Occupation
Developmental service worker
Developmental service workers support people with intellectual or developmental disabilities to live, work, and take part in their communities. The role covers personal care, skills teaching, behaviour support, and advocacy, usually in group homes, day programmes, or supported employment. Consistency and detailed documentation matter, because support plans are followed by a whole team across shifts.
Also known as: Disability support worker · Learning disability support worker · Direct support professional · Developmental support worker
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Occupation content
Part of Community, social and public services
A visual day in the work
What the work involves
Deliver personal care and daily living support according to each individual's plan
Teach and practise life, social, and employment skills with the people supported
Follow behaviour support plans and use approved de-escalation approaches
Support access to community activities, appointments, work, and family contact
Document progress, incidents, and health observations for the support team
Communicate with families, clinicians, and case managers about changes and concerns
Entry-route stepper
How people commonly enter
A college diploma in developmental service work, disability support, or community services
Entry-level hiring with employer training in behaviour support, safe practice, and medication administration where permitted
Transferring from personal support, education assistant, or mental health support roles
Typical training: Certificate or college diploma
Licensing: Not typically licensed
Work-context map
Typical work context
- Client sites
- Team based
- Physically active
- Shift work
- Public facing
Client sites · Team based · Physically active · Shift work · Public facing
Related interests
- Social (helping)
- Realistic (hands-on)
Social (helping) · Realistic (hands-on)
Related aptitude preparation
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Skills to practise
Practice suites
Related learning
Family-level learning links for Community, social and public services.
Official sources
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Labour-market context (not part of exploration match)
This is broad family-level context for Community, social and public services in Canada, not a figure for Developmental service worker. It does not affect matching scores and is not an eligibility determination.
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Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Community, social and public services: education pathways
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Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Community, social and public services: licensing
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