Developmental Services Human Resource Strategy Evaluation

Developmental Services Human Resource Strategy Evaluation Project

Work and career experiences in Ontario’s developmental services sector

Agency-based Workforce Survey Results

Queen’s UniversityEmployment Relations Programs Robert Hickey, Ph.D.Anna Fields, MIR CandidateEmilio Frometa, MIR Candidate

138 Union St.Kingston, ON K7L 3N6

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

Anna Fields, BAH, Master of Industrial Relations Candidate.

Emilio Frometa, BAH, Master of Industrial Relations Candidate.

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 Community and Social Services or the Government of Ontario.

Work and career experiences in the developmental services sector b

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

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

> Methods ........................................................................................................................... 3

> Workforce Profile ............................................................................................................. 6

> Retention and Intent to Quit ........................................................................................ 16

> Job Satisfaction ............................................................................................................... 20

> Organizational Commitment ...................................................................................... 26

> Perceived Organizational Support .............................................................................. 27

> Perceptions of Human Resource Practices ................................................................ 30

> Work Experiences .......................................................................................................... 36

> Perspectives on Challenges Facing the Sector ........................................................... 39

> Conclusion ......................................................................................................................42

TABLE OF FIGURESFIGURE 1: Job classification of survey respondents ..................................................... 6

FIGURE 2: Employment status of survey respondents ................................................ 7

FIGURE 3: Age distribution of survey respondents ..................................................... 7

FIGURE 4: Gender profile by job classification ............................................................. 8

FIGURE 5: % Workforce person with a disability ........................................................ 9

FIGURE 6: % Workforce Indigenous .............................................................................. 9

FIGURE 7: % Workforce visible minority ...................................................................... 9

FIGURE 8: % Workforce foreign born ............................................................................ 9

FIGURE 9: Highest level of educational attainment ................................................... 10

FIGURE 10: Postsecondary education by job classification ...................................... 11

Work and career experiences in the developmental services sector

FIGURE 11: Adequacy of educational background by degree type.......................... 12

FIGURE 12: Holding multiple jobs among DSPs ........................................................ 12

FIGURE 13: Multiple job holders .................................................................................. 13

FIGURE 14: Industries of multiple job holders outside the DS sector ..................... 14

FIGURE 15: Workforce cohort by sector tenure ......................................................... 15

FIGURE 16: How often did survey participants think about quitting? ................... 16

FIGURE 17: DSP intent to quit rates by employment status...................................... 17

FIGURE 18: Intent to quit by job classification ........................................................... 18

FIGURE 19: Job satisfaction rates for all employees and managers ......................... 21

FIGURE 20: Average job satisfaction by employment status .................................... 23

FIGURE 21: Average job satisfaction by classification ............................................... 24

FIGURE 22: Trends in average job satisfaction rates for all employees ................... 25

FIGURE 23: Distribution of organizational commitment ......................................... 26

FIGURE 24: Mean job satisfaction by level of organizational commitment ........... 27

FIGURE 25: Distribution of Perceived Organization Support .................................. 28

FIGURE 26: Job satisfaction by level of POS ............................................................... 28

FIGURE 27: Work experiences and perceived organizational support.................... 29

FIGURE 28: HR practices and supervisor roles .......................................................... 32

FIGURE 29: The agency selects the best all-around candidates ............................... 34

FIGURE 30: Perceptions of human resource practices by job classification ........... 35

FIGURE 31: Common topics in survey comments .....................................................40

Work and career experiences in the developmental services sector

> Executive SummaryBACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Ontario’s agency-based workforce provides supports to thousands of people with developmental disabilities and their families. These services help enable people with disabilities to live well and to contribute to inclusive communities. The transformation to community-based supports has required organizations in the sector to identify and develop new competencies for the workforce.

Researchers at Queen’s University were asked to conduct a survey of the agency-based workforce to assess work and career experiences. The study was part of a larger research project to evaluate the impacts of the ten-year Developmental Services Human Resource (DSHR) Strategy and examine workforce development opportunities and challenges.

In 2008, the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) formed a partnership with developmental services agencies and sector executives to address the workforce needs of a transformed developmental services sector. The objectives of the evaluation project to study the impact of the DSHR Strategy are as follows:

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

2. Identify the achievements and determine the effectiveness of the Strategy.

3. Identify shortcomings, gaps, and emerging challenges.

4. Understand the factors that enabled the outcomes.

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

This report discusses the initial findings from the agency-based workforce survey results, perspectives of Direct Support Professionals, and interviews with managers. These preliminary findings from the surveys and qualitative interviews inform the broader evaluation project of the DSHR Strategy.

Work and career experiences in the developmental services sector i

PARTICIPANTS AND WORKFORCE PROFILE

Study participants submitted over 3,000 electronic versions and 223 paper versions of the survey. Of these, 2,977 surveys were complete and usable. This represents approximately 10 percent of the total agency-based workforce. Staff from 113 different organizations participated in the survey. Agencies that actively participated in the workforce survey had a 30 percent response on average.

The majority of respondents, 77 percent, were Direct Support Professionals (DSP). Other job classifications included supervisors, administrative staff, specialized professionals (such as clinicians) and senior managers. The agency-based developmental services workforce included a higher proportion of persons with disabilities (11.2 percent) compared to the Ontario workforce overall (6.9 percent). However, the proportion of visible minorities (8.3 percent) and foreign-born workers (13 percent) was less than the general Ontario workforce (26 percent and 28 percent respectively).

The workforce has a relatively high level of educational attainment. More than 57 percent of respondents have a college diploma. Another 30 percent were university graduates or held advanced degrees. Survey respondents who had earned the Developmental Service Worker diploma reported that this college education provided excellent (38 percent) or adequate (56 percent) preparation for work in the sector.

Holding multiple jobs was relatively common among DSP respondents. Over 20 percent of the agency-based workforce reported working directly for families and persons receiving Passport funding or on a fee-for-service basis. Overall, the proportion of DSP respondents who reported holding multiple jobs was over 41 percent. In comparison, the frequency of multiple job holders in Ontario’s health and social services workforce in general was 8.4 percent.

JOB SATISFACTION

The survey measured ten domains of job satisfaction. Respondents reported the highest rates of job satisfaction with the nature of the work in the sector and relations with coworkers. Dissatisfaction was most pronounced with opportunities for advancement. Satisfaction with pay and benefits was mixed and varied considerably by employment status. Average job satisfaction rates have declined slightly since a similar survey was conducted among DSPs in

Work and career experiences in the developmental services sector ii

2010, except in the areas of benefits and relations with coworkers. The most significant declines in job satisfaction over time have been in the areas of training and communication.

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT AND PERCEIVED SUPPORT

Feelings of organizational commitment and perceptions of organizational support were strongly linked to job satisfaction. Respondents who reported higher levels of organizational commitment also reported correspondingly higher levels of job satisfaction across all ten domains. Satisfaction with communication within the organization had the most significant connection to organizational commitment. Perceptions of organizational support were also reflected in various work experiences. For example, respondents who felt that their organization supported the development of skills and competencies to meet increasingly complex support needs also reported higher levels of perceived organizational support.

