News Flash

All professional Officers, level 1, who translated to Allied Health Professional (AHP) Level 2 need to apply for a Peer Assessment prior to 14 January 2011 to ensure that this is the date they move up to AHP level 2, increment 2.

EA requirements

The 2010 Enterprise Agreement (EA) provided a new salary schedule, career structure and work level definitions (WLD) for Professional Officers (PO) who translated as Allied Health Professionals (AHP). This came into effect from the first pay period on or after the 14th January 2010. All PO1, at the 6th and 7th increment translated to AHP2, 1st increment. The EA then allows for these employees to be “eligible to apply to a Peer Assessment Panel for assessment and to be able to progress through the steps of level 2 not earlier than 12 months later”. (EA Schedule 1.21A, Clause 14 (c)). Then clause 1.5 reads, “where the Peer Assessment Panel determines that an AHP is eligible for progression the date of operation for the new salary will be either from the date of receipt of application for assessment or the employees incremental service date, whichever is the later”.

Date for progression

For those PO1, 6th or 7th increment who translated to AHP 2, 1st increment, their new incremental service date is the 14th January. For all other AHP's their incremental service date remains as it was before. This means if an AHP2, 1st increment, applies for progression prior to 14th January 2011, say December 23rd 2010, and is successful, they progress to AHP2, 2nd increment from the 1st pay period on or after the 14th January 2011. If however, they apply later e.g. the 1st March 2011, that then becomes the date of progression i.e. 1st March 2011.

Exceptions

NB: The only exception is those PO1 increment 5 who translated to AHP1, level 5. They will have their service at PO level 1, increment 5 count in aggregate towards the top 12 month period at the top increment of AHP1, for the purposes of being eligible to apply to a Peer Assessment Panel to progress to AHP level 2. These exceptions therefore would all be eligible to apply prior to 14th January 2011.

The PSA negotiated with agencies, that as the Peer Assessment Process had not yet been established, including forms on which to apply, members within that group would not be disadvantaged. i.e. if they apply when a process is developed and if successful, they will be be back dated to when the 12 month at the top increment, level 1 occurred.

Career Progression
 
The new AHP structure gave all AHP's an additional pay rise on 14th January 2010 and an opportunity for progression.
Each level is divided into 3 categories “Clinical, Management and Education/ Researcher” e.g. AHP level 3 is divided into “Senior Clinician/ Practitioner/ Senior Rural Specialist” or “Manager/ Project Manager” or “Senior Clinical Educator/ Senior Researcher”. The intention is to allow all AHP's a career path by more than managerial/ supervisory requirements.

15 December 2010