Avalon Specialized Services

Management does not listen to staff or put staffs opinions, needs or concerns in consideration.  They have  A large turnover rate with staff,  and if you work here you will quickly realize why.  It felt like management could care less about having regular staff they make you feel replaceable.with a large turnover rate it makes it difficult for not only staff but also the children because there is no  regularity.  Management needs to put a better plan in place to keep staff happy and actually wanting to work for them.  It takes management sometimes weeks to reply to emails or phone calls, and feels like staffs needs are irelavant.  There is lack of communication during shift change,  and lack of consistency with dealing with the childrens day to day behaviours.  At the beginning there was little to no training mostly due to the fact that most staff hadn't been there much longer than the staff that was being trained.  I feel for the kids due to not having regular staff,  and not knowing if they should take the time and effort to trust a staff because it is very common that they won't be there very long.  During my time at Avalon I even had a resident tell me that they were sick of getting close to staff because of staff not liking the work environment and leaving.  Also there is a lot of different clicks within the staff team to the point where staff is talking  behind another staffs back. 
Personally I think there needs to be a change in management or management needs to go to a training course on how to listen to and treat staff.

Avalon is a group home with teenage girls age ranged from 12-17 years old. The girls range from low to severe mental health along with drug, alcohol abuse, self harm and suicidal ideation. Learnt a lot at this job, will take all the skills taught with me in the field. The team is vibrant, each member has a different skill to add to the group. Avalon never hires for morning shifts and only for evening and overnights. Pay is by cheque and Benefits are terrible. Benefits come from within the company, which means you pay and they will decide if they will reimburse you. The hardest part of the job is dealing with multiple crisis at once. The floor is always understaffed, they refuse to pay for more people to assist when crisis arises (or to prevent). Youth self harm frequently, require long hospital visits. Get CPR & First Aid, you'll need it; it is not a job requirement. School staff do not stay late, pick up extra shifts. Evening/Relief staff are required to pick up the slack, stay past their scheduled hours and management expects them to do it. Management does not communicate with staffing, staff team is always confused with rules and policies. Managers do not take the time to explain and train correctly. Staff drive their personal vehicles frequently, clients will make a mess. Not a long term job, staff burn out easily and therefore the company has a high drop out rate. CEO is only in it for the money. Clients are enjoyable, can have a fantastic time with them.

Virtually everyone who goes through the initial unpaid training, is offered a part-time relief position. The pay rate is just slightly above minimum. Every part-time staff wants to be offered full time which is $2.00 / hr more. My experience was that I was lied about in an effort to get me fired, thereby eliminating me from the running for full time. I allowed the residents to determine how closely they wanted me to be involved with them. Each resident had their own favourite staff. Most of the staff is in their 20's. I was somewhat more mature. I worked hard and was very sensitive to the girls needs. However, I was clearly a threat to some of the staff, although not all. The things which I was accused of were false and clearly a ploy to get me fired. I generally worked with only 1 other staff at night. I believe that 2 or perhaps more contrived together and complained separately to the executive director.

Avalon is a great place to work especially because it is an entry level position. You gain a lot of experience here and get to see everything. The learning experience is absolutely amazing. You see the good the bad and the end result. I think Avalon prepares you for the social service field. I Have been working with this company for some time now. I am happy working here and i am able to help youth accomplish their goals everyday. I am able to experience attending court, family court, CAS offices, POC meetings etc. Avalon also provides you with UMAB training, which most companies expect you to already have. I enjoy spending my day everyday with the girls there and being able to build amazing relationships. As well as being able to watch a youth grow and see all the progress they have made.

This place is a horrible place to work. The residents do  not get the treatment they need for having such sevre issues. Residents stay on wifi on their personal devices all day. Staff smoke with residents, and the manager treats it as if it's her own house. The residents get away with physically assaulting staff and smoking inside their bedrooms. The manager does not care about anyone but full time staff and herself. The owner has no idea who the kids even are. It's unfortunate to see children who clearly need trauma counselling and better treatment being housed in a place that's already been busted for a prostitution ring. Do not work here as you will not stay long and that is just a disservice to the children.

Honestly this place needs to be shut down, The kids run the show, management doesnt listen or care, and honestly its not safe for the kids or staff. The turn over rate is insane, as staff are burnt out from working double and triples all the time, which is easily a 16-24 hour shift, staff always need to be on guard ready to protect themselves and its draining. The kids often do nothing other then watch netflix/youtube and if they are asked to do something they throw a fit. Keep in mind that they are teenagers. Room checks dont actually get completed, staff are told to simply sign off on it all. Honestly Ministry needs to shut this place down before someone gets severely injured.

This field of work may be tiring but it is rewarding. A typical day consists of ensuring that the residents complete their expectations (school, chores, appointments). Supporting the youth in learning new things as well. This may have its ups and downs as like most people the residents have their days when they are upset. Avalon also provides restraint training as well, and ensures you are always up to date on this training while offering other opportunities. Avalon has changed a great deal in the last year. The management teams work really well to ensure their staff are heard as well as their residents. Everyone who works here wants what is best for the yoUth and it shows!

Incredibly unsafe work environment, residents often assault each other and staff with no reprocussions, the supervisor tells you to not fill out paperwork and to let it go. Often asked to work double/triple shifts with no breaks, (sometimes over 24 hours. .) There is nothing done to assist the residents, and they are not receiving the care they need, any questions to the manager is ignored. Staff are placed in awful positions, like being the only staff in the whole house, or being told not to report fires being set and probation breaches. Never work here, it should not be in operation.

Honestly one of the WORST places I have ever worked. The management is atrocious, I do not think they are qualified in any way to run a program such as this. They bully people into doing what they want, talk behind everyones back and are generally two-faced. Their staff turnover is incredibly high for a reason, no one stays longer than a couple months at the most. The kids are difficult to deal with, but that's all part of the job - it's the management that will send new staff running every time. It's unfortunate though, as the youth workers there are AWESOME, you will never meet nicer people - definitely the best part of the job.

Most unfortunate bad reviews are from the group homes, because of the difficult youth in that program
But the Foster home program has CYW's who take the youth shopping, movies outings, even some of the fist homes have Wonderland passes  the CYW's are like big brother/sisters that engage the youth in their interest 
I encourage you to bring your enthusiasm and ideas and experiences, so you could reach the kids stuck in a system that they didn't choose.

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