PERCEPTIONS OF HUMAN RESOURCE PRACTICES

The survey measured a broad range of employee assessments of human resource (HR) practices at their organization, such as investment in training, employee recognition, and performance appraisals. On average, employee perceptions of local HR practices were moderately positive. Survey participant concerns were most pronounced in relation to the proportion of part-time workers and employee recognition practices. In general, DSPs viewed local HR practices less positively than other job classifications. However, senior managers were more concerned with the proportion of part-time workers than DSPs on average.

WORK EXPERIENCES

One of the most significant findings of the study was that nearly 95 percent of employees reported that their work experiences were personally meaningful. This reflects the very strong motivation to support the quality of life and independence of people with developmental disabilities and more inclusive communities. Respondents identified a variety of concerns related to work experiences. A majority of the workforce reported increasing workloads. Two additional areas of concern focused on information sharing by management and employee involvement practices.

Work and career experiences in the developmental services sector iii

FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH POSITIVE WORKFORCE OUTCOMES

A number of factors were associated with positive workforce outcomes and improved work and career experiences. First, the survey results revealed a nearly universal feeling that working in the developmental services sector has been personally meaningful. This strong sense of motivation was specifically referenced in the survey comments as a main factor in retention.

Second, investment in training was associated with positive work experiences. Respondents who reported that their organization invested in developing skills and competencies also reported higher levels of job satisfaction and organizational commitment to their respective agency. Third, among full-time employees, staff turnover rates were extremely low, less than five percent. Full-time DSPs have worked in the sector for 18 years on average, reflecting the feelings reported in the survey that working in the developmental services sector has been a good career choice for the agency-based workforce.

CHALLENGES FACING THE SECTOR AND THE WORKFORCE

The survey results and the 1,800 comments to the open-ended question revealed a number of challenges associated with work and careers in the DS sector. First, over 550 comments expressed concerns that stagnant wages and declines in compensation relative to comparator sectors have made working in the sector less attractive. These concerns were seen as contributing to recruitment and retention challenges in the sector.

Second, the high proportion of part-time and casual work was recognized by both DSPs and senior managers as being a critical challenge. Respondents cited the lack of full-time job opportunities as driving part-time and casual turnover rates and contributing to low satisfaction rates with opportunities for advancement. Related to the prevalence of part-time work, the rate of holding multiple jobs by the agency-based workforce in the DS sector was nearly five times the average of Ontario’s health and social services workforce.

Third, the survey findings also raised concerns over two important HR and leadership practices: employee recognition and employee involvement. Nearly 40 percent of survey respondents did not feel that their organizations recognized employees for great efforts and good work. A similar proportion of respondents felt that if they had a good idea about how to improve services, their organization would not implement the idea.

Work and career experiences in the developmental services sector iv

PURPOSE

Ontario’s agency-based developmental services workforce provides supports to thousands of people with developmental disabilities and their families. These services help enable people with disabilities to live well and to contribute to inclusive communities. The transformation to community-based supports has required organizations in the sector to identify and develop new competencies for the workforce. Researchers at Queen’s University were asked to conduct a survey of the agency-based workforce to assess work and career experiences.

This study is part of a broader research project to evaluate the impacts of the Developmental Services Human Resources (DSHR) Strategy. In 2008, the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) formed a partnership with agencies in Ontario’s developmental services sector to address the changing workforce needs of a transformed community-based sector. This partnership between MCSS and agencies in the sector launched the DSHR Strategy with a ten-year mandate to support workforce development and enhance human resource (HR) practices in the sector.

The Evaluation Project has examined the DSHR Strategy and its impact on the agency-based workforce. The DSHR Strategy involved both employees and managers, from Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) to senior managers and executive directors in the sector. This report examines the perspectives of the entire agency-based workforce. A companion report in the evaluation project focuses on the perspectives of Human Resource managers and executives.

The goals of the evaluation research project are 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 the DS sector to continue advancing as a professionalized workforce in a transformed

> Introduction

Work and career experiences in the developmental services sector 1

sector.

This report discusses the initial findings from the agency-based workforce survey results, perspectives of Direct Support Professionals, and interviews with managers. These preliminary findings from the surveys and qualitative interviews inform the broader evaluation project. Ultimately, the goal of this evaluation project is to support the work of all stakeholders in the sector by improving HR practices, enhancing work and careers in the sector, and supporting better service outcomes.

BACKGROUND OF THE DSHR STRATEGY

On September 9, 2004, MCSS announced a plan to transform services for people with developmental disabilities. The long-term goal of the transformation of developmental services in Ontario has been to create an accessible, fair, and sustainable system of community-based supports. In 2007, MCSS recognized the need to bring the developmental services sector together to develop a coordinated strategy to address human resource issues in a transformed sector.

In 2008, based on the recommendations of an Expert Panel on Training and the results of a research study conducted on the developmental services sector by Deloitte, the Provincial Network on Developmental Services (comprising executives from transfer payment agencies in the developmental services sector), in collaboration with MCSS, developed a Human Resource Strategy. The DSHR Strategy was launched with a vision and ten-year mandate to professionalize the sector and ensure the best quality of supports for people with developmental disabilities in Ontario.

OBJECTIVES OF THE DSHR STRATEGY

The DSHR 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 developmental services sector.

4. Competency-based management and leadership.

The evaluation project has examined the Strategy based on these original objectives as well as a broader set of criteria for understanding the impact of the Strategy on work and careers in the sector.

CONTEXT FOR EVALUATION

Since 2008, the DSHR Strategy has developed and launched a number of key initiatives to achieve the core objectives. A central component of the DSHR Strategy has been the development and implementation of a model of core competencies for seven key roles in the sector. Researchers at Queen’s University studied job satisfaction and work experiences at agencies that participated in the implementation of core competencies. It is timely with the DSHR Strategy reaching the end of its ten-year mandate to evaluate the impact of the strategy and the current state of work and careers in the sector.

> Methods The research design for evaluating work and career experiences in the developmental services sector was primarily based on survey data, supplemented with qualitative interviews. The research team at Queen’s University designed the survey for the agency-based workforce based on several considerations and objectives.

SURVEY DESIGN

First, the current survey builds on the earlier studies conducted at the time of implementation of core competencies in the sector. For example, the current survey uses the same questions for measuring job satisfaction, affective organizational commitment, and perceptions of organizational support. This


allows for comparisons of data from three distinct rounds of the same survey.

Second, in order to evaluate the impact of the DSHR Strategy, employee perceptions of local human resource practices provided an important and distinct perspective on work and careers in the sector. The survey provided an opportunity for broad input by the agency-based workforce. The survey results have formed an important part of the evidence for assessing the impact of the DSHR Strategy on local human resource practices and employment outcomes.

Third, the survey explores a diverse range of work experiences such as job satisfaction, training, recognition and employee involvement, compensation, and career advancement opportunities. There were limitations to the survey method. For example, the survey did not include employees who had recently quit their agency or left the sector. While some of the 2017 survey questions were the same as the 2010 and 2012 surveys, the responses were not traced on an individual level, making the comparisons more general.

