Housing Services: Sydney district PSA Joint Consultative Committee meeting
The first quarterly Joint Consultative Committee meeting (JCC) for 2026 was held on 16 March 2026 for the Sydney district. PSA industrial staff attend these meetings with workplace delegates and district leadership from Homes NSW.
JCCs are an important platform to address workplace concerns and members are encouraged to reach out to PSA delegates and staff about any workplace issues they would like raised at the meetings. They are an opportunity for members to speak out and ask any questions they may have about workplace rights. Please note only collective issues are discussed at JCCs. Individual matters are managed privately.
Key discussions on 16 March included:
Recruitment and backfilling
Management advised that staff in acting up positions, and are eligible, continue to be converted to ongoing roles and new recruits receive ongoing support to help transition them into the district. They also mentioned that there were no Client Service Officer vacancies.
Housing Services has a clear process around how to fill temporary vacancies of up to 26 weeks. Members are encouraged to engage with this process and to please reach out with any questions or concerns you’d like raised at the next JCC.
Staff development
Management said they have a new training calendar in draft and that the district has partnered with other districts to make sure training is more accessible for staff.
Refresher training in managing workplace violence is to be rolled out across the district this year. The executive director of Housing Services confirmed in a meeting last Friday that the training would be delivered face-to-face every 2 years with online refreshers in alternate years.
The PSA asked about assistance provided to support staff through LEAP and management confirmed staff are given additional time to complete the training. Leadership said they are alerted if anyone falls into the at-risk category and can provide the appropriate supports.
Work Health and Safety
Management said the district’s Psychosocial Action Plan has been done and will be presented at the next Town Hall. At the Housing Services JCC last Friday, the executive director said the Psychosocial Action Plans had been finalised in accordance with SafeWork NSW guidance and that reviews would be scheduled every 6 months to reflect staff feedback.
It’s important that members know about and understand the Psychosocial Action Plan as it will provide important agreed actions about how to manage psychosocial hazards such as role overload, workplace bullying, work-related violence and burnout.
The PSA would expect the Psychosocial Action Plan to comply with SafeWork’s Code of Practice.
Action on the People Matter Employee Survey
Linked to the Psychosocial Action Plan is the People Matter Employee Survey (PMES) subplan. Leadership said it focuses on 3 primary areas, including:
- Supporting Client Service Officers on the floor, particularly around de-escalation
- Wellbeing and burnout
- Communication and support on the floor, to improve consistent messaging
Management said the plan would speak to the people on the frontline. In the Housing Services JCC last Friday, management noted that Client Service Officers recorded the highest number of Safety Suite incidents. Again, members are encouraged to engage with the plan and reach out if they have any questions or concerns.
Renovations for Strawberry Hills office
Staff have been told about the upcoming renovations to the Strawberry Hills office and have been shown a mocked up model. Front and back spaces are to be done, including booths and rooms. Please reach out to your workplace delegates or PSA staff if you have any concerns about the upcoming renovations.
The next JCC meeting is scheduled for June. Members are encouraged to share any issues they have with workplace delegates or PSA staff, particularly around any matters raised here. The more you get involved, the stronger and more united your workforce will be, to better negotiate workplace rights and conditions.
Contacts
Delegate
PSA Industrial Staff