The Ranch Ehrlo Society places great emphasis on having highly trained and caring staff with an unparallel reputation for excellence in the care, education, and treatment of young people. As such, all employees new to the organization must complete training unique to their careers within the agency.
Employee education and development is mandated by accreditation, legislation, workplace safety, and agency best practice. Our training courses vary from mandatory to voluntary, but are all designed to give employees a positive and realistic concept of their job duties and responsibilities.
Training instills confidence in employees and gives them a starting point, said Human Resources Manager Therese Cook.
“Training is becoming a culture which is really nice to see,” she said from her MacKay Street office. “Prior to training, people were thrown right into the fire. It was sink or swim whereas now, we’re giving a base knowledge that people can work from so employees aren’t walking in blind.”
A core induction training program was developed and implemented for the Ranch Ehrlo Society in 2008. The induction training is used to instruct residential staff. Most recently, Ehrlo education employees and members of other units have began using a modified version of the core training to prepare new employees, said Cook.
“It takes a special kind of person to work here,” said Delaine Brookes, human resource assistant. “It’s not a job meant for anyone, and this training helps us to get the best qualified employees.”
Training has always been stressed upon at Ranch Ehrlo Society, said Cooke, however prior to the publication and implementation of the core training program there were gaps in the new employee orientation procedure.
The core training program is continually evolving, thanks in part to feedback surveys which solicit employee’s opinions regarding the training period.
“(The surveys) allow us to take that feedback and try to make it a much better session for future groups,” explained Cooke, adding interactivity and role playing has since been added to the training program.
Not all employees are required to complete the core training program, however all new hires must attend a three-hour employee session which familiarizes participants with Ranch Ehrlo policies and procedures. The information delivered throughout this orientation is sourced from the Employee Handbook, and summarizes the policies, practices, responsibilities and benefits (conditions of employment) for the employees of the Ranch Ehrlo Society.
Training requirements vary from unit to unit. Courses include but are not limited to: Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) training, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and First Aid training, Therapeutic Camp training, and Safe Food Handling.
Employees are TCI recertified each year, and First Aid/CPR recertified every two years in accordance with policy and agency best practice.
Staff also have the option to participate in additional training and/or professional development which may be assisted by the Ranch Ehrlo Society.
Mandatory training courses are paid for by the Ranch Ehrlo Society, however time paid varies depending on the course and years of service.