DISTRIBUTION AND PARTICIPATION

The survey was distributed in both electronic and paper format. An invitation to participate was distributed through a variety of email networks including the Ontario Agencies Supporting Individuals with Special Needs (OASIS) Executive Director list-serve, the OASIS HR list, the Community Living Ontario Executive Directors’ list, and regional HR networks.

Over 3,000 electronic surveys were returned and nearly 230 paper surveys were submitted. Blank surveys were discarded, but partially completed surveys were retained and the incomplete sections were treated as missing data. Of the 3,238 returned surveys, 2,977 complete and usable surveys were submitted as part of this study.

The estimates for the total agency-based workforce in the developmental services sector vary because many individual workers, especially part-time staff, are employed by several different agencies. The best estimates suggest that approximately 30,000 people are employed at agencies in the developmental services sector. The overall response rate for the agency-based workforce in the sector was 10 percent.

While MCSS funds 380 distinct entities in Ontario, this study invited the 200 organizations with operations focused on developmental services to participate


in the study. The total survey population included employees and managers at those 200 organizations. Staff at more than 113 agencies participated in the survey. Among agencies that actively distributed the survey, the response rate was approximately 30 percent. Participation at each agency varied from a handful of respondents to nearly 200 respondents from a few agencies.

The survey included a qualitative open-ended question on what was viewed as the most important challenge facing work and careers in the developmental services sector. Survey participants submitted nearly 1,800 comments in response to this question.

Survey data were collected and imported into a statistical software package, SPSS 24. The analytical strategy began with a review, reliability test, and structuring of the data. The interviews and focus group discussions with managers were transcribed. The qualitative data, including the responses to the open-ended survey data, were imported in nVivo, a qualitative data analytics software program, for analysis.

EVALUATION PROJECT ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The 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 Coordinator

Ann Bilodeau KW Habilitation Services

Luciano Contini HR Capacity Management Consulting

Aisha Dag-Ellams MCSS

Holly Duff Fanshawe College

Krista Lord MCSS

Joe Persaud Community Living Toronto

Nancy Wallace-Gero Community Living Essex County

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.


> Workforce ProfileJOB CLASSIFICATIONS

Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) comprise the majority of the agency-based workforce in the sector, representing nearly 77 percent of survey respondents. Supervisors were the second-largest group of respondents (8 percent) followed by specialized professionals (6 percent) and administrative support employees (5 percent). Specialized professionals include clinical professionals and consulting staff members often providing support to people with more complex support needs. Senior managers accounted for 4 percent of the survey participants.

FIGURE 1: Job classification of survey respondents

Specialized Professional6.2%

Senior Manager4.2%

Admin Support5.1%

Supervisor7.8%

Direct Support Professional76.7%

EMPLOYMENT STATUS

As shown in Figure 2, over 63 percent of respondents (55 percent of DSPs) reported that they were full-time. However, data from the agency-based survey of Human Resource Managers estimated that 52 percent of all employees were part-time or casual. This estimate would suggest that more than 60 percent of DSPs at agencies are part-time or casual. Among survey respondents, over 28 percent were part-time and nearly 9 percent were casual or relief employees.


Full-time employees were over-represented among survey respondents.

FIGURE 2: Employment status of survey respondents

Part-time28.2%

Casual/Relief8.6%

Full-time63.1%

AGE

The age distribution of survey participants (Figure 3) was evenly distributed across three cohort groups between 25 and 54. A smaller proportion (17 percent) of workers were 54 to 65 years old. Nearly 2 percent of survey respondents reported being over 65. Young workers (18 to 24) made up 6 percent of the respondents.

FIGURE 3: Age distribution of survey respondents

45–54 35–44 18–2425–34 55–64

65+


GENDER

The developmental services workforce is predominantly female, as shown in Figure 4. Over 85 percent of DSPs and supervisors were female. Nearly 70 percent of senior managers were female, revealing a 15 percent gender gap between front-line staff and senior managers.

FIGURE 4: Gender profile by job classification

14.6%

85.4%

91.3%

70%

86.8%

30% 15.2%

8.7% 13.2%

Direct Support Professionals

Administrative Staff Specialized Professional

Senior Management Supervisor

WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS

Identification with equity groups varied significantly by organization and region. Figure 5 compares the proportion of people with a disability in the agency-based developmental services (DS) workforce compared to the general profile in the Ontario workforce.

84.8%

15% The gender diversity gap between senior management and supervisors.


FIGURE 5: % Workforce person with a disability

Person with a disability

6.9%11.2%

Indigenous

2.4%3.6%

In the developmental services workforce, 3.6 percent of respondents identified as Indigenous compared to 2.4 percent in the Ontario workforce (Statistics Canada 2018, CANSIM Table 109-0401) as shown in Figure 6.

Only 8.3 percent of the agency-based DS workforce identified as a visible minority compared to nearly 26 percent of the Ontario workforce (Statistics Canada 2018, CANSIM Table 109-0401).

FIGURE 6: % Workforce Indigenous

FIGURE 7: % Workforce visible minority

Visible Minority Workforce Foreign Born

28.5%

Agency-based DS WorkforceOntario Workforce

12.7%25.9%8.3%

More than 11 percent of survey respondents reported being a person with a disability. This rate was much higher than the reported average of 6.9 percent in the Ontario workforce (Statistics Canada 2018, CANSIM 115-0005).

FIGURE 8: % Workforce foreign born

Similarly, nearly 13 percent of the agency-based DS workforce was foreign born. In contrast, over 28 percent of the Ontario workforce was foreign born as reported by Statistics Canada, 2018, CANSIM Table 109-0401.


EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Figure 9 presents the profile of educational attainment for the agency-based developmental services sector workforce. More than half of the workforce has earned a college diploma (57 percent). Nearly half of that group, one quarter of the total respondents, indicated that they had earned a Developmental Service Worker (DSW) diploma. In comparison, only 32 percent of the labour force in Ontario has obtained a college diploma (Statistics Canada, CANSIM Table 282-0004).

FIGURE 9: Highest level of educational attainment

High school3.3%

Advanced degree6.3%

University degree24.1%

Other college diploma32.2%

Trade or vocational certificate1.7%

Some college7.8%

Developmental Service Worker Diploma24.6%

Overall, 24 percent of respondents reported they were university graduates and another 6 percent indicated they had earned an advanced degree, such as a masters degree or other credential beyond a bachelors degree. The attainment rate of advanced degrees was higher in the Ontario workforce (11 percent), but the attainment rate of university degrees was similar (22 percent). Only 3 percent of survey respondents reported they had a high school diploma as their highest educational credential compared to 20 percent of the workforce in Ontario.


Figure 10 presents survey data on postsecondary educational attainment rates by job classification. Nearly 30 percent of DSPs have earned a Developmental Service Worker (DSW) diploma. Advanced degrees were held by 22 percent of senior managers and 29 percent of specialized professionals.

