Participation Support Services

What Participation Support Services does

Participation Support Services (PSS; legal name Participation House Brantford; charitable registration #107820466RR0001) is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1975 in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, that supports adults with physical disabilities, individuals with complex care needs, and seniors to live as independently as possible in the Brant/Brantford community. PSS operates a portfolio of six core programs: Supportive Housing (congregate living at 10 Bell Lane for 24 individuals, individual accessible apartments at 255 Colborne Street for 18 individuals, and shared homes including Stedman House with 7 individuals), Transitional Care (24/7 out-of-home care for individuals awaiting permanent placement or post-hospitalization), PSW Support (scheduled and emergency personal support for independent-living clients), Respite Services (short-term caregiver relief), Attendant Care (up to 120 hours/month of in-home and at-work personal support), and the LEGHO Program (4–6 week post-discharge bundle of meals, transportation, and homemaking available across Brantford, Brant, and Norfolk communities). The organization serves approximately 300–350+ individuals annually, including 53 in permanent supportive housing and 150+ seniors in the outreach program.

The business model is anchored by long-term government service contracts with the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network (HNHBLHIN) and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, which function as the primary recurring revenue stream. Supplemental funding is generated through charitable donations, grants (e.g., $25,000 from The Cowan Foundation in 2018 and a $125,000 pledge from Rotary Club of Brantford–Sunrise in 2019), and a diversified fundraising event portfolio (Annual Golf Tournament $150/player, Wheelchair Basketball Tournament $400/team, Challenge Ride motorcycle event $40/bike, and the '55' book at $25/copy). The go-to-market motion is community-led and referral-driven: clients are routed through Home and Community Care Support Services (Ontario Health atHome) and hospital discharge pathways, with no direct consumer sales motion. PSS is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors (Chairman Steve Smith) under Executive Director Sherry Kerr, operating from headquarters at 10 Bell Lane with 11–50 staff across all sites. The organization holds three consecutive four-year FOCUS Accreditations (2015–2019, 2020–2024, 2025–2029) and the Seal of Sustainability Award, underscoring its quality credentials within the Ontario community support services sector.

Name

Participation Support Services

Legal name

Participation House Brantford

Website

https://pssbrantford.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Participation Support Services is a Brantford, Ontario non-profit (founded 1975) that delivers supportive housing, transitional care, PSW support, respite, attendant care, and post-discharge programs to 300–350+ adults with physical disabilities and seniors in Brant County under Ontario Health funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Support Services for Disabilities and Seniors

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Residential Care Facilities (6239)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Respite Care for Adults with Disabilities / Special Needs (HSABAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Companion Care & Social Support (non-clinical) (HLADAGAB), Post-Discharge Non-Medical Transitional Support (after hospital/SNF) (HLADAGAJ), Special Needs Adult Day Programs (Developmental/Physical Disabilities, Seniors) (HLADAIAI)

Keywords

• Supportive housing
• Personal support services
• Attendant care
• Respite services
• Community support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brantford

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Core operational funding from Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network (HNHBLHIN) and Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. This constitutes the primary revenue source for service delivery.
2. Donations and Grants: Supplemental funding through charitable donations and grants from foundations and service clubs to support capital projects, special programs, and equipment purchases.
3. Fundraising Events: Revenue from annual fundraising events including golf tournament, wheelchair basketball tournament, and motorcycle charity rides. Proceeds support programs and services beyond government funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Participation Support Services (PSS) delivers community-based support services to adults with physical disabilities, complex care needs, and seniors in Brantford and Brant County, Ontario. Its core portfolio consists of six service programs: Supportive Housing (24/7 congregate and apartment-based living), Transitional Care (post-hospital recovery and wait-list housing), PSW Support (in-home personal support), Respite Services (short-term caregiver relief), Attendant Care (up to 120 hours/month of self-directed personal support at home or work/school), and the LEGHO Program (4–6 week post-discharge community support bundle).

