A backlog of Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) background checks is leaving front-line workers across the province without jobs, including a social worker who recently moved to Labrador.
Sarah, who asked CBC not to use her last name, filed her vulnerable sector screening (VSC) application in mid-August but has heard nothing back. The check is required before she can begin her new job. She was supposed to start on September 5 and now expects to go months without income.
“I left Ontario because I couldn’t afford to live. Now I’m sitting here, unemployed, running through my savings,” she said.
Vulnerable sector screenings are required for anyone working with children, seniors, or other vulnerable populations. They involve a criminal record check, a local police information check, and a vulnerable sector query. Applications are taken in by Triton Canada but must be processed by the OPP.
Currently, the OPP is only working on applications received before July 22, leaving thousands of applicants in limbo. OPP spokesperson Erin Cranton said the backlog is due to high demand, with complex cases sometimes taking up to 55 days.
The delay is not only affecting individuals but also the province’s health care system. Miranda Romanowicz, CEO of the Ontario Personal Support Workers Association, said many personal support workers are losing jobs because they can’t get checks processed on time. “We’re looking at staffing shortages, which is already a huge issue in Ontario health care. Residents and clients are not getting the care they need,” she said.
The Solicitor General’s office has said it is working with the OPP to reduce processing times by adding more staff. But for Sarah and others like her, the wait has already had serious consequences. “Any other employer would have moved on,” she said. “I’m lucky mine hasn’t, but I don’t know how much longer they can wait.”
