Regulatory organizations play an important and vital role in ensuring patient safety and accountability for their professions. Personal Support Workers (PSWs) as mentioned in the HPRAC report of 2006 pertaining to the consideration to the regulation of PSWs, what is “needed for self-regulation, the leadership must show that it will distinguish between the public interest and the profession’s self-interest and will favour the former over the latter.”

“HPRAC is confident that the majority of the PSW’s want to serve their client’s or patient’s interests. However, the lack of a fully developed professional association representing the majority of the PSW’s makes it difficult to identify leadership, which can ensure that the role of advocacy for the profession is understood as having different goals and requirements than the promotion and protection of the public interest.”

OPSWA has taken the initiative to develop and uphold Standards of Practice to protect the public and protect all vested stakeholders through the development of a defined scope of practice, development of standards of care, and a complaints process for all.