An accumulation of background verifications of the Provincial Police (OPP) of Ontario has left a social worker of Ontario stranded in Labrador without work.
Sarah, whose surname CBC Toronto agreed to retain, since he is concerned to speak could affect the current and future work perspectives, he transferred the provinces for a new work that requires a detection of the vulnerable sector (VSC).
Sarah submitted his VSC request in mid -August, but says he has not heard anything from OPP despite attempts to contact the unit that processes applications.
He was supposed to start his new job on September 5 and predicts that he will have to pass at least three months without any income.
“I left Ontario because I couldn’t afford to live … I could not buy edible,” Toronto told CBC. “And now I’m sitting here, unemployed, running for my savings.”
Triton Canada, the OPP registration provider for background verifications, describes a VSC as a “three -part verification for people working or offered as volunteers with vulnerable populations”, including a criminal record verification, a verification of information from the Local Police and a consultation of the vulnerable sector.
Triton only handles admission services for applications and sends them to the OPP for processing. The company’s website for OPP background verifications shows that the unit is reviewing the applications submitted before July 22.
Order portfolio due to a high volume of applications, says OPP
A high volume of applications is causing longer response times, according to OPP spokeswoman Erin Cranton, and processing times can also be delayed by other factors, including the complex verification. Usually, the processing has between 45 and 55 days for complex controls, Cranton said in a statement sent by email.
It is not clear if Sarah’s case is complex, since the OPP refused to talk about individual cases.
About 45 days have passed since Sarah submitted her request, and she is concerned that her new employer cannot expect much more.
“They are super patients … They simply tell me: ‘Let us know when you get it and we will tell you your start date,” he said. “Any other employer would be like, ‘let’s go to the next person.’ And that is my fear.”
In his statement, the OPP said that he has implemented a plan to reduce the request for orders with personnel improvements.
There are many personal support workers in the province that faces similar circumstances, said Miranda Romanowicz, CEO of the Association of Personal Subscriber of Ontario (OPSWA).
“They can’t work until [their VSC]”She said.” Many of them have a job offer, but then lose that job offer because they can’t get that check over time. “
This puts unnecessary stress in a medical care system already tense, Romanowicz said.
“We are looking for personnel shortage, which is already a big problem in Ontario’s medical care, but we are also looking at the residents or customers, not receiving the attention they need,” he said.
“It really is a descending spiral.”
Ontario will need 33,200 nurses and 50,853 personal support workers by 2032, the government projects. The province tried to keep these figures secret, but were obtained by the Canadian press. Lorenda Reddekopp of CBC has the story.
This is especially true in the rural communities of northern Ontario, who regularly face the shortage of PSW personnel, Romanowicz said.
OPSWA has taken some measures on the subject, working directly with Triton to help PSW ensure criminal records and judicial matters, which some employers accept instead of VSC due to accumulation.
Attorney General who works with OPP to reduce the portfolio
Sarah does not have that option, so he is now considering requesting a temporary role in his local Walmart. She wants to earn enough money to at least return to Ontario if her new work falls.
Sarah says he also tried to communicate with the attorney general of Ontario, Michael Kerzner, whose ministry supervises the OPP. A secretary of his office sent her back to the OPP online police record verifications website.
In a statement, the Oleksandr shvets with the Attorney General’s office told CBC Toronto that the ministry is working on “solutions to improve the processing deadlines of [VSCs] with an focus on reducing delays. “
The Toronto Police Service also currently reports an order portfolio in the background checks. Currently, the criminal records received before July 31, the criminal records and judicial matters received before July 24, and VSCS received before August 7.