FIGURE 10: Postsecondary education by job classification

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35% Specialized professional

Senior manager

DSP

AdvancedUniversityOther collegeDSW

EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION FOR CAREERS IN THE SECTOR

According to survey respondents, educational backgrounds appeared to align fairly well with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to work in the developmental services sector. Overall, more than half of the respondents (53 percent) reported that their formal educational background provided adequate preparation. Another 26 percent of survey respondents stated that their educational background provided excellent preparation for working in the DS sector.

Nearly 15 percent reported that their educational background was not relevant to their current job. Nearly 7 percent reported that their education provided poor preparation for their current job in the sector. Figure 11 presents the adequacy of preparation broken down by type of educational credential earned.

Respondents with a DSW diploma reported the strongest rates of educational preparation. DSW graduates felt their educational background provided excellent (38 percent) or adequate (56 percent) preparation. Just 5 percent of DSW diploma holders felt it provided poor preparation for work and careers in the sector.


FIGURE 11: 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

MULTIPLE JOBHOLDERS

Figure 12 presents data on multiple job holders working in the sector. Forms of holding multiple jobs included working for another agency in the DS sector, working outside the sector, and working directly for a person with a developmental disability or a family. Over 15 percent of DSPs worked at more than one agency in the sector. More than 16 percent have an additional job outside the sector. The survey also measured the prevalence of private or informal work arrangements among the agency-based workforce. Nearly one in four DSPs reported working directly for a family or person using Passport funding or other private pay arrangements.

FIGURE 12: Holding multiple jobs among DSPs

15.2%16.6%

Worked at more than one agency

Worked outside sector

Worked directly for family/person 23.9%

Among DSPs, holding multiple jobs was more prevalent compared to other job classifications. There were also important differences by employment status. Among regular part-time employees, 20 percent worked at another DS


organization. For casual DSPs, over 31 percent worked at more than one agency.

Fewer full-time DSPs worked outside the sector (10.5 percent), but higher rates of part-time (21.5 percent) and casual DSPs (31 percent) worked outside the sector. Direct work arrangements with families or people using Passport funds were also more common among casual employees (30 percent) and part-time employees (27 percent).

Overall, the proportion of DSP respondents who reported working multiple jobs was 41.6 percent. In comparison, as shown in Figure 13, the proportion of multiple job holders in Ontario’s health and social services workforce was 8.4 percent (Statistics Canada, CANSIM Table 282-0031).

FIGURE 13: Multiple job holders

Single job holder

Multiple job holder

Ontario Workforce Developmental Services Workforce

DSP concerns about an informal labour market“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.”


0

20

40

60

80

100

Self-e

mploy

ed

Retai

l and F

ood Se

rvicesOther

Healt

h and

LTC

Educat

ion

Other

social

servic

e

Num

ber o

f mul

tiple

job

hold

ers

WORK IN SECTORS OUTSIDE DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES

Figure 14 presents data on the industries outside the DS sector where multiple job holders work. Of the 398 respondents who indicated a specific industry, most were concentrated in the health and long-term care sector (80), in the education sector (76), or other social services (73). The “Other” category included a diverse range of industries such as finance, the arts, construction, landscaping, etc. Employment in retail, food services, and the hospitality industries were also prevalent (58). A number of respondents (28) indicated they were self-employed or ran their own business in addition to their job with a DS organization.

FIGURE 14: Industries of multiple job holders outside the DS sector

“Financial compensation for workers has been an ongoing issue within the sector for decades. It hasn’t gotten much better. Yes the gov’t earmarked monies for wages and that did start to help lend credibility to the sector and start attracting workers to the sector. However, the higher paying positions are not the norm. Most workers are casual or paid at a lower rate still forcing many to work multiple jobs. It has yet to become a career where you can work and live comfortably on salaries in the sector.”


TENURE IN THE SECTOR

Figure 15 illustrates the distribution of workforce cohorts by tenure in the sector. The largest segment of the workforce (22.2 percent) had between 12 and 20 years of experience in the sector. Less than 5 percent of the agency-based workforce has less than one year of experience in the sector. Nearly 10 percent of the agency-based workforce has more than 30 years of service in the DS sector.

FIGURE 15: Workforce cohort by sector tenure

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%

The average tenure of full-time staff in the sector was over 18 years. The average length of service of full-time staff at their current organization was slightly lower at 15.2 years. Part-time workers were also long serving, with an average of 9.8 years in the sector and 7.2 years at their current agency. Even casual employees reported extensive experience, averaging 8.6 years in the sector and 4.9 years at their current agency. DSPs had an average of 11.4 years at their agency and over 14 years in the sector. Supervisors and senior managers had more than 17 years at their agency and 22 years in the sector on average.

22The average number of years supervisors and senior managers have worked in the DS sector.

18The average number of years full-time staff have worked in the DS sector.

9.8The average number of years part-time staff have worked in the DS sector.


> Retention and Intent to QuitFigure 16 presents data on the frequency that staff considered quitting their current job. While thoughts about quitting do not translate into actual separations, these data do provide some insights into the challenges associated with job satisfaction and retention. Over one-third of all survey respondents occasionally think about quitting and an additional 13 percent frequently think about quitting. Slightly over 50 percent of respondents never or rarely thought about quitting.

FIGURE 16: How often did survey participants think about quitting?

36%of employees occasionally think about quitting

Never24.8%

Rarely26.6%

Occasionally35.6%

Frequently13%

While the rates of never or rarely thinking about quitting were comparable to the surveys in 2010 and 2012 that asked the same question, the proportion of employees frequently thinking about quitting has doubled since 2010 (6.4 percent reported frequently thinking about quitting in the 2010 survey).


INTENT TO QUIT BY EMPLOYMENT STATUS

Interestingly, full-time DSPs reported thinking about quitting slightly more frequently than part-time and casual employees. Figure 17 shows the intent to quit rates by employment status. These data reveal a lower rate of thinking about quitting among casual and part-time employees even though the separation rates have been much higher for these groups.

FIGURE 17: DSP intent to quit rates by employment status

05

10152025303540 Casual

Part-timeFull-time

FrequentlyOccasionallyRarelyNever

Perc

ent o

f res

pond

ents

The actual turnover rates of part-time and casual employees was four times higher than for full-time staff (see report of survey results of Human Resource Leaders). This finding shows that while casual employees do not actively think about quitting more often than full-time employees, the turnover rates were significantly higher. Therefore, the higher turnover rates among part-time and casual staff were not driven by an active desire to leave the organization, but rather other factors created barriers to retention and contributed to part-time employee turnover.

INTENT TO QUIT BY JOB CLASSIFICATION

Figure 18 illustrates the differences in survey responses on the intent to quit by job classification. In particular, the findings indicated that specialized professionals had the highest rate of thinking about quitting. This suggests there may be a level of dissatisfaction among this class of professional employees requiring greater attention. Open-ended survey comments provided some insight into the unique challenges facing specialized professionals.

