direct support worker

operations supervisor

Community Living Oshawa Clarington

While I hold the utmost respect for the people I support and many coworkers, all levels of management make this job harder than it has to be.
Regardless of who you are wanting to contact at the office, you are very likely to be ignored. Need support for your clients? Good luck. Unfortunate circumstances happen within your group home? Be prepared to be accused. Your coworker cant even handle the lowest form of doing this job? Don't worry, you all get paid the same and no supervisor can be bothered dealing with teaching or correcting due to the staffing crisis. 
If you enjoy being a front line worker, carrying the responsibilities of your clients, yourself, your coworkers, management and scheduling, then you must really enjoy burn out. CLOC is perfect for you.
The pandemic has really highlighted that no one knows what they're doing, but they're quick to get on your back if you weren't given direction but now you're doing it all wrong.
I can only say that they pay is better than fast food front line workers, the vacation time is great (that is if they let you use it without a fight). As a full time, you don't work weekends or holidays. That's the best part.
Depending on your supervisor, you will be micromanaged (do you like being hounded AND disrespected?)  or completely ignored (most likely scenario). Neither version is helpful. There is no support.
The clients who live within CLOC deserve better than they are receiving. Many front line staff do their best to provide the best life for the clients, but it shouldn't be a one man operation. 


CLOC is a great place to learn about the inner workings of our Developmental sector.  The clients that I've supported over the years are dear to my heart and I can honestly say that it has been a rewarding experience working with them.  However, management is absolutely terrible here- supervisors come and go and are constantly barking orders at Frontline staff.  Sometimes we wouldn't hear back from our supervisor for weeks.  We are expected to do the supervisors job plus our own, which leads to mental and physical burnout.  There are so many expectations given to Frontline staff, while the management is lazy and over-paid.  We are drowning in paperwork while also being expected to provide total support to very challenging clients.  Often times we are attacked by agressive clients and get ZERO support or follow-up from management.  There are no repercussions for violence and we are expected to just grin and bear it.  Most of the supervisors and upper management have no idea how the locations operate and refuse to listen to their staff when they bring forth valid concerns.  While this job definitely has it's benefits (pay is better than most mental health agencies, good health coverage, paid vacation, and steady Monday to Friday hours for full-time staff), they are in serious need of an upper management cleanout.  A very top-heavy agency with a lot of potential.

While it can be rewarding to see the people you support thrive and do amazing things, please remember that you are just another number, as are the people that you support. 
Management as a whole lacks respect and any kind of empathy for their employees. During the pandemic this has become increasingly clear as staff were left on the front lines with little guidance and without much in the way of PPE. It seems that while some have worked front line in the past, now that they have a private office they've forgotten how things work in the real world.
CLOC is continually short staffed (before and now more so because of the pandemic). Despite filling out availability forms (so scheduling knows when you're available and when not to call), you will continually get calls and asked to work outside your availability. 
Pay at CLOC is lower that most Community Living branches in the area.  Give then expectations of management and the Ministry, both full and part time staff should be better compensated for their time and efforts. 

We are always short staffed. Always. Especially since the pandemic started and it creates a lot of extra stress for us frontline staff. Our union is ridiculous and makes it HARDER to find staff instead of easier. Because of our union, no new staff are allowed to come in full time. We are banned from hiring new staff and putting them immediately into full time positions which is destroying us staffing wise. If someone wants to work at CLOC, they MUST start out part-time, with NO stability whatsoever and "work their way up" to a full time position. This insane practice drives away many potential applicants and makes it ten times harder to stabilize our staffing levels. Our union also encourages workplace toxicity as we have staff that regularly do NOT do their fair share, mistreat others, and make the workplace even more toxic but get away with all of it because our union makes it almost impossible for anyone to be let go after probation is passed. Unions are supposed to make workplaces BETTER. Our union at CLOC does the complete opposite. 

It is a good job with lots of different people and areas of opportunity. There is a lot of work for the willing. You are provided with training in many different areas. Some training is done on-line and some at the locations. Their are a range of behaviours to deal with on any given day. Some challenging behaviours. Depending on the level of care required you may be responsible for cleaning, shopping, personal care, driving to appointments and other community activities in work vans. Using wheelchair restraints in vehicles. Booking and attending Dr. and other health professional visits. Cooking and taking out garbage and recycling.

Too many middle managers.  Front line employees are not listened to. Location managers micro manage thereby not allowing front line staff who in some cases have more experience than they do handle certain situations or concerns. This agency Penny pinches everything. And of course the usual back stabbing and certain employees who whine and complain about everything else. It used to be a good place to work, but has severely deteriorated in the last 5 years. Staff hires anyone.  The saying around the good staff is (two feet and a heartbeat and your hired) .

Me and many of my coworkers are deeply unhappy with how ridiculous this place has become. I am beyond fed up with the amount of stress involved with working for CLOC and feeling like our health isn't regarded for at all. There are always neverending staffing issues and those of us that actually show up everyday and work hard are the ones that suffer the most. Management is a joke. I am ready to finally get out of this place very soon and I cannot wait.

Great union willing to answer any questions or concerns that might arise. The pay is great and there is full flexibility of hours that are available. You can work as little as every other weekend or full time hours depending on what your own availability there is. Each home has a supervisor that you can meet with or speak to when needed, but there is also a team for each group home that works together to create a positive environment for those supported, as well as staff. Great benefits and vacation offered to full time staff!

I would not recommend accepting a position here as a DSW or Supervisor. Micromanagement happens at every level. Supervisors are constantly taking stress levels or quitting altogether. I had 4 Supervisors in the 2 years that I worked there.



Very top heavy with management that is grossly disconnected from the group homes and frontline. No support unless you belong to a clique. No regard for work/life balance, or anything else when it comes to workers. You feel like a number that can easily be replaced.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Direct support worker 1 salary reported	$22.88 per hour
Operations supervisor 1 salary reported	$27.22 per hour

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