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PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION

PSA DISPUTES CLASSIFICATION OF  NEW COMMUNITY REHABILITATION WORKERS FOR THE COMMUNITY REHABILITATION CENTRES.

The three (3) new Mental Health Community Rehabilitation Centres (CRCs) being planned for metropolitan Adelaide which will provide a total of sixty (60) places for consumers. The CRC's are being designed to provide clinical care and intensive rehabilitation for people with mental illness and recovery support needs.  They will be located in a residential area and provide residents with "home-like" accommodation.  Individually tailored programs will be delivered, which provide a combination of clinical and non-clinical support, which are appropriate to the needs and capacity of the person.  These facilities should maximise consumer well-being through "post-acute" support aimed at self-management, relapse prevention and rehabilitation.

The PSA has been involved in a consultation process that agreed upon models of care and staffing structures.  Through this consultation Job & Person Specifications were developed for all new positions.  Up until the final meeting of the consultation group outcomes were achieved in a collaborative decision making process.

The agreed Job & Person Specifications were forwarded to the Department of Health for the final approval of classification for the positions.  The newly created positions of Community Rehabilitation Workers for the Central Northern Adelaide Health Service (CNAHS) were classified as OPS-2.  However, the Department of Health sent back the Job & Person Specifications to be changed to a Nursing Assistant role.  The CRC Consultative Group were advised that there had been no change to the duty statement of these positions.  The PSA was also advised that there would be no further consultation on the Job & Person Specifications.

It remains the view of the PSA that these positions were appropriately classified within the Operation Services Stream of the SA Public Sector Salaried Employees (Interim) Award 1994.  There are a number of other employees of the SA Public Sector with similar duties already classified within the Operational Services Stream of the above award.  Therefore, the PSA is now in dispute with the Department of Health in relation to this matter.

It is unfortunate that the PSA has had to take this action as the Association did not want to delay the opening of the first CRC at Mile End. The PSA will keep members informed of the progress of this dispute. 

PSA WORKING FOR YOU