“I work for an organization where I provide clinical supports in the community, and therefore am often providing training and education to front line staff who work directly with my clients in either day program or group home settings. I frequently find that there is a high turnover level with front line staff, either because of staff leaving their respective organizations or being promoted. As a

21.7%Average turnover rate for casual employees reported by HR managers.


result, continuity of care for individual clients is often compromised or education and training that I provide may not be carried out long-term. As well, the lack of resources and services for this population can make it frustrating at times to work in this sector as I am constantly balancing the demands of quite complex clients with the need to address an extremely long wait-list.” - Specialized professional survey comments

A high proportion of supervisors occasionally thought about quitting. However, supervisors also reported half the rate of frequently thinking about quitting compared to DSPs or specialized professionals.

FIGURE 18: Intent to quit by job classification

DSP

Supervisor

Admin staff

Senior manager

Specialized professionalNever Rarely Occasionally Frequently

454035302520151050

KEY FACTORS IN RETENTION AND TURNOVER

This report of the initial findings from the workforce surveys does not point to a single factor driving challenges with retention. However, survey respondents did express several concerns in the open-ended survey comments section about challenges facing work and careers in the Developmental Services sector, which they saw as connected to turnover, especially among part-time and casual employees. These concerns could be important factors contributing to retention challenges.

LACK OF FULL-TIME JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Given the high proportion of part-time to full-time jobs at most organizations in the sector, some survey participants described their concerns with the lack of full-time job opportunities.

“The inconsistency with job security and employees needing full-time work. Many are part time and cannot devote their time to a PT job, therefore making it hard for


them to invest their energy into more than one job. OR quitting shortly after hire-date because they have found a job willing to provide more hours.” - DSP survey comments

CAREER ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

A consistent theme emerged in the comments that voiced general concerns with opportunities for career advancement in the sector.

Career Advancement Challenges“I would say the most important Human Resources challenge facing this sector would be employee retention. There is little advancement in salary, career path, and education within this sector. Anyone craving advancement in any of these areas will search outside the sector to meet that need.”

HOURS OF WORK AND SCHEDULING

Even organizations that reported good retention rates found retaining employees who have to work evening and weekends a challenge. When most entry-level positions require evening and weekend work on a part-time basis, competitive job offers become a greater challenge.

“We are able to hire staff, and we have a fairly decent retention rate, but we have a very difficult time filling evening, overnight and weekend shifts. I am concerned that people new to the field don’t have the resilience to succeed, especially with the increasing complex support needs of people. We need to be better at teaching resilience.” - Senior manager survey comment


> Job SatisfactionThe survey measured job satisfaction ratings across nine domains of work experiences as well as overall satisfaction in the respondent’s current job situation. Figure 18 compares the percent of respondents who were satisfied or very satisfied in each category to those who were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.

The most significant finding was that nearly 90 percent of respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with the nature of work in the sector. In other words, employees were fulfilled with the jobs, tasks, and relationships associated with providing supports and services to people with developmental disabilities.

SATISFACTION WITH WORKPLACE RELATIONS

In addition to the very positive satisfaction rates in working with people with developmental disabilities, workplace relations with co-workers and supervisors also contributed to a satisfying work environment. Survey participants reported being satisfied (56 percent) or very satisfied (28 percent) with coworker relations. A majority of employees reported being satisfied (42 percent) or very satisfied (29 percent) with their relationship with their supervisor.

89.3%Satisfied or very satisfied with the nature of the work.


SATISFACTION WITH COMPENSATION

On average, satisfaction with pay and benefits was neutral. However, slightly more respondents were dissatisfied (30 percent) or very dissatisfied (13 percent) with pay compared to those who were satisfied (34 percent) or very satisfied (7 percent). Proportionally more were satisfied (35 percent) or very satisfied (12 percent) with benefits compared to those dissatisfied (21 percent) or very dissatisfied (16 percent).

FIGURE 19: Job satisfaction rates for all employees and managers

Nature of the work

Supervisor relations

Coworker relations

Pay Benefits Hours of work

Advancement opp.

Training Communication

Very SatisfiedSatisfiedDissatisfiedVery Dissatisfied

Overall job satisfaction

100%

90%

80%

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60%

50%

40%

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0%


SATISFACTION WITH ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Consistent with previous studies (see Figure 22), the lowest rates of job satisfaction were related to opportunities for advancement. This finding reflects the limited forms of hierarchical career pathways in the relatively flat organizational structure of most agencies. In addition, the relative stability and long tenure of full-time employees also likely contributed to reduced advancement opportunities.

Survey comments also identified the lack of advancement opportunities from part-time to full-time jobs as a contributing factor to low satisfaction rates in this domain. Such low satisfaction rates raise concerns for retention and demands greater attention to the variety of factors that may contribute to low satisfaction rates in this area.

SATISFACTION WITH TRAINING

Satisfaction with training offered by the respondents’ organizations was positive on average. However, nearly 25 percent of survey respondents were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied in this domain. Survey respondents identified two important points in the survey comments. First, the expansion of mandatory training, while important and necessary, crowds out other training opportunities. Second, training needs are changing given the changes in people supported as reflected in the survey comments. According to survey comments, organizations may not have the funding necessary to provide training to meet these new support needs.

SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION

Satisfaction ratings with communication within the organization were mixed. The average rating was neutral with a relatively equal proportion of survey participants reporting dissatisfaction and satisfaction. Qualitative comments about communication highlighted multiple aspects of communication challenges. While information sharing by management was identified as a concern, two-way communications, that is, management listening to direct support professionals, and communication between full-time and part-time DSPs were also identified as a critical challenge. One survey respondent described the importance of good communication.

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.”


“COMMUNICATION! Often times, employees feel that their manager is not there for them. While the majority of employees would agree and understand that managers do get busy and have multiple tasks to complete while they get pulled in 1000 different ways, but communication of such is important as employees are often left in the dark and start developing theories and myths that do not exist ( i.e. my manager is ignoring me or I’m not important enough ...). This in turn lowers the morale and creates a toxic workplace environment quite quickly.” - DSP survey comment

SATISFACTION BY EMPLOYMENT STATUS

There were significant differences in satisfaction rates by employment status (full-time, part-time, and casual) in areas of compensation and hours of work (Figure 20). Full-time employees tended to be less satisfied with pay compared to part-time and casual employees. Casual employees reported being more satisfied on average with pay compared to the other two groups.

FIGURE 20: Average job satisfaction by employment status

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Part-time and casual employees do not often have access to supplemental benefits. Accordingly, 27 percent of these employees reported being dissatisfied and another 33 percent indicated being very dissatisfied with benefits. This may have been a factor in retention barriers and turnover rates for these employee groups. On average, satisfaction rates with hours of work and scheduling were lower among part-time and casual employees. These findings do not tell us whether these relatively lower satisfaction ratings were due to evening and weekend hours, or fewer total hours.


A Common CallingSatisfaction with the nature of work, providing services and supports to people with developmental disabilities, was high across all job classifications – employees, supervisors, specialized professionals, and senior managers.

