News Flash

Dispute Notified

The PSA has notified Families SA that PSA is in dispute because of the action by some local Managers to not allow non AASW qualified Social Workers to apply for promotional positions.

The PSA was only aware of this after being contacted by members thus affected.

PSA has never been advised of any such decision by Families SA.

PSA wrote to your Chief Executive, Joslene Mazel, with cc to your Executive Director, David Waterford on 14 October 2010 and again on 20 October 2010.  PSA has received no acknowledgement nor response to date.

On 3 November 2010 PSA advised Ms Joslene Mazel that PSA is in dispute and thus “no social work appointments to positions should be made to ensure that no persons are disadvantaged”.

At this stage PSA has not seen any formal direction on which the manager's decision has been based.

PSA knows that as at 5/11/10 there has been no formal determination by the Commissioner for Public Employment.

PSA was never advised by Families SA that “grand-parented” Social Workers in the AHP Stream may not be eligible to apply for promotional positions.

Background
As part of the negotiations between PSA and the government a new career structure for Allied Health Professionals (AHP), with new salaries, classification criteria and peer assessment from AHP1 to AHP2 was developed.  This was in response to claims from PSA about “recruitment and retention” for professionals.  These claims were supported by the Department of Health .

In the previous 2006 Enterprise Agreement (EA) and the current Award there are 53 disciplines in the Professional Stream.

The new Allied Health Professional Stream consists of 19 of these professions, most of whom are employed exclusively in Health, plus 4 new disciplines ie Developmental Educators, Genetic Counselors, Orthotists and Prosthetists.

The AHP Stream gave considerable benefits to the professions therein, ie

1.The structure had an additional top increment equal to the 1st increment of the next higher level.

2.All PO1s at 6th and 7th increment translated to AHP2, 1st increment.

3.Peer assessment process for future progression from top increment AHP1 to AHP2, and a one off progression from 14/01/11 up the AHP2 level for those PO1s, who translated to AHP2, 1st increment at 14/01/10.

4.An entitlement for 5 days paid Professional Leave over 2 years and reimbursement of a reasonable cost of professional development in order for the employee to maintain or acquire his or her registration or accreditation in the professional occupation or capacity in which he or she is employed (clause 17).

The PSA insisted that Social Workers in all agencies, not just in health, translate into the new AHP structure.

The PSA also gained assurances that “grand-parenting” would apply so that no PSA members would be disadvantaged.

Peer Assessment Process
PSA Industrial Officers have had one meeting with Families SA Human Resources regarding the composition of the Panel and the processes for those PO1's who translated to AHP2, increment 1, and AHP1, who have been 12 months at top increment to progress.

Most of the process is determined by what is written in the 2010 Enterprise Agreement.  However, PSA has at least 3 differences with Families SA Human Resources Department.

PSA states:

1.The Panel, which is supposed to be a peer assessment should not have a HR representative, and only consist of employees from the profession being assessed.

2.That for those currently AHP2, 1st increment, this should be a simplified process, as these employees already went through a similar process under the 2006 EA.

3.That Grand-parented AHP's are eligible for progression.  Families SA HR's view was that they were not.

Resolution
The PSA hopes to resolve these outstanding issues by meeting with Families SA management and officers from Commissioner for Public Employment Officer and Public Sector Workforce Division of the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

8 November 2010