Product overview

Participation Support Services operates as a coordinated support services organization offering both residential and community-based care. The core portfolio consists of six service programs: Supportive Housing (congregate and apartment living), Transitional Care, PSW Support, Respite Services, Attendant Care, and the LEGHO Program. These services are complemented by fundraising activities including the Annual Wheelchair Basketball Tournament (in partnership with Brantwood Community Services), Annual Golf Tournament, Challenge Ride motorcycle event, and the '55 The Book' publication. The organization serves approximately 300-350 individuals with physical disabilities, complex care needs, and seniors in the Brantford/Brant County community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Supportive Housing Residential supportive housing for individuals with physical disabilities and complex care needs, offered in congregate living at 10 Bell Lane (24 individuals), individual apartments at 255 Colborne Street (18 individuals), and shared homes such as the Stedman House (7 individuals), with Personal Support Workers on site 24 hours per day.
• Transitional Care Out-of-home transitional care for individuals in hospital waiting for permanent placement or needing extra care after hospitalization, providing 24-hour care in a congregate living environment with accommodation, meals, PSW support, and in-house activities.
• PSW Support Personal support services delivered to individuals with physical disabilities or seniors living independently in the community, available on a scheduled or emergency basis. Includes bathing, medication administration, security/wellness checks, and light homemaking.
• Respite Services Out-of-home respite care providing short-term relief to individuals and caregivers living in the community, with 24-hour care in a congregate living environment, delivered by PSS and in partnership with Community Living Brant.
• Attendant Care Self-directed personal support from Personal Support Workers for individuals with physical disabilities living independently in the community, eligible for up to 120 hours per month of services delivered at home, work, or school.
• LEGHO Program (Let's Go Home) Bundle of community support services ensuring successful discharges from hospital or emergency department, providing patients with access to complimentary services for four to six weeks including frozen meals, transportation to medical appointments, homemaking, and home help.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• St. Joseph's Lifecare CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 January 2019Partnership to operate Stedman House as a permanent residence for 8 individuals with physical disabilities. PSS leases the facility from St. Joseph's Lifecare Centre.
• FOCUS AccreditationcoreOthersExternal accreditation agency that evaluates PSS operations, programs, and services against established benchmarks. FOCUS is a non-profit accreditation agency for community service organizations created in Ontario, Canada. PSS has been accredited for multiple cycles.
• Home and Community Care Support Services (Ontario Health atHome)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system partner that makes referrals to PSS services and coordinates care for individuals in the community. Applications for supportive housing, transitional care, PSW support, and respite services are made through this organization.
• Brantwood Community ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for wheelchair basketball tournament and shared respite services. Both organizations serve similar populations in the Brantford area.
• Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network (HNHBLHIN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government funder providing healthcare system funding for PSS operations and services.
• Aiding Dramatic Change in Development (ADCID)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization that uses participatory theatre, art and dialogue to facilitate communication. Provided drama workshop for PSS clients.
• Brant Community LivingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to establish permanent respite services for individuals with disabilities who are aging or living with aging caregivers.
• Northern Gate InvestmentsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to build 25 new accessible apartment units at 255 Colborne Street through affordable housing initiative with provincial and federal government.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bayshore HealthCare: Bayshore HealthCare is one of Canada's largest private home and community health services providers, offering personal support, home support and respite across Ontario. It is a broad-incumbent peer because it competes for the same PSW and attendant-care talent and funder relationships but as part of a much larger portfolio.
• SE Health (Saint Elizabeth): SE Health is a large national non-profit home and community care provider offering personal support, nursing and rehabilitation across Ontario. It is a broad-incumbent peer because it delivers the same in-home and community-based supports PSS does, but at substantially greater scale and with a clinical orientation.
• ParaMed Home Health Care (Extendicare): ParaMed is a major Ontario home health services provider (part of Extendicare) supplying PSWs, nurses and personal support to clients in their homes. It is a broad-incumbent peer because it directly competes for the same Ontario-funded personal-support contracts and PSW workforce.
• VON Canada: VON (Victorian Order of Nurses) Canada is a long-established non-profit providing home and community care including personal support, respite and transitional care across Ontario. It is a broad incumbent peer because it overlaps heavily with PSS service lines but operates at national scale with a broader clinical mandate.

Regional players

• Closing the Gap Healthcare: Closing the Gap Healthcare is an Ontario-focused home and community health services organization providing personal support, nursing and rehabilitation. It is a regional peer that competes for the same Ontario Health-funded referrals but with a broader clinical breadth than PSS.

Direct peers

• March of Dimes Canada: March of Dimes Canada is a national non-profit delivering attendant care, supportive housing, and post-discharge/community support for adults with physical disabilities. It is directly comparable because it operates PSS-style attendant and outreach programs at much greater scale across Ontario.
• Community Living Brant: Community Living Brant is a direct peer operating in Brantford serving adults with developmental disabilities, and is an explicit PSS partner in respite services and the Aging at Home program. It is highly comparable because both share the same Brant geography, similar client base, and overlapping respite service lines.
• Brantwood Community Services: Brantwood Community Services is a Brantford-area non-profit supporting people with developmental disabilities and is an explicit PSS partner (joint wheelchair basketball tournament, shared respite). It overlaps directly with PSS in clientele, geography and respite/transition-style programming.
• Participation House Markham (Sienna Senior Living): Participation House Markham (now operated within Sienna's Participation Seniors portfolio) is part of the broader Ontario 'Participation House' tradition of supportive housing for adults with physical disabilities and complex needs. It is highly comparable because of shared historical model, name, and focus on 24/7 PSW-supported congregate living.

Others

• HNHB Local Health Integration Network / Ontario Health atHome: Ontario Health atHome (formerly HNHB LHIN) is the regional health-system funder and central referral body that channels clients to PSS for supportive housing, transitional care, PSW and attendant services. It is an 'Others' peer because it is the ecosystem gatekeeper rather than a direct competitor, but it determines PSS's volume.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ParticipationSupportServices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/participation-house-brantford

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Participation Support Services