News Flash

Further to PSA brief of 5 November 2010, “AHP Translation and Progression” members have queried previous minimum essential qualification for Social Workers and the concept of “grand-parenting”.

This brief provides that information and the current proposals.

History
Prior to 1991, in the then Department of Community Welfare, (Families SA's predecessor). no employee had the title “Social Worker”.  They were called “Community Welfare Worker”.

To conform with federal industrial rulings, a process know as “Award Restructuring” occurred.  Within the SA State Government 100's of Awards and Industrial Agreements  were rescinded and consolidated into 4 streams, Operations Services (OPS), Technical Grades (TGO), Professional Services (PSO) and Administrative Officer (ASO).

The then SA Government Social Workers Award included Residential Care Workers, Group Workers, Probation and Parole Officers, Community Welfare Workers, Managers of District Offices and (in Health and  Education) Social Workers.

The Government proposed in 1991 that all those in the Social Workers Award move to the OPS Stream.  The PSA successfully campaigned against this.  This resulted in Residential Care Workers translating to the OPS Stream, District Managers to the ASO Stream and Community Welfare Workers translating into the PSO Stream.

Grand-parenting
As some Community Welfare Workers did not have degrees in Social Work, (some had the two year Associate Diploma in Social Work) it was determined that all those occupying positions of Community Welfare Worker at 1 July 1991, would translate into Social Worker positions and their qualifications recognised.  This was known at the time as a “Grand-father” clause.

Minimum Essential Qualification
The Commissioner for Public Sector Employment issues determinations stating what are the Minimum Qualification Requirements for recruitment into positions. Currently this is Commissioners Standard 2, Attachment C.  For most of the Professionals now in the AHP Stream, this either states “giving eligibility for registration”, or “registered as ….” or “eligible for membership of [the appropriate professional body]”.  All professionals are required to have an appropriate degree.

For Social Workers it states and has done since 1991, “A degree level qualification in the social work discipline to a standard accepted by the chief executive.

Note: Qualifications recognised by the Commissioner [of Public Employment] prior to the date of inclusion of social workers in the professional services stream will be recognised for employees who were employed as social workers at this date [1 July 1991] and have been employed continuously as social workers since this date”.

Thus for Social Workers, because currently they are not required to be registered, those who did not hold a social work degree as at 1/7/1991, were able to be grand-parented and Chief Executives had flexibility in determining the social work qualification for future recruitment purposes in their departments.

The Minimum Essential qualifications are being rewritten by the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment in consultation with departments and the PSA.  Currently there is a draft “Commissioner Determination 5” which will contain the minimum qualification and has not yet been issued. (as at 9/11/10)

For Social Workers it is proposed that it will read “A degree level qualification in social work leading to eligibility for (full) membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers”.

This is consistent with all other Allied Health Professionals (AHP) where either registration or eligibility for a professional association is required.

The PSA negotiated to ensure that all those who were grand-parented in as Social Workers in 1991, and any others recruited since who do not have AASW recognised degrees were not disadvantaged.  PSA insisted that:

1.All PO's in these disciplines eg Social Workers would translate as at 14 January 2010 into the AHP Stream.

2.A grand-parenting clause in the preamble of Commissioners Determination 5 stating: “Qualifications, for those 'existing' employees identified above, that were recognised as equivalent prior to 14 January 2010 will continue to be recognised subject to continuous employment in those vocational groups and subject to meeting legal requirements to practise” would be included.  This was accepted by the Commissioner for Public Employment.

PSA considers therefore that grand-parenting would continue to apply as it has since 1991, in that the qualifications of such employees are deemed equivalent for purposes of translation, promotion, progression and reclassification.

N.B.    AASW eligibility means for Australian qualifications, that the qualification was obtained from an AASW accredited university course.  It is the qualification obtained that is accredited.

Current situation
The PSA's position is that Commissioner's Standard 2 Attachment C applies until the new Commissioner's Determination 5 is published.

9 September 2010