ADHC privatisation consultation report back

ADHC privatisation consultation report back – September 2016 (PDF version)

NSW Government finalise ‘short-list’ of providers for group home privatisation

The Department of Family and Community Services has confirmed that a short list of potential private providers has been prepared for the NSW Government as the agency moves ahead with plans to tender for group home services.

The Government has written to short listed agencies to invite them to bid for Government run disability services. The PSA pushed for details on the shortlist but were advised that this is confidential.

Two stage privatisation process confirmed

At the consultation meeting held on 22 September with PSA staff and delegates, the Department confirmed Government plans to implement a two stage privatisation process. Despite previous timelines, it was confirmed that group homes delivering ‘less complex’ services are now slated for transfer to the private sector in mid-late 2017, followed by more complex services.

Despite previous timelines, the Government also now expects to determine the successful agencies by Christmas 2016 with an official announcement in March 2017. Your union has continued to raise important issues both at the NSW Industrial Relations Commission and at the consultation meetings. The PSA has stated on numerous occasions that the timelines set by Government are unrealistic and put people with disability at risk.

The fact that the Government has been forced to push out its timelines vindicates what the PSA has been claiming all along; to completely exit the disability sector and privatise all publicly run services is a foolhardy and reckless decision.

Mobility Pathways for staff not being privatised

In other developments, FACS expects to provide the PSA with a draft document setting out plans for inter-agency Mobility Pathways to assist out-of-scope (non-transferring) staff to obtain re-assignment opportunities with other NSW public sector employers.

FACS is currently finalising ‘intake pools’ (i.e. aligning current FACS roles with other similar roles across the sector) and expects to provide the PSA with a detailed proposal by the end of September 2016. This will finally determine who is in and out of scope in the privatisation. FACS expects to trial the program with a sample group later in the year with full implementation expected around March 2017.

While the PSA is yet to receive the Department’s draft proposal, the decision to establish formal procedures for cross-agency priority redeployment is encouraging and something the PSA has long fought for.

Living wage at risk – no guarantee rostering principles will be protected

In less encouraging news however, the Department were unwilling to guarantee the status of the agency’s current group home ‘rostering principles’ post transfer.

The PSA has sought an assurance that the rostering principles will be included as part of the Government’s transfer agreement with private operators. Our concern is that if the rostering principles are not included as a formal part of the transfer arrangements then privatised disability staff may lose access to the more lucrative penalty shifts as new operators choose to fill those shifts with cheaper casual staff employed under federal SACS Award.

The Department would only commit that staff transfer implementation would be part of the assessment process considered by Government. The PSA will be escalating this issue further and will raise our concerns directly with the Secretary of Treasury.