Chapter 1

The Role and Responsibilities

of the Support Worker
 Role of the Support Worker
(1 of 2)
⬤ Provide client-centred care and assistance to accomplish the
tasks of everyday living.
⬤ A variety of assistance may be required for some clients, and
very little for others.
⬤ Includes personal care and support services
⬤ You make a difference in people’s lives.

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 Role of the Support Worker
(2 of 2)
● Ultimate goal of support work: To improve the client’s quality of life
○ Provide care in a kind, sensitive, and understanding manner
○ Use discretion (responsible judgement)
○ Honour the client’s right to confidentiality
○ Display empathy (having an understanding of another person’s
emotions)
○ Advocate for clients (speaking or acting on their behalf)

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 Support Work Across Canada
(1 of 2)

● The client is always the focus of care.

● All member of the health care team work to meet the client’s needs.
● The nature of support work varies across Canada.
● There are differences in educational programs, work settings, job
responsibilities, and terms used to describe support workers

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 Support Work Across Canada
(2 of 2)
● There is no legal scope of practice for support workers in Canada.
● Scope of practice depends on employer and varies between
provinces/territories.
● Different terms are used to describe support workers:
○ Appendix at end of the textbook outlines what the support
worker is called in different provinces and territories

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 Settings for Support Work

● Work in a variety of agency-based and community-based settings.

● In all settings, PSWs ensure the safety of their clients, including those
with cognitive or mental health challenges.
● Includes providing clients with social support or social reintegration.
● Provide comfort and end-of-life care to dying clients.

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 Support Worker Responsibilities
(1 of 2)
● Personal care—assisting with ADLs (activities of daily living): eating,
bathing, grooming, dressing, toileting, moving and positioning,
walking
● Assist with instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) in
community settings
● Provide support for nurses and other health care professionals by
following the established care plan for each client
● Provide family support

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Support Worker Responsibilities (2 of
2)
● Social support
● Housekeeping or home management
● Documenting and reporting any basic assessments, observations, and
care provided in the client’s record or chart
● Support workers are not responsible for deciding what should or
should not be done.

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 People You Support

● Patient—person receiving care in a hospital

● Resident—person living in a live-in facility
● Client—person receiving care or support services in the community;
general term for all people receiving health care or support services
● Remember: Every person is unique.

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 Caring for Individuals
● Older persons
● People with disabilities
● People with medical issues
● People having surgery
● People with mental health issues
● People needing rehabilitation
● Children
● Mothers and newborns
● People requiring special care

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 The Health Care Team

● Group of people working together toward a common goal.

● Includes professionals with a variety of skills and knowledge.
● Goal is to provide quality care.
● The support worker is an important member of the health care team.

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 Regulated Workers

● A regulated profession is self-governing.

● It has a professional organization called a college that sets education
and licence requirements.
● The college establishes the scope of practice, codes of ethics, and
standards of conduct for its members.

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 Unregulated Care Providers (UCPs)

● An unregulated profession does not have a professional college; there

are no official requirements for educational programs.
● There is no code of ethics, but UCPs must adhere to codes of
behaviour as dictated by employer
● Support workers are unregulated workers, referred to as unregulated
care providers (UCPs)
○ (See textbook Table 1.1: Support and Health Care Team Members)

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 Scope of Practice
● There is no legal scope of practice for support workers in Canada.
● To protect the client from harm you must know what you can or
cannot do, within the limits of your role.
● Support worker’s role determined by their province/territory’s
educational standards and employer’s policies.
● Never perform a function or task that you have not been trained to do
or that is beyond the legal limits of your role.

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 Sources of Information
About Scope of Practice

● Educational program
● Employer’s policies
● Supervisor
○ A nurse is licensed and regulated by the province to maintain
overall responsibility for planning and provision of care.

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 Supervision of Support Workers

● RN (registered nurse):
○ Assesses, develops nursing plans, implements and evaluates
care, and carries out physician’s orders
● An RN is usually the team leader of the health care team, which also
consists of:
○ LPN/RPN (licensed practical nurse/registered practical nurse)
○ Support worker
○ Other allied health care providers

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 Support Worker Supervisor

● Support workers may be supervised by an RN or an LPN/RPN, or may

be hired directly by clients.
● Support workers in the community may be supervised by another
registered professional (e.g., recreational therapist, social worker,
physiotherapist).
● You must be aware of the tasks and procedures you can perform as a
support worker.

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 Being a Professional

● Demonstrate respect for others, commitment,

competence, and appropriate behaviour, and have a
professional appearance.
● Be cheerful and friendly, work when scheduled,
perform tasks competently, and help others.
● Show enthusiasm, consideration, and honesty
○ See textbook Box 1.1: Statements That Show Negative Attitude
Versus Positive Attitude
○ See textbook Box 1.2: Practices for a Professional Appearance

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 Professional Behaviours

● A positive attitude
● A sense of responsibility
● A professional appearance
● Discretion about client information
● Commitment to lifelong learning
● Advocating for the client
● Discretion about personal matters
● Using acceptable speech and language

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 Confidentiality

● Respect and guard personal and private information about another

person.
● Share information only with health care team members who are
involved in the client’s care.
● Never talk with a client about another client.
● Avoid talking about co-workers.
● Do not discuss work issues/client care outside the work area.

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 The Goal of Support Work
⬤ The goal of support work is to demonstrate true client-centred care by
treating clients with kindness, honesty, sensitivity, comfort, discretion,
respect, and understanding.
⬤ Client-centred care is also known as compassionate or person-centred
care.
⬤ Caring means having concern for dignity, independence,
individualized care, preferences, privacy, and safety of clients and
their families at all times (DIPPS)

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 DIPPS (1 of 2)
⬤ Dignity—The state of feeling worthy, valued, and respected. People
need to feel dignified.
⬤ Independence—Clients need to do what they can for themselves.
⬤ Individualized Care—No person is identical to another person, so care
should be personalized to each client.
⬤ Preferences—Clients need to make choices and explain how they want
to have things done.

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 DIPPS (2 of 2)
⬤ Privacy—Clients need to know that their bodies and their affairs are
treated respectfully and are protected from public view.
⬤ Safety—Clients need to live in an environment that is as hazard free as
possible. They also need to feel secure about the care provided.
○ See textbook Box 1.4: DIPPS—Principles of Client-Centred Care, the
Goal of Support Work

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 Critical Thinking

Decision Making:
⬤ Support workers make many decisions during their day:
○ Consider goal of support work—DIPPS
○ Consider the client’s viewpoint
○ Consider your scope of practice—your limits
○ Consider your supervisor’s viewpoint and guidance

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