How to Become a Community Support Worker And What Are The Benefits to Be CSW in BC

How to Become a Community Support Worker And What Are The Benefits to Be CSW in BC

Consider a Growing Career in the Helping Industry in Canada….

Consider a growing career in the helping industry in Canada. Becoming a community support worker can be a good career option.

Community support workers are a point of contact for those who need continuous assistance. The main task of a community support worker is to provide the utmost care and support to a group of people with physical or mental disabilities. Assistance can be physical, vocational, recreational, or emotional including various skill development activities. The basic goal is not only to assist but also to help clients in achieving a greater degree of freedom and independence.

Thus, CSW’s career is a mixed combination of caregiver, social worker, and mother.

To gain success in this career, one needs to be passionate about helping others and developing strong interpersonal relations. CSW follows some core values and qualities that not only make this job joyful but also reflect a rewarding career throughout life. Such qualities are  

Self-awareness and emotional intelligence

Active listening skills 

Organizational skills 

Ability to persuade and help
others

Social perceptiveness

Cooperative attitude

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There are a few steps to follow to become a community support worker in Surrey but before discussing them, let’s talk about the eligibility criteria.

  • No criminal history especially in the vulnerable sector.
  • Minimum age of 19 years.
  • Grade 12 or equivalent to that, with successful completion of CAST testing.
  • Candidates should be physically capable of fulfilling job requirements.
  • Some medical checks like TB tests or proof of vaccination (Hepatitis B) may be required at placements.
  • Good command of the English language both oral and written.
  • Standard registration forms should be completed before applying.
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Obtain a Community Support Worker Certificate or Diploma

Education is a vital component of a progressive career, and community support workers are no exception. Candidates need to be educated enough to understand various disabilities and their impact on individuals. Learn how to provide special assistance to a person having a specific disability and get training to develop and apply various problem-solving strategies while dealing with them. 

On average, completing an educational program for community support workers can take up to one year. Although it’s a relatively short-duration course focusing on holistic learning and developing the required skill sets necessary to succeed in the career.

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Practical Experience Through Training Programs or Co-op Placements

Here is a pretty helpful tip for individuals who are considering their career as a community support worker: So while choosing the certificate or diploma program, always make sure to choose the one that also offers a field practicum or vocational training.

The training should have a minimum duration of a hundred hours. The benefits that candidates will experience in vocational training are:

  • Gain training to perform daily actions.
  • Make a strong profile and they will get an advantage over other candidates without any prior experience.
  • Vocational placement referrals may help to get a good job ahead.
  • Candidates will become part of a network of professionals that will be helpful in career advancement and discovering opportunities.
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Search For Networking Opportunities

After finishing the whole training program, start applying for various community support worker jobs. There is no shortage of employment in this industry, apply for various positions in various fields.

Some of the fields are listed below – 

  • Child care
  • Public schools
  • Rehabilitation centers
  • Various life skill programs
  • Women’s shelters
  • Residential group homes
  • Outreach programs

Key Highlights of the Program

With the growth in population and advancement in technology and growing demand for the quality of life, the healthcare industry is growing.

A well-trained community support worker is equipped with an adaptable and flexible career, implements various social assistance programs, and assists clients in addressing their personal and social problems.

The program helps students with the base development of knowledge, skills, and work experience.

  • A comprehensive community support worker program deals with various aspects of life like psychology, family life, addictions, mental health, case management, criminology, dealing with at-risk populations, counseling, ethics, business communication, government, report writing, and various social services.
  • Various computer skills are required in a job including keyboarding skills and personal and professional development skills.
  • On-site work experience provided by engaging in 75 hours of clinical placement at a pre-approved CSW facility.
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Benefits of Choosing a Career as a Community Support Worker

Wider Range of Work Opportunities

When it comes to choosing a field where one can work, the opportunities are numerous. Community support workers can choose to work according to their passion and interest. There are many different fields to choose from where they can work as some of them are mentioned above. (step 3)

Flexible Working Schedule

If someone isn’t interested in doing a typical 9-5 work schedule, building a  career as a community support worker may be a good option, working according to location and job role. 

Clients may need assistance every single day, year-round. Of course, these jobs need shift work and the good thing is workers can adjust the schedule that fits best for them. 

On the other hand,  if they are interested in a 9-5 work schedule, they can find the opportunity within that too. Hence, it’s quite a flexible career field.

Career Stability

Health, education, and human services are those fields that will always be in high demand. As long as people are around us, there will always be a need to support each other. 

Community support workers can associate with companies or with specific clients. Even many people do this job role on a part-time basis also before they switch completely.

Cost-Effective Education

Unlike other careers, getting an education as a community support worker is a quite cost-effective process. Getting an education typically takes 44 to 47 weeks (under a year). This scenario is quite appealing for those who want to enter the field of health and wellness without spending long years.

Personal Satisfaction

Community support workers help their clients to develop their skill sets and help to gain independence. This is an extremely gratifying aspect of life. They play a large role in restoring the health, dignity, and happiness of clients. So, this provides satisfaction to workers themselves. 

Social Development

Public interactions can give a sense of fulfillment and joy. As a community support worker, every day is different with various opportunities and challenges. Building a career as a community support worker is an excellent career option for those who are looking for the presence of human interaction and relationships.

Income Based Benefits

Although earnings depend on various things like type of job, experience, company, clients, field, etc., in general terms, community support workers earn a handsome income.

Straightforward Progress

Candidates will always progress when it comes to choosing a career as a Community Support Worker. This is vital to those who are looking to build a proper career that allows them to lead a progressive lifestyle. They can nurture themselves and have skills that work in a variety of fields and will be able to grow very quickly. Most CSWs can hold senior support workers and superintends over the long haul as long as they put themselves in the work.

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Daily Duties of a Community Support Worker

CSW professionals may work alone or with a team to provide care for many types of patients.

Some of the crucial day-to-day responsibilities are:

  • Preparing a nutritious meal for their clients.
  • Grooming and dressing patients and maintaining their health.
  • Making patients reminded of medications.
  • Maintaining cleanliness
  • Doing laundry and other housekeeping duties like vacuuming, dusting, and window cleaning.
  • Hosting one-to-one appointments whenever required.
  • Helping patients to move.

Serving others is joyful if it is with a whole heart.
– A community support worker at Insignia College

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