Child Protection Helpline, After Hours Response Team, and DV Line workplace group vacancies: call for nominations now open

Delegates are the lifeblood of your union. You are the voice of your workplace.

Being a delegate offers you the opportunity to have significant input into your workplace and be part of a collective effort to protect and improve your workplace conditions.

In October 2025 delegate elections were held, and members voted in:

2 x Helpline Delegate –Morteza Elbrahimi and Eman Elfoul

1 x Domestic Violence Line Delegate – vacant

1 x After-Hours Response Team Delegate – vacant

1 x Women’s Contact Person – Maheen Malik

1 x Aboriginal Contact Person – vacant

1 x Youth Contact Person – Emerald Luke

Eman Elfoul has relinquished her position, however, remains an elected Child Protection and Permanency Departmental Committee member.

Elections for delegates to represent the Helpline, Domestic Violence (DV) Line, and After Hours Response Team occur every two years. However, there are currently four vacant positions that need to be filled.

Consequently, the Public Service Association (PSA) is issuing a call for nominations to fill these vacancies immediately and ensure your teams have full representation.

If you are passionate about supporting your colleagues and advocating for your workplace, we encourage you to step forward. As a delegate, you will be supported by PSA staff, have access to a range of PSA training courses and you will have additional protection under the Award.

The Child Protection Helpline Workplace Group shall consist of seven delegates

Each nomination must be supported by two other PSA members from the Child Protection Helpline work group. Candidates, nominators, and seconders must be financial members of the Association as of 24 September 2026.

The following positions are open:

1 x Helpline Delegate

1 x Domestic Violence Line Delegate

1 x After-Hours Response Team Delegate

1 x Aboriginal Contact Person

Nominations are now open

The PSA encourages all financial members interested in becoming a delegate to submit a nomination by 5:00pm Wednesday 4 November 2026 via the link HERE.

In case there is a need for a ballot, candidates who wish to have a profile available for voters to read should provide a brief statement of 300 words or less stating how they will best represent members’ interests. Space is provided for this purpose on the form available through Survey Buddy.

Contact

Please email any questions to Organiser Andrea Cartwright

Department of Customer Service Psychosocial Health and Safety Plan: have your say

The Department of Customer Service (DCS) has released its draft Psychosocial Health & Safety Plan for department-wide consultation found HERE. The department-wide consultation period will end on Friday, 30 October 2026.

The draft Plan proposes a department-wide approach to identifying, managing and preventing psychosocial hazards and risks, with the aim of creating psychologically healthy and safe workplaces across DCS. The Plan focuses on how work is designed, led and delivered, including workload, organisational change, role clarity, workplace relationships, leadership support and early action on psychosocial risks.

The PSA is seeking members’ views so that your workplace experiences and concerns can inform the union’s response. Please provide your feedback to the PSA by close of business Wednesday, 28 October 2026, allowing time for the PSA to review and consolidate member feedback before making its submission.

What should members comment on?

Whether the draft Plan adequately identifies the psychosocial hazards present in your work area.

Workload, staffing, resourcing, role clarity and competing priorities.

The psychosocial impacts of restructures, organisational change and uncertainty.

Whether consultation, reporting and escalation processes are clear, accessible and effective.

Leadership accountability and whether proposed actions will address risks at their source.

How implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting should work in practice.

Any gaps, practical concerns or additional controls you believe should be included.

How to submit feedback

Send your feedback to the PSA Member Support Centre by COB Wednesday, 28 October 2026.

Email:

Quote reference number: C10024228

Telephone: 1800 772 679 (1800 PSA NSW)

PSA contacts

Dean Allen Industrial Officer
dallen@psa.asn.au

Trina Leask Organiser
tleask@psa.asn.au

Stronger together

Your feedback is important. It will help the PSA identify common issues, advocate for effective controls and ensure members’ voices are represented during consultation. If you work alongside colleagues who are not yet union members, encourage them to join the PSA so their views can also be represented.

Multicultural NSW: newly elected PSA delegates

The PSA is pleased to announce that Angelina Gu and Paul Higgins have been elected as delegates to represent members at Multicultural NSW (MNSW).

Congratulations to Angelina and Paul on their election and thank you for stepping up to represent your colleagues and support PSA members across MNSW. We look forward to working with you as you advocate for members’ rights, raise workplace concerns, and help build a stronger, fairer workplace for everyone.

What happens next?

The newly elected delegates will meet before the end of 2026 to hold their first member meeting and discuss the key issues affecting MNSW members. This will be an important opportunity to hear from members, identify shared concerns and establish priorities for the work ahead.

All delegates have been provided with delegate training and will receive ongoing support and guidance from the PSA to help them effectively represent and advocate for members.

Thank you to our outgoing delegates

The PSA would also like to extend its sincere thanks to outgoing delegates Marilyn Bellett and Georgia Holloway for their unwavering advocacy and tireless work on behalf of members.

Their dedication to fighting for better pay and conditions, protecting workplace rights and standing up for their colleagues has made a significant contribution to the collective strength of members at MNSW. We are grateful for the time, commitment, and effort they have given to supporting their fellow members.

Support your union

Your union is here for you. If you have any questions, concerns, or workplace issues you would like to