SATISFACTION BY JOB CLASSIFICATION

Figure 21 displays the average satisfaction rates by job classification. On average, senior managers had the highest satisfaction rates across all domains except for hours of work. The most pronounced differences across job classifications were centred on advancement opportunities and communication.

FIGURE 21: Average job satisfaction by classification

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CommunicationAdvancement opp.

COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS SATISFACTION SURVEYS

The survey design allowed comparisons of previous results of job satisfaction surveys among employees at developmental service organizations with data from the current survey. Job satisfaction surveys measuring nine of the same domains were conducted in 2010 (1,570 respondents) and 2012 (1,151 respondents). Figure 22 presents the results across the three survey rounds, 2010, 2012, and 2017.


While satisfaction ratings in some domains remained constant (e.g., relations with co-workers) or even showed slight improvements (e.g., benefits), the general trend over the past seven years reflects a slight decrease in satisfaction ratings across most job domains.

The most significant declines in satisfaction appeared in two key areas for human resource practices: training and communications within organizations. While this comparison showed a decline in the overall job satisfaction rates and satisfaction with the nature of the work, further analysis is needed to determine whether such declines were statistically significant.

FIGURE 22: Trends in average job satisfaction rates for all employees

2010 2012 2017

Nature of work Supervisor Relations with coworkers

Pay Benefits Advancement opportunities

Training Communication Overall job satisfaction

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> Organizational CommitmentThe survey measured feelings of affective organizational commitment. Figure 23 presents the distribution of feelings of organizational commitment among survey respondents.

FIGURE 23: Distribution of organizational commitment

18016014012010080604020

09 25 4317 3313 2921 3711 27 45

6.3% 21.2% 61% 11.4%19 3515 3123 4139

The left end of the distribution (9–17) reflects employees who are disaffected or detached from the organization, about 6.3 percent of respondents. A larger proportion of respondents (21.2 percent) reported being at the low-moderate end of the scale (18–25).

The largest proportion of survey respondents (61 percent) displayed strong feelings of organizational commitment (26–38). Respondents at the right end of the distribution scale (11.4 percent) expressed the highest levels of organizational commitment (39–45).

Several job satisfaction measures appeared strongly correlated with feelings of organizational commitment. Figure 24 presents average job satisfaction ratings by levels of organizational commitment. Disaffected employees had particularly low levels of satisfaction with communication and opportunities for advancement. Satisfaction with the nature of the work and relations with coworkers appeared less correlated with organizational commitment. In other words, on average, respondents remained satisfied with the nature of the work, even if they did not feel committed to the organization where they worked.

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Disaffected Low-moderate commitment

Committed Highly committed

Nature of work Supervisor Relations with coworkers

Pay Benefits Hours of work

Advancement opportunities

Training Communication Overall job satisfaction

4

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FIGURE 24: Mean job satisfaction by level of organizational commitment

> Perceived Organizational SupportThe survey measured perceived organizational support among the agency-based workforce using a seven-item set of questions developed by Eisenberger (1986). Perceived organizational support (POS) measures the degree to which employees believe that their organization values their contributions and cares about their well-being.

WORKFORCE PERCEPTIONS

Figure 25 presents the findings of POS among respondents in the survey. At the low end of the scale (7–13), respondents perceived little or no support from their organization. The high end of the scale (29–35) reflected extremely strong perceptions of organizational support. Respondents were divided into two additional groupings: moderate POS (14–19) and substantive POS (20–28).

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FIGURE 25: Distribution of Perceived Organization Support

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0Low POS Moderate POS Substantive POS High POS

POSITIVE EFFECTS OF PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT

Feeling supported by one’s organization was an important factor for job satisfaction among survey respondents. In every dimension of job satisfaction, higher ratings of perceived organizational support were associated with higher satisfaction ratings. The importance of feeling supported by one’s organization were especially strong in the areas of being satisfied with advancement opportunities, training, and communication.

For example, as shown in Figure 26, respondents who reported high levels of POS also reported higher satisfaction with communication within the organization at five times the rate of employees who reported low levels of POS.

FIGURE 26: Job satisfaction by level of POS

Low POS

Moderate POS

Substantive POS

High POS

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HR PRACTICES AND PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT

The survey responses provided insight into what organizations can do to make staff feel more supported in their roles. For example, respondents who felt that management shared important information with them also had stronger perceptions of organizational support. Likewise, Figure 27 shows that respondents who felt they were getting the support needed to develop skills and competencies to meet increasingly complex support needs also had stronger perceptions of organizational support.

FIGURE 27: Work experiences and perceived organizational support

Stronglydisagree

DisagreeNeither

AgreeStrongly agree

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

Average level of perceived organizational support


> Perceptions of Human Resource PracticesSurvey respondents provided their perspective on a variety of key human resource practices such as recruitment, training and development, employee participation, and performance appraisals at their organization.

PERCEPTION OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Employees and managers affirmed that, while gaps remain, a significant number of agencies place importance on training and development. More than 44 percent of survey respondents agreed and another 14 percent strongly agreed that their “organization invests considerable time and resources in training.”

58%of survey respondents confirmed that their organization invests considerable time and resources in training.

Employees and managers also recognized efforts by the organization to promote on-the-job opportunities to enhance skills and competencies.

The organization promotes opportunities to enhance skills and competencies on the job.

9.5%43.4%

Agree Strongly Agree


EQUIPMENT AND RESOURCES FOR HIGH-QUALITY SUPPORTS

Over half of survey respondents had positive perceptions of human resource practices that “fully support employees with necessary equipment and resources for providing high quality supports and services.” While a majority felt this way, 24 percent of the workforce felt that their agency did not fully support their staff with the necessary resources for delivering the high-quality services.

SUPPORT FOR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

More than half of the respondents agreed that performance appraisals provide employees feedback for personal growth. Effective, development-oriented performance management systems reflect a more professionalized HR function in organizations.

Survey respondents agreed that supervisors meet with employees to set personal goals, but this perception is slightly more mixed. As shown in Figure 28, approximately half of the survey respondents agreed that their organization engaged in this positive HR practice, but nearly 30 percent disagreed or strongly disagreed.

54%of respondents felt that their organization fully supports employees to provide high-quality services.

54%of respondents felt that performance appraisals provided feedback for personal growth.


FIGURE 28: HR practices and supervisor roles

Supervisors meet with employees to set their personal goals.

-30.0% -20.0% -10.0% 0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0%

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

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10.1%8.6%

19.0%43.1% Agree

HR CHALLENGES FROM THE WORKFORCE PERSPECTIVE

The area of HR practice that generated the most concern from the workforce perspective in the survey data was the prevalence of part-time work in the agency-based sector. Nearly two-thirds of survey respondents agreed (39 percent) or strongly agreed (22 percent) that the proportion of part-time to full-time jobs as a challenge at their organization.

61%of survey respondents felt that the proportion of part-time to full-time jobs was a challenge at their organization.


EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION AND EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT

Employee perceptions of human resource practices were also mixed in response to questions about employee involvement and employee recognition. Employee involvement can take diverse forms in the workplace, but generally involves some degree of direct participation in the decisions that affect work practices. Employee involvement is linked to workforce learning opportunities, employee motivation, and well-being.

Earning recognition for great effort and good work is associated with a wide variety of positive employment outcomes. There was a strong relationship between feeling recognized for great effort and good work and perceptions of organizational support. However, more of those surveyed indicated their agency was lacking in this area compared to those who reported that employees receive recognition.

35%do not feel they are asked to participate in work-related decisions.

Employee RecognitionA missing piece for some agency HR practices?

39% of respondents disagreed that employees received recognition for great effort and good work.

RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES

Another area of concern identified in the survey responses was recruitment and concerns regarding the quality of newly hired DSPs. Nearly 29 percent of respondents disagreed and 15 percent strongly disagreed that their organization selects the best all-around candidate when recruiting employees. Figure 29 presents the findings on employee perceptions of HR recruitment practices.


FIGURE 29: The agency selects the best all-around candidates

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Perceptions of opportunities for advancement were mixed, with as many respondents disagreeing as agreeing with the statement that qualified employees have good opportunities for advancement. This reflects similar findings with job satisfaction related to opportunities for advancement.

Figure 30 highlights several employee perceptions of HR practices by job classification. DSPs generally had lower perceptions compared to other job classifications, while senior managers generally had the highest perception of HR practices. The average feeling among DSPs about whether their organization “works hard to provide fair pay and benefits” was neutral. Likewise, DSPs had a neutral opinion on average whether their organization has “fair and effective human resource practices.”

Senior managers were more concerned on average — even more than DSPs — that the proportion of part-time to full-time jobs was a challenge at their organization.


FIGURE 30: Perceptions of human resource practices by job classification

The organization works hard to provide fair pay and benefits.

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

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The proportion of part-time to full-time jobs is a challenge at my organization.

Overall, my organization has fair and effective human resource practices.

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0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5AgreeNeutralDisagree

“I maintain that a pay cheque reaches my wallet, while praise reaches my heart. The agency would have much higher morale and productivity in their Direct Support Staff if the Senior Management was trained in Employee Recognition and Appreciation.”


> Work ExperiencesThe survey measured a variety of work experiences among the agency-based workforce. The survey included questions about skills and competencies, perceptions of senior management, and feelings about careers in developmental services.

MEANINGFUL WORK AND A GOOD CAREER CHOICE

The strongest and most striking finding in the work experience category was the near universal agreement among employees and managers that the work is personally meaningful. There is an extensive body of academic research that has found that mental health, engagement, and a variety of positive outcomes are associated with feeling like the work that one does on a daily basis is personally meaningful.

Work is personally meaningful

Working in sector is a good career choice for me

95% 01

0280%

The majority of respondents felt that working in developmental services had been a good career choice. Only 6 percent of survey respondents felt that working in the sector was not a good career choice for them.


SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES FOR INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORTS

An important feature of the transformation of the developmental services sector has been the focus on more individualized supports and services. Most respondents felt that they have the skills and competencies to adapt to expectations for more individualized supports.

Only 4 percent of respondents did not feel they had the skills and competencies for more individualized supports. However, there were a number of survey comments that indicated that while they felt they had the skills, some DSPs did not feel they have the opportunity to provide individualized supports due to funding constraints or organizational practices.

I have the skills and competencies for more individualized supports 0384%

77%of survey respondents reported that workloads have increased in their job

Workload: Increasing workload is a common experience across all job classifications

INCREASING WORKLOAD

The effects of increasing workloads were expressed in many of the comments in the survey. Often the increased workload was described in terms of its impact on people supported.

“The individuals we support are beautifully dynamic people and agencies have to box them with procedures and often deny their rights, i.e., moving them about to fill beds and not looking into compatibility or safety (moving behaviour needs into medically fragile homes). Dreams can be squashed due to policies that limit pay on an individual’s vacation because most staff don’t want to volunteer their time and money to fulfill someone else’s goal (only staff who care deeply make this sacrifice). ...The only reason I stay is the people I support. Moving forward I think the greatest challenge is keeping all people as the focus in governmental and financial decisions, staff well being as well as the people we serve.”

“As a DSW in this field, I take pride in the services I provide to individuals supported with (my agency). I enjoy the services I provide and love coming to work for such an amazing organization. From my perspective at this time I think the most important human resource challenge we face is the lack of funding to provide individualized supports…” - DSP survey comment


EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT AND INFORMATION SHARING

Two important areas of concern included experiences of employee involvement and perceptions of information sharing. To further measure work experiences of employee involvement, the survey asked respondents whether they agreed with the following statement: “If I have a suggestion of how to improve services, there is a good chance it will be implemented.”

An important aspect of professional work in human services sectors is a sense that one’s expertise can contribute to quality improvements of supports and services. Survey respondents disagreed with that statement (39.6 percent) compared to those who agreed that their ideas would be implemented (31.4 percent).

Employee InvolvementThe feeling that if you have a good idea about how to improve services, there is a good chance the organization will act on your idea, which is critical to employee engagement and organizational commitment.

Of survey respondents, 39.6% disagreed or strongly disagreed that their organization would implement good suggestions on how to improve services. Only 31.4% agreed.

This feeling that employee input may not contribute to improved services is surprising when compared to feelings of autonomy and discretion over how to respond to individual support needs. More than 72 percent of survey respondents felt they have discretion over how to respond to requests from people supported.

One-third of survey respondents (35.8 percent) disagreed with the statement that “management shares important information with me about the organization.” In contrast, 44 percent agreed that management shares important information. These findings are consistent with the job satisfaction responses related to communication in the organization.


SKILLS, COMPETENCIES AND ADVANCEMENT

Most employees agreed (58.3 percent) or strongly agreed (12.4 percent) that the skills and competencies needed to succeed in their role was clear to them. However, there is an important difference between having the skills and competencies needed to advance and having opportunities for career growth. Less than 40 percent of respondents felt there was both clarity of the skills needed and opportunities for a variety of career paths at their organization. This feedback echoes job satisfaction concerns regarding opportunities for advancement in the sector.

> Perspectives on Challenges Facing the SectorThe survey invited participants to provide more qualitative open-ended responses to share what they felt were the key challenges facing work and careers in the developmental services sector. More than 1,800 individual comments from the agency-based workforce provided a wide range of perspectives and thoughts about work and career experiences in the sector.

This section reviews some of the themes and patterns that have emerged from the initial analysis of these comments. Figure 31 provides a high-level summary of the most common topics and issues. The most prevalent comments were related to pay and compensation (555 comments) followed closely by comments regarding part-time work in the sector (525 comments). The second tier of common topics included issues related to hiring and recruitment (294 comments), concerns regarding qualified staff (263 comments), statements about skills and competencies (278 comments), and comments about training (224 comments).

COMPENSATION

The most prevalent topic in the survey comments focused on pay and compensation. The chronic effects of multiple years without pay increases were clearly articulated as a pressing challenge in many comments.


“The rate of pay has not kept up with other service agencies, this agency has given one raise in the last 7 years {one dollar increase} and that was almost three years ago, no cost of living increase in the last 7 years, that is a very long time to go with out a raise or any increase to your salary. We cannot retain staff because of this. I work as Coordinator, 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

FIGURE 31: Common topics in survey comments

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FULL-TIME JOB OPPORTUNITIES

The high proportion of part-time jobs and the lack of full-time job opportunities was the second-most common theme in the survey comments. Many survey comments placed the lack of full-time job opportunities as a central factor causing challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified staff, and maintaining high-quality supports and services.

“From my perspective, I believe the most important challenge facing this sector is getting and retaining qualified staff who have school and experience in this field. I also feel for the population of individuals we support we need more full-time staff compared to part-time. This would offer continuity and security for the individuals we serve. Part-time staff need to have 2 or 3 jobs just to make ends meet, so they normally go to an employer who offers them full-time first. So they leave, costing the agency even more money to train and retain more part-time staff.” - DSP survey comment


RECRUITMENT AND HIRING QUALIFIED STAFF

Hundreds of comments identified the challenges of hiring qualified DSPs as one of the most pressing issues facing the sector. Survey comments pointed to a variety of factors such as lack of full-time jobs, low unemployment rates, and an insufficient supply of graduates from college DSW programs.

“The thing most impacting our agency at this time is finding skilled and qualified workers. In our community we have an extremely low unemployment rate so finding employees can be very difficult. We have gone through a large amount of hiring recently and it was a struggle to not only find the right people, but to find people willing to work the posted part-time hours. We have had to be more flexible in our hiring practices to fill the positions available. I feel from conversations with others in my area and within the sector this is a problem not just in our community.” - DSP survey comment

These recruitment challenges result in vacancies and increased workloads for existing staff. Some comments noted that the organization has to turn to temporary employment agencies to meet staffing needs. This raised their concerns over the qualifications of those employees.

“I feel that a human resource challenge is recruiting and retaining competent staff. The workloads are getting heavy in residential settings, as people age and their abilities change. The financial compensation is not worth the wear and tear on staffs bodies. Temp agencies are being brought in and getting paid a higher wage than agency staff and they do not have the skill sets of majority of the long-term staff, which in turn creates more work.” - DSP survey comment

SKILLS, COMPETENCIES, AND TRAINING

There were a variety of comments related to skills and competencies. On one hand, survey respondents affirmed and took pride in the skills and passion they bring to the job. At the same time, there is widespread recognition that transformation to more person-centred services and the changing needs of people supported demands new and different skills and competencies.

A number of comments reflected the survey findings that over 84 percent of DSPs feel they have the skills and competencies to adapt to the changing expectations for more individualized supports. However, the survey findings also showed that less than half of the DSPs felt they were receiving the training necessary to develop skills and competencies to meet increasingly complex support needs.


“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

Survey comments identified three key factors that contributed to the shortcomings with training. First, high rates of part-time turnover required that organizations spend limited training dollars on new hires who may not stay with the organization. Second, funding constraints have led to cuts in training opportunities, especially in delivery formats that require back filling. Third, survey participants identified the amount of mandatory certifications and training required as having a crowding out effect on other forms of training needed or desired by staff. In combination, these three factors create an important barrier to training and growth opportunities.

“We just had the first training session in years — other than NVCI, CPR, and first aid recerts. It was amazing! But other than that, we have NO opportunity for higher learning, team meetings, team building — all due to funding.” - DSP survey comment

> ConclusionAs part of a broader evaluation of the DSHR Strategy, this report presents the initial findings from a large-scale survey conducted among agency-based employees and managers. The survey collected data on a range of issues related to work and career experiences in the developmental services sector.

Over 3,000 surveys were submitted, representing nearly 10 percent of the total agency-based workforce in the sector. This survey builds on previous assessments of work experiences conducted in 2010 and 2012, allowing for comparisons over time.

A PROFILE OF THE AGENCY-BASED WORKFORCE

The workforce is mostly comprised of Direct Support Professionals (77 percent) who are predominantly female (85 percent). While the workforce gender composition is similar for supervisors, administrative staff, and specialized professionals, there is a gender gap among senior managers (70 percent female.)


Representational gaps exist between the agency-based workforce and the broader Ontario labour force. While just over 8 percent of survey respondents identified as being from racially or ethnically diverse populations, Statistics Canada reported nearly 26 of Ontario’s workforce identified as a visible minority. Similarly, 12.6 percent of survey respondents reported being foreign born compared to 28.5 percent of the Ontario workforce.

The human capital profile of the agency-based sector displayed a high rate of post-secondary education (87 percent). Respondents who had earned a Developmental Service Worker diploma reported that it provided excellent (38 percent) or adequate (56 percent) preparation for working in the sector.

FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH POSITIVE WORK EXPERIENCES

The strongest, and perhaps most significant, finding in this study was the near universal experience that working in the developmental services was personally meaningful. This feeling was consistent across all job classifications and age groups. Likewise, very high satisfaction was present with the nature of the work. Such positive work experiences translated to a general feeling amongst most survey respondents (80 percent) that working in the developmental services sector had been a good career choice for them.

High satisfaction rates were common for relationships with co-workers and, to a slightly lesser degree, with supervisors. Perceptions of HR practices varied by organization. However, a majority of respondents expressed positive perceptions in the areas of training, development, and support for high-quality services. The vast majority of respondents (84 percent) felt that they had the skills and competencies for more individualized supports.

CHALLENGES FACING THE SECTOR AND THE WORKFORCE

The survey findings point to both systemic and strategic factors associated with challenges facing the sector. Systemic factors, such as the high proportion of part-time to full-time positions, were seen as a key challenge, especially by senior management. This issue also appeared related to a number of other critical challenges. As with previous surveys, job satisfaction ratings were lowest for opportunities for advancement. Many survey respondents commented that it could take as long as ten years to secure a permanent, full-time position.


Job quality issues, especially the prevalence of casual and part-time work, were found to be key challenges from the perspective of the agency-based workforce. Over 40 percent of DSPs held multiple jobs, nearly five times the rate of Ontario’s health and social service workforce in general.

The survey results also showed that strategic HR practices could address some of the challenges identified. There were declines in satisfaction ratings in two areas relevant to the Developmental Services Human Resource Strategy — communication and training. Comments by survey participants and HR leaders highlighted several contributing factors. At the same time that training needs are increasing in order to meet the increasingly complex support needs, HR managers have reported that training capacity has been reduced by lack of base funding increases, expansion of mandatory training requirements, and part-time turnover rates.

In conclusion, the survey of work and careers in Ontario’s developmental services has found an agency-based workforce extremely dedicated to supporting people with developmental disabilities and helping to enable more inclusive communities. The survey findings have also identified significant challenges facing the agency-based workforce, especially in the areas of part-time work and holding multiple jobs. Taken together, the results from the work and career survey provide insights for important considerations to support workforce development and to address critical challenges facing the sector.


Documents

Developmental Services Human Resource Strategy Evaluation