News Flash

Several Public Service Association (PSA) members from Families SA Adoptions and Family Information Services and Post Care Services (AFIS/PCS) and PSA Industrial Officer Vanessa Ravenhill met on Thursday 22 July 2010 with the Executive Director Families SA and Department for Families and Communities (DFC) representatives in accordance with the Grievance and Dispute Avoidance Procedures in the South Australian Government Wages Parity (Salaried) Enterprise Agreement 2010.

Previously the PSA lodged a dispute with the Department on behalf of the members at AFIS/PCS following a proposal put by the Executive Director Families SA on 6 July that AFIS/PCS be disbanded, with the unit’s services being restructured and the positions of the Manager and Business Manager being abolished. 

It is the members’ view that the Department has breached Clause 25 (Consultative Processes) of the South Australian Government Wages Parity (Salaried) Enterprise Agreement 2010, in particular:

5.1.2 "Employers and Agencies consult in good faith, not simply advise what will be done."

25.1.4 " Workplace change that will affect a significant number of employees should not be implemented before appropriate consultation has occurred with employee representatives."

The PSA raised the following on behalf of all members in AFIS/PCS:

The Transition Principles document relating to the proposed restructure provided to staff on 6 July by the Department states that the proposal is the result of a previous reporting relationship change (at Director level only) in June 2009 and that it also involves the Families SA Customer Relations Unit.  However, members at AFIS/PCS had never been involved in any previous consultative process nor have they been advised that their unit would be restructured 12 months later.

The document refers to Statewide Services Directorate and Customer Relations Unit, but the scope of the proposal only describes a disbanding of AFIS/PCS.  If the proposed restructure was part of the change in reporting relationships announced in June 2009 then why weren't all positions in Statewide Services Directorate and Customer Relations Unit frozen?

AFIS/PCS Members presented the following information and concerns:

The proposal is that AFIS/PCS positions and services will be distributed across other units.  The lack of consultation with all Managers affected by the proposal means there has been no opportunity to discuss the impact on services, alternative models, structures and political risks.

A strong reaction is expected from the unit’s clients if AFIS/PCS is disbanded and restructured, given that the unit operates on a model of consumer engagement and consultation with customers of the services.

Information was provided about the benefits to clients of the current interconnected services at AFIS/PCS.

The restructure proposal is significantly dissimilar to interstate counterpart services, which means it contradicts the Community and Disability Services Ministers Conference (CDSMC) commitment to harmonisation across Australia in Adoption and Post Care Services.

Integration of the 5 programs managed by AFIS/PCS creates significant efficiencies.  Disintegration means expensive inefficiencies with clients affected by reduced and disjointed services, with a significant impact on certain client groups such as Aboriginal people who were removed from their families in the past. 

The proposal to eliminate the Manager position fails to recognise the national and international role of the AFIS/PCS Manager (the South Australian Central Authority) under the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption which Australia has ratified.

All stakeholders in this process, including partner agencies, client support groups and individual clients, have not been identified and invited to participate in a consultative process.

Executive Director’s response

The Executive Director indicated that he was genuinely open to and prepared to consider any proposals that AFIS/PCS staff may put where there is a logical fit and synergy with other Families SA small business units.
 
He agreed that answers to the tabled questions posed by members regarding the extent and scope of the restructure and time frames, including a statement about the "non negotiable", would be provided as soon as possible.  The departmental representatives stated that they have every intention of involving all staff in a consultative process, which would include the suggestions raised at the meeting about possible structures.  The Executive Director thanked the members for providing valid and helpful information. 


The Departmental representatives proposed that the group reconvene in 7 - 10 days time and that members consider withdrawing the dispute notification, based on the matters discussed in this meeting.

A meeting with PSA members employed at AFIS/PCS occurred on Tuesday 27 July.  The PSA will continue to inform members of its progress in this matter.

Members determined to meet again once the questions had been responded to by DFC.