontario to provide a variety of developmental services and supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Ontario. The term DS agency refers to a subset of these entities, often nonprofit and charitable corporations, whose primary mission is to provide residential, community, and employment supports to people with disabilities.

Behaviour-based interviews

Behaviour–based interviews (BBI), involve structured and situational selection practices as part of the screening and hiring process. Typically, candidates will be presented with a situation and asked how they would respond or recount a situation in which they demonstrated a specific competency. HR managers would typically score the responses against a standardized form to evaluate the level of competency demonstrated by each candidate.

Burnout

A measurement of the psychological state of emotional exhaustion, burnout is thought to occur as a result of the cumulative effects of workplace and other stressors. Burnout among health and social service workers has long been a concern of researchers.

De-institutionalization

De-institutionalization reflects efforts by families and people with disabilities to change public policy towards people with disabilities. De-institutionalization activists work to transform the system of services from institution-based to community-based. Ultimately, de-institutionalization is the effort to ensure that people with disabilities can live, work, play and succeed within their communities.

Developmental services (DS)

In Ontario, the system of services and supports for people with intellectual

> Glossary


and developmental disabilities is called developmental services. In other jurisdictions, the same set of services and supports might be labelled learning disability services (UK), long-term services and supports (US), or more generically, disability services.

Direct funding

Direct funding is a public policy model that moves funding from block grants to agencies providing services, instead directing it to individual consumers who subsequently purchase services from providers or individuals. In Ontario, the primary public policy program for direct funding of developmental services is known as Passport.

Direct Support Professional

Staff who provide direct service to people with developmental disabilities are increasingly referred to as direct support professionals. This distinguishes DSPs from other occupations such as home care aides, personal support workers, or other direct care staff in health and human services.

Informal labour markets

Informal labour markets typically occur outside of the regulatory framework for employment relations. The direct purchase of developmental services by families or other caregiving groups typically does not involve an employment contract. When service contracts do exist they may designate the worker as an independent contractor.

Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services

In June 2018, the Ministry of Community and Social Services merged with other areas of the provincial government to form the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. The DSHR Strategy Evaluation Project reports reference the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) to reflect the ministerial structure involved in the DSHR Strategy during the period under evaluation. Throughout the entire period of the DSHR Strategy under consideration, MCSS was the provincial partner and the ministry responsible for developmental services in Ontario. Developmental services, and the initiatives associated with continuing workforce develop strategies, are now managed under the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.


Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS)

The programs of the Ministry of Community and Social Services (recently renamed the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services) help to build communities that are resilient, inclusive and sustained by the economic and civic contributions of all Ontarians. The ministry’s major programs are: Social Assistance (Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program), Community and Developmental Services, The Family Responsibility Office, and Ontario’s Strategy to End Human Trafficking.

Passport funding

Passport is the primary program for direct funding in Ontario’s developmental services system.

Recruitment

Recruitment is an interconnected set of human resource activities designed to attract and select workers.

Retention

Retention refers to the processes and outcomes related to efforts by HR professionals to keep staff committed and employed at their organization.

Specialized Professional

Specialized professionals are distinguished from DSPs by providing their provision of expertise in a variety of clinical support functions. Specialized professionals typically coach and work with DSPs to provide enhanced clinical services.

Succession planning

Succession planning comprises policies and procedures that organizations can implement to manage executive transitions or other changes to key personnel.

Training

This evaluation project refers to training as it relates specifically to the post–employment training of existing staff. This includes formal training, and workshop type learnings, as well as informal teaching, such as coaching or other


forms of on-the-job training.

Transformation of services and supports

Transformation refers to a long running policy initiative in Ontario to shift developmental services from government run institutions to an accessible network of community-based services and supports.

Turnover

Turnover measures the rate of separations from an organization. The formula for this measurement is the raw number of separations over the total headcount for the organization in a specific period of time.

Workforce development

This evaluation project constrains the definition of workforce development to educational and other forms of preparation, such as apprenticeship programs, designed to prepare people for work.

Workplace learning

Workplace learning generally refers to organizations that have adapted a multi–pronged approach to training and development. Often workplace learning is associated with evidence-based practices and efforts to promote continuous quality improvement.


BBI Behaviour-based interview

CARF Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities

CLO Community Living Ontario

CQL Council on Quality Leadership

CUPE Canadian Union of Public Employees

DS Developmental services

DSHR Developmental services human resource strategy

DSP Direct support professional

DSW Developmental services worker

EA Educational assistant

FOCUS The FOCUS Quality Improvement and Accreditation Program

IDD Intellectual and developmental disabilities

MCCSS Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services

MCSS Ministry of Community and Social Services (now part of MCCSS)

OASIS Ontario Agencies Supporting Individuals with Special Needs

OPSEU Ontario Public Service Employees Union

PSW Personal Support Worker

SEIU Service Employees International Union

TPA Transfer payment agency

> Frequently used acronyms


Endnotes1 W. H. E. Buntinx, “Professional Supports for Persons with Intellectual Disability: Products or

Relationships?,” Journal of Intellectual Disability Research 48 (2004); Carli Friedman, “Direct Support Professionals and Quality of Life of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities,” Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 56, no. 4 (2018); Amy Hewitt, “Presidential Address, 2014—Embracing Complexity: Community Inclusion, Participation, and Citizenship,” ibid.52 (2014).

2 In June 2018, the Ministry of Community and Social Services merged with other areas of the provincial government to form the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. The DSHR Strategy Evaluation Project reports reference the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) to reflect the ministerial structure involved in the DSHR Strategy during the period under evaluation. Throughout the entire period of the DSHR Strategy under consideration, MCSS was the provincial partner and the ministry responsible for developmental services in Ontario. Developmental services, and the initiatives associated with continuing workforce develop strategies, are now managed under the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.

3 Developmental Services Ontario, “The Ongoing Transformation of Developmental Services in Ontario,” (2016); MCSS, “Transforming Developmental Services in Ontario,” Ministry of Community and Social Services, https://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/developmental/improving/index.aspx.

4 President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, “Report to the President 2017: America’s Direct Support Workforce Crisis,” (2017).

5 Ibid, p, 8.

6 Chaykowski, Richard P. “Labour Market Context and Future Propospects in Ontario’s Developmental Services Sector.” DSHR Strategy Evaluation Project. Kingston, ON: Queen’s University Employment Relations Program, 2018.

7 Amy Hewitt and Sheryl Larson, “The Direct Support Workforce in Community Supports to Individuals with Developmental Disabilities: Issues, Implications, and Promising Pactices,” Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews 13, no. 2 (2007); Marianne Taylor, Valerie Bradley, and Ralph Warren, eds., The Community Support Skills Standards: Tools for Managing Changes and Achieving Outcomes (Washington DC: Human services Research Institute, 1996).

8 Friedman, “Direct Support Professionals and Quality of Life of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.” (2018).

9 Deloitte, “Improving Training, Recruitment, and Retention in Ontario’s Developmental Services Sector,” (Toronto: Ministry of Community and Social Services, 2007).

> Notes


10 Expert Panel on Training, “Expert Panel on Training Final Report,” (Toronto, 2008).

11 President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, “Report to the President 2017: America’s Direct Support Workforce Crisis,” (2017)

12 MCSS, “Opportunties and Action: Transforming Supports in Ontairo for People Who Have Developmental Disability,” (Toronto: Ministry of Community and Social Services, , 2006).

13 Ontario College of Trades, “Trades in Ontario,” http://www.collegeoftrades.ca/trades-in-ontario. (Accessed September, 2018)

14 Robert Hickey, Anna Fields, and Emilio Frometa, “Agency-Based Workforce Survey Results: Work and Career Experiences in Ontario’s Developmental Services Sector,” in Developmental Services Human Resource Strategy Evaluation Project (Kingston: Queen’s University, Employment Relations Unit, 2018).

15 In the US, a “college degree” typically does not distinguish between a college diploma (often referred to as an associate’s degree) and a university degree. Amy Hewitt, Sheryl Larson, and Steve Edelstein, “A Synthesis of Direct Service Workforce Demographics and Challenges across Intellectual/ Developmental Disabilities, Aging, Physical Disabilities, and Behavioral Health,” (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Research and Training Center on Community Living, 2008).

16 Doreen Hogarth, “Current Post-Secondary Programs and Recent Closures,” (Alberta Council of Disability Services, 2014).

17 Robert Hickey, Anna Fields, and Emilio Frometa, “Survey Results of Hr Leaders and Sector Executives: Stakeholder Feedback on Hr Practices and the Dshr Strategy,” in Developmental Services Human Resource Strategy Evaluation Project (Kingston, ON: Queen’s University Employment Relations Unit, 2018).

18 Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities, “Development Services Worker Program Standard,” ed. Program Standards and Evaluation Unit Programs Branch (Toronto: Government of Ontario, 2012). P. 4.

19 Deloitte, “Improving Training, Recruitment, and Retention in Ontario’s Developmental Services Sector,” (Toronto: Ministry of Community and Social Services, 2007).

20 Data from the MTCU survey results from Ontario’s Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology. Employment rates for educational assistants varied across the years surveyed, from a low of 75-80% in 2012-2013, to a high of 95-100% in 2015-2016.

21 Data on DSW graduate employment outcomes are available at https://www.app.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/labourmarket/employmentprofiles/compare.asp from the Ontario Graduate Outcome Survey of the Ontario’s Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology. (Accessed September, 2018).

22 Interview with DSW college program faculty member and administrator.

23 Rebecca Casey, “Burnout for Developmental Services Workers,” McGill Sociological Review 2 (2011); Christine Kelly, “Exploring Experiences of Personal Support Worker Education in Ontario, Canada,” Health & Social Care in the Community 25, no. 4 (2017)

24 It is important to note that the estimates based on the agency-based workforce survey under-represent the


estimated number of part-time, agency-based DSPs. Therefore, the estimates may under count the number of years it may take an average DSP to secure a full-time job offer.

25 Andrew Fields, Emmanuelle Bourbeau, and Martha Patterson, “Annual Review of the Labour Market, 2017,” ed. Labour Statistics Division (Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2018).

26 J. Lord and P. Hutchison, “Individualised Support and Funding: Building Blocks for Capacity Building and Inclusion,” Disability & Society 18, no. 1 (2003); T. Stainton and S. Boyce, “’I Have Got My Life Back’: Users’ Experience of Direct Payments,” ibid.19, no. 5 (2004).

27 M. P. DeCarlo et al., “Implementation of Self-Directed Supports for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the United States,” Journal of Disability Policy Studies (2016).

28 Joseph Courtney and Robert Hickey, “Street-Level Advocates: Developmental Service Workers Confront Austerity in Ontario,” Labour / Le Travail 77 (2016); Charlotte Pearson and Julie Ridley, “Is Personalization the Right Plan at the Wrong Time? Re-Thinking Cash-for-Care in an Age of Austerity,” Social Policy & Administration (2016).

29 Fiona Macdonald and Sara Charlesworth, “Cash for Care under the NDIS: Shaping Care Workers’ Working Conditions?,” Journal of Industrial Relations 58, no. 5 (2016).

30 Marianne Taylor et al., “Career Pathmaker: A Toolkit for Entering Career in Human Services and Health Care.,” news release, 1997, https://www.hsri.org/publication/career-pathmaker. (1997).

31 Amy Hewitt and K. Charlie Lakin, “Issues in the Direct Support Workforce and Their Connections to the Growth, Sustainability and Quality of Community Supports,” (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2001).

32 Hewitt and Larson, “The Direct Support Workforce in Community Supports to Individuals with Developmental Disabilities: Issues, Implications, and Promising Pactices.” (2007).

33 Hewitt, Larson, and Edelstein, “A Synthesis of Direct Service Workforce Demographics and Challenges across Intellectual/ Developmental Disabilities, Aging, Physical Disabilities, and Behavioral Health.” (2008).

34 Hickey, Fields, and Frometa, “Agency-Based Workforce Survey Results: Work and Career Experiences in Ontario’s Developmental Services Sector.” (2018).

35 Vickie Choitz, Matt Helmer, and Maureen Conway, “Improving Jobs to Improve Care: The Seiu Healthcare Nw Training Partnership,” (Washington DC: Skill Up Washington, Workforce Strategies Initiative at The Aspen Institute, 2015).

36 Sheryl Larson and Amy Hewitt, Staff Recruitment, Retention and Training Strategies for Community Human Services Organizations (Minnesota: University of Minnesota, Research and Training Center on Community Living, 2005); Ann Marie Ryan and Nancy T Tippins, “Attracting and Selecting: What Psychological Research Tells Us,” Human Resource Management 43, no. 4 (2004); Willi H Wiesner and Steven F Cronshaw, “A Meta‐Analytic Investigation of the Impact of Interview Format and Degree of Structure on the Validity of the Employment Interview,” Journal of Occupational and Organizational


Psychology 61, no. 4 (1988).

37 Hickey, Fields, and Frometa, “Survey Results of HR Leaders and Sector Executives: Stakeholder Feedback on HR Practices and the DSHR Strategy.” (2018).

38 Richard P. Chaykowski, “Labour Market Context and Future Prospects in Ontario’s Developmental Services Sector,” in DSHR Strategy Evaluation Project (Kingston, ON: Queen’s University Employment Relations Program, 2018).



41 J. M. Hensel, Y. Lunsky, and C. S. Dewa, “Exposure to Client Aggression and Burnout among Community Staff Who Support Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in Ontario, Canada,” Journal of Intellectual Disability Research 56, no. 9 (2012).

42 David R Earnest, David G Allen, and Ronald S Landis, “Mechanisms Linking Realistic Job Previews with Turnover: A Meta‐Analytic Path Analysis,” Personnel Psychology 64, no. 4 (2011); Larson and Hewitt, Staff Recruitment, Retention and Training Strategies for Community Human Services Organizations. (2005).

43 Larson, Sheryl, and Amy Hewitt. “Recruiting Direct Support Professionals.” In Staff Recruitment, Retention and Training Strategies for Community Human Services Organizations, edited by Sheryl Larson and Amy Hewitt, 21-46. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Research and Training Center on Community Living, 2005.

44 D. Hiersteiner, “National Core Indicators: 2016 Staff Stability Survey Report,” (Cambridge: The National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services and the Human Services Research Institute, 2018).

45 Skills for Care, “The Adult Social Care Workforce Supporting People with Learning Disabilities and/or Autism,” (Leeds, 2016).

46 Matthew Bogenschutz, Derek Nord, and Amy Hewitt, “Competency-Based Training and Worker Turnover in Community Supports for People with IDD: Results from a Group Randomized Controlled Study,” Intellectual and developmental disabilities 53, no. 3 (2015); Hewitt and Lakin, “Issues in the Direct Support Workforce and Their Connections to the Growth, Sustainability and Quality of Community Supports.”; Heather Micke, “Causes and Solutions for High Direct Care Staff Turnover” (St. Catherine University, 2015)

47 Sheryl Larson et al., Staff Recruitment and Retention : Study Results and Intervention Strategies (Washington, DC: American Association on Mental Retardation, 1998); Song Li, “Direct Care Personnel Recruitment, Retention, and Orientation,” (Community-University Institute for Social Research, 2004).

48 John M. Keesler, “An Evaluation of Individual and Organizational Factors in Predicting Professional Quality of Life among Direct Support Professionals in Intellectual/Developmental Disability Services”


(Ph.D., State University of New York at Buffalo, 2016); Teri Krakovich, “A Mixed Methods Study Examining the Factors Associated with Retention in Direct Support Professionals” (Ph.D., Purdue University, 2017); Larson and Hewitt, Staff Recruitment, Retention and Training Strategies for Community Human Services Organizations; Carol Britton Laws, “Credentialing as a Predictor of Staff Retention in Supports for Aging Adults with Developmental Disabilities” (University of Georgia, 2012); Michelle Lincoln et al., “Recruitment and Retention of Allied Health Professionals in the Disability Sector in Rural and Remote New South Wales, Australia,” Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability 39, no. 1 (2014); Candice Schultheis and Edward Jennings, “Strategies to Improve Recruitment, Retention, and Development of Direct Support Workers,” (Kentucky Council on Developmental Disabilities, 2010).

49 Deloitte, “Improving Training, Recruitment, and Retention in Ontario’s Developmental Services Sector.” (2007).

50 HR Reporter, “Canada Ranks 4th Globally for Highest Employee Turnover,” HR Reporter2018; Mercer, “North American Employee Turnover: Trends and Effects,” in North America Mercer Turnover Survey, ed. iMercer.com (2018).

51 Gordon Robertson, “Absenteeism and Labour Turnover in Selected Ontario Industries,” Relations Industrielles 34, no. 1 (1979).

52 TMSP, “Talent Management and Succession Planning Survey Summary,” (Toronto: DSHR Strategy, 2014).

53 Thomas H. Adams, The Nonprofit Leadership Transition and Development Guide : Proven Paths for Leaders and Organizations, 1st ed. (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass : Transition Guides, 2010).

54 Bogenschutz, Nord, and Hewitt, “Competency-Based Training and Worker Turnover in Community Supports for People with IDD: Results from a Group Randomized Controlled Study.”; Amy Hewitt, “National Voluntary Credentialing for Direct Service Workers,” Policy Research Brief 8, no. 2 (1996); Sheryl Larson, K Charlie Lakin, and Amy Hewitt, “Direct Support Professionals: 1975–2000,” Embarking on a new century (2002).


56 HR Director email correspondence with the author. (2018).

57 ANCOR, “Addressing the Disability Services Workforce Drisis of the 21st Centruty,” (American Network of Community Options and Resources, 2017).

58 Sheryl Larson and Amy Hewitt, “Recruitment, Retention,and Training Challenges in Community Health Services: A Review of the Literature,” in Staff Recruitment, Retention, and Training Strategies for Community Health Service Organizations, ed. Sheryl Larson and Amy Hewitt (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Research and Training Center on Community Living, 2005).


60 K. Mascha, “Staff Morale in Day Care Centres for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities,” Journal of Applied


Research in Intellectual Disabilities 20, no. 3 (2007). Mascha found similar levels of job satisfaction across the same domains reported here.

61 Larson et al., Staff Recruitment and Retention : Study Results and Intervention Strategies. (2005).

62 V. Mittal, J. Rosen, and C. Leana, “A Dual-Driver Model of Retention and Turnover in the Direct Care Workforce,” Gerontologist 49, no. 5 (2009).

63 Sheryl Larson and K Charlie Lakin, “A Longitudinal Study of Turnover among Newly Hired Residential Direct Support Workers in Small Community Homes Serving People with Developmental Disabilities: Summary Report, Report 50,” (1997).

64 Hewitt, Larson, and Edelstein, “A Synthesis of Direct Service Workforce Demographics and Challenges across Intellectual/ Developmental Disabilities, Aging, Physical Disabilities, and Behavioral Health.”; Amy Hewitt et al., “Role and Essential Competencies of the Frontline Supervisors of Direct Support Professionals in Community Services,” Mental Retardation 42, no. 2 (2004); Sheryl Larson et al., “Critical Competencies and Priority Training Needs for Frontline Supervisors,” Journal of Intellectual Disability Research 52, no. 8 (2008).

65 ANCOR, “Addressing the Disability Services Workforce Drisis of the 21st Centruty.”; Bernadette Wright, “Strategies for Improving Dsw Recruitment, Retention, and Quality: What We Know About What Works, What Doesn’t, and Research Gaps,” (Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, The Lewin Group, 2009).

66 Deloitte, “Improving Training, Recruitment, and Retention in Ontario’s Developmental Services Sector.” (2007). p. 30.


68 Elaine C. Berkery, Siobhan D. Tiernan, and Claire Armstrong, “High Performance Work Systems in the Intellectual Disability Care Sector in Ireland: An Exploratory Study at Organisational Level,” International Business Research 2, no. 2 (2009); P. Boxall and K. Macky, “Research and Theory on High-Performance Work Systems: Progressing the High-Involvement Stream,” Human Resource Management Journal 19, no. 1 (2009).

69 Hewitt, Larson, and Edelstein, “A Synthesis of Direct Service Workforce Demographics and Challenges across Intellectual/ Developmental Disabilities, Aging, Physical Disabilities, and Behavioral Health.” (2008). p. 23

70 The evaluation project conducted regression analyses on the factors associated with perceived organizational support (POS). The items listed in the graphic were variables found to have a positive and statistically significant association with the dependent variable POS. The analytical model was robust, with an adjusted R2 of .79. Full model specifications and results are available upon request.

71 Linda Rhoades and Robert Eisenberger, “Perceived Organizational Support: A Review of the Literature,” Journal of Applied Psychology 87, no. 4 (2002).

72 Margaret Raustalia et al., “Supporting People with Developmental Disabilieis: The Impact of Low Wages


and the Minimum Wage Debate on the Direct Support Professionals Workforce,” (New York: The Alliance of Long Island Agencies for Persons with Developmental Disabilities, Ceregral Palsy Association of New York State, Development Disabilities Alliance of WNY, NYSACRA, NYSARC, 2015).

73 Taylor, Bradley, and Warren, The Community Support Skills Standards: Tools for Managing Changes and Achieving Outcomes. (1996).


75 Amy Hewitt et al., “Implementing Direct Support Professional Credentialing in New York: Technical Report,” (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Research and Training Center on Community Living: University of Minnesota, Research and Training Center on Community Living, 2015).


77 Bogenschutz, Nord, and Hewitt, “Competency-Based Training and Worker Turnover in Community Supports for People with Idd: Results from a Group Randomized Controlled Study.” (2015).

78 Casey, “Burnout for Developmental Services Workers.” (2011).

79 Deloitte, “Improving Training, Recruitment, and Retention in Ontario’s Developmental Services Sector.” (2007).



82 Genevieve Johnsson et al., “A Systematic Review of Technology-Delivered Disability Training and Support for Service Providers: Implications for Rural and Remote Communities,” Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 3, no. 4 (2016).

83 In Ontario, most training requirements are outlined in the set of regulatory review standards, the Quality Assurance Measures (QAM). Mandatory training includes a variety of policies and procedures which include training on health and safety, first aid, and general HR practices. These regulations are associated with the Services and Supports to Promote the Social Inclusion of Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, 2008 and can be found at the following website - https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/100299.

84 Larson and Hewitt, “Recruitment, Retention, and Training Challenges in Community Health Services: A Review of the Literature.” (2005).

85 Taylor, Bradley, and Warren, The Community Support Skills Standards: Tools for Managing Changes and Achieving Outcomes. (1996).


86 Thomas H. Adams, The Nonprofit Leadership Transition and Development Guide: Proven Paths for Leaders and Organizations, 1st ed. (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass : TransitionGuides, 2010).

87 J. Beadle‐Brown, C. Bigby, and E. Bould, “Observing Practice Leadership in Intellectual and Developmental Disability Services,” Journal of Intellectual Disability Research 59, no. 12 (2015); Peter; Arundel Clutterbuck, Caryl, “Leading Our Future: Leadership Competencies in Ontario’s Nonprofit Sector,” (Toronto, 2017).

88 Robert L. Schalock and Alonso Verdugo, A Leadership Guide for Today’s Disabilities Organizations : Overcoming Challenges and Making Change Happen (Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2012).

89 The correlation between the level of agency participation in the DSHR Strategy and feelings that senior management has the skills and competencies to meet the challenges facing the sector was significant at the o.o1 level (2-tailed). However, the Pearson correlation coefficient was modest, .112.

90 Foresight Management Consulting, “Talent Management and Succession Planning Leadership Project.” June 15, 2017.

91 Forsyth, Janice. “Provincial Network on Developmental Services Manager / Supervisor Training and Development Project Final Report.” Middle Management Task Group. Foresight Management Consulting. December 8, 2016.

92 Forsyth, Janice. “Talent Management and Succession Planning Executive Leadership Project.” Foresight Management Consulting. June 15, 2017.

93 J. Devereux, R. Hastings, and S. Noone, “Staff Stress and Burnout in Intellectual Disability Services: Work Stress Theory and Its Application,” Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities 22, no. 6 (2009); R. P. Hastings, “Do Challenging Behaviors Affect Staff Psychological Well-Being? Issues of Causality and Mechanism,” American Journal on Mental Retardation 107, no. 6 (2002); Chris Hatton et al., “Stressors, Coping Strategies and Stress-Related Outcomes among Direct Care Staff in Staffed Houses for People with Learning Disabilities,” Mental Handicap Research 8, no. 4 (1995).

94 Chris Hatton and Fiona Lobban, “Staff Supporting People with Intellectual Disabilities and Mental Health Problems,” in Psychiatric and Behavioural Disorders in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (2nd Ed.), ed. Nick Bouras and Geraldine Holt (New York, NY, US: Cambridge University Press; US, 2007); John Rose et al., “Reciprocity and Burnout in Direct Care Staff,” Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy 17, no. 6 (2010).

95 Krakovich, “A Mixed Methods Study Examining the Factors Associated with Retention in Direct Support Professionals.” (2017).

96 Hewitt, Larson, and Edelstein, “A Synthesis of Direct Service Workforce Demographics and Challenges across Intellectual/ Developmental Disabilities, Aging, Physical Disabilities, and Behavioral Health.”

97 ibid.

98 Robert Eisenberger et al., “Perceived Supervisor Support: Contributions to Perceived Organizational Support and Employee Retention,” Journal of Applied Psychology 87, no. 3 (2002); J. A. Gray-Stanley


et al., “Work Stress and Depression among Direct Support Professionals: The Role of Work Support and Locus of Control,” Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. 54, no. 8 (2010); Katrina Radford and Geoffrey Chapman, “Are All Workers Influenced to Stay by Similar Factors, or Should Different Retention Strategies Be Implemented?: Comparing Younger and Older Aged-Care Workers in Australia,” Australian Bulletin of Labour 41, no. 1 (2015); Kathleen L. Stiffler, “Direct Support Staff Perceptions of Frontline Supervisor’s Skills: Correlation with Organizational Commitment and Intent to Leave” (Ph.D., Capella University, 2007); M. V. Vassos and K. L. Nankervis, “Investigating the Importance of Various Individual, Interpersonal, Organisational and Demographic Variables When Predicting Job Burnout in Disability Support Workers,” Research in Developmental Disabilities 33, no. 6 (2012).

99 Wright, “Strategies for Improving DSW Recruitment, Retention, and Quality: What We Know About What Works, What Doesn’t, and Research Gaps.” (2009).


101 Robert Hickey, “Core Competencies Pilot Evaluation: Initial Report,” (Kingston: Queen’s University, 2010).


103 Fields, Bourbeau, and Patterson, “Annual Review of the Labour Market, 2017.”

104 Krakovich, “A Mixed Methods Study Examining the Factors Associated with Retention in Direct Support Professionals.”; Lincoln et al., “Recruitment and Retention of Allied Health Professionals in the Disability Sector in Rural and Remote New South Wales, Australia.” (2014).


106 H. Jack et al., “Recruitment and Retention of Mental Health Workers in Ghana,” PLOS ONE 8, no. 2 (2013); Larson et al., Staff Recruitment and Retention : Study Results and Intervention Strategies. (2005).

107 NADSP, “DSP-Specialist Certification”. (2018).


Adams, Thomas H. The Nonprofit Leadership Transition and Development Guide : Proven Paths for Leaders and Organizations. 1st ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass : Transition Guides, 2010.

ANCOR. “Addressing the Disability Services Workforce Drisis of the 21st Centruty.” American Network of Community Options and Resources, 2017.

Beadle‐Brown, J., C. Bigby, and E. Bould. “Observing Practice Leadership in Intellectual and Developmental Disability Services.” Journal of Intellectual Disability Research 59, no. 12 (2015): 1081-93.

Berkery, Elaine C., Siobhan D. Tiernan, and Claire Armstrong. “High Performance Work Systems in the Intellectual Disability Care Sector in Ireland: An Exploratory Study at Organisational Level.” International Business Research 2, no. 2 (2009): 16-28.

Bogenschutz, Matthew, Derek Nord, and Amy Hewitt. “Competency-Based Training and Worker Turnover in Community Supports for People with IDD: Results from a Group Randomized Controlled Study.” Intellectual and developmental disabilities 53, no. 3 (2015): 182-95.

Boxall, P., and K. Macky. “Research and Theory on High-Performance Work Systems: Progressing the High-Involvement Stream.” [In English]. Human Resource Management Journal 19, no. 1 (Jan 2009): 3-23.

Buntinx, W. H. E. “Professional Supports for Persons with Intellectual Disability: Products or Relationships?” [In English]. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research 48 (Jun 2004): 497-97.

Casey, Rebecca. “Burnout for Developmental Services Workers.” [In English]. McGill Sociological Review 2 (2011): 39-58.

Chaykowski, Richard P. “Labour Market Context and Future Prospects in Ontario’s Developmental Services Sector.” In DSHR Strategy Evaluation Project. Kingston, ON: Queen’s University Employment Relations Program, 2018.

Choitz, Vickie, Matt Helmer, and Maureen Conway. “Improving Jobs to Improve Care: The SEIU Healthcare Nw Training Partnership.” 44. Washington DC: Skill Up Washington, Workforce Strategies Initiative at The Aspen Institute, 2015.

Clutterbuck, Peter; Arundel, Caryl. “Leading Our Future: Leadership Competencies in Ontario’s Nonprofit Sector.” 1-44. Toronto, 2017.

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