Supportive Care Assistant Program

Overview:

Supportive Care Assistant Program 

Partnership

POSSIBLE WORK PLACEMENTS

Mont St. Joseph Home Inc - Prince Albert

Langham Care Home - Langham

Saskatoon Convalescent Home - Saskatoon

St. Paul Lutheran Special Care Home - Melville

St. Joseph's Intergrated Health Centre - Macklin

Keedwell Assisted Living Centre Inc. - Saskatoon

Grenfell Helping Hands - Grenfell

Sacred Heart Assisted Living - Gladstone Senior Residence - Yorkton

9 Point 9 Gardens Ltd. - Saskatoon

Summary

Program: Supportive Care Assistant Program
Program Type: Micro-certificate
Length: Six-weeks online training, 280 hour paid internship
Delivery Type: Online with limited instructional support
Start Date: TBD as placement information becomes available
Cost: Fully subsidized tuition
Email: pathways@cumberlandcollege.sk.ca

Overview

The Supportive Care Assistant Program is a new fully subsidized micro-certificate developed to address the labour shortages in the long-term care sector. The program allows you to discover a new career, gain work experience, and make a difference in your community.

The micro-certificate includes six weeks of online training and a eight week paid work placement. The program can help accelerate the next step of your career.  As a program graduate, you would have access to a $5,000 stipend if you choose to pursue further studies and become a  Continuing Care Assistant.

The program is funded by Employment and Social Development Canada and is part of CICan’s Building Capacity in Long-term Care project.

Role of a Supportive Care Assistant

The micro-certificate program includes an eight-week work placement in a long-term or home care setting. You will gain experience to help prepare for a career in the sector while providing much needed support to long-term and home care staff. You will assist certified personal care providers Continuting Care Assistants and the health care team to support clients. The role involves performing non-clinical activities which could include:

• Assisting with meals
• Assisting with cleaning and disinfecting
• Stocking materials required by clients and health care staff
• Making clients’ beds, cleaning their rooms and other areas
• Providing companionship, comfort, and support
• Assisting with moving about and accompanying clients as they move about
• Participating in activities with clients

Program Outline

The six-week online training is divided into learning modules and will prepare you for your role as a supportive care assistant.

Modules include:

• Professionalism;
• Client and Family-centred Assistance;
• Communication;
• Supportive Assistance; and
• Infection Control and Safety.
• There is also a module related to your work placement that will be completed before, during, and after your placement.

Most modules will take approximately 20 hours to complete. You will have approximately a week to complete each module. An instructor can provide support and will be available to assist with the completion of each module.

Cumberland College is adding additional modules which will allow you to work as a probationary full-time CCA in any private or SHA facility.

• TLR - Transferring Lifting and Repositioning registration for online portion of two day training
• PART - Professional Assault Response Training registration for online portion of two day training
• Safe Food Handling online course

After completing the required modules, you will be connected to an employer who will provide 280 hours of paid employment over a eight week period.

Once you have successfully completed all the requirements, you will be granted a micro-certificate. You may wish to further your studies to become a Continuing Care Assistant. If you choose to do so, you may receive recognition for the micro-certificate towards the new training. Please note that you will need to meet the admission requirements for that program.

Why Register for the Supportive Care Assistant Program?

In the next 30 years, the number of Canadians over the age of 85 is expected to triple and the demand for health care workers will increase. Completing the Supportive Care Assistant Program is a steppingstone towards a career in a growing sector.

The program is fully subsidized and flexible. You don’t have to pay tuition and the online training means you don’t have to travel daily for classes. The paid work placement will provide you with the opportunity to build new skills and get practical experience while earning a wage.

A career in long-term care can be challenging but rewarding. You can make a difference in the lives of others and create meaningful connections with older adults, other people requiring assistance, and their families. It’s a good career fit for people who are compassionate and like working with others.

This program could be right for you if you:

• Enjoy working with older adults and other people requiring assistance
• Can communicate effectively and have strong interpersonal skills
• Are friendly, flexible, and can provide warm encouragement
• Enjoy working with others and as a member of a team
• Are trustworthy and honest
• Are compassionate and have demonstrated empathy, resilience, and sensitivity
• Have an interest in a career in health care

Requirements:

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements:

• You must be at least 18 years of age 
• Admission to the program is limited by the number of job placements and local availability to each placement.
• You must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person who has been granted refugee status in Canada (international students cannot register) 
• You must be legally entitled to work in Canada according to the relevant provincial legislation and regulations
• For English as a second language speakers, you must provide proof of English language skills.

In order for us to consider your application, you are required to submit the following documentation as soon as possible to Heidi Groat (hgroat@cumberlandcollege.sk.ca):

• Vulnerable Sector Check (see attached form)
• Immunization records submitted in PDF format
• Current Resume
• Official High School transcript directly from the Ministry of Education

Additionally, you should:

• Have a computer with internet access - required.  
• Have basic computer skills
• Have access to transportation for work placement(s)
• Be available to work shifts (evenings/nights/weekends)
• Be physically able to stand/walk with some bending, twisting, and lifting

Notes:

Cost

There is no cost for tuition or to register for the Supportive Care Assistant Program. Bursaries are available for dependant care and transportation during your work placement. You may be expected to cover certain costs associated with the placement including a criminal record check or other employment requirements.

Start Dates and Application Deadlines

The tenative program start dates and application deadlines are below:   

 Spring 2022 - Start date dependent on communication of available work placements

Note: Acceptance will be based on availability of work placements - See Possible Work Placement list above. We will be working with employers to match applicants to placements available in their region, however, it is possible that we will have more applicants than we do placements and there is potential to be placed outside of your home community. Are you able to attend a work placement in a facility outside of your current community?

How to Apply

Register for the Supportive Care Assistant Program by clicking on the apply button on this page. 

Supportive Care Assistance Program includes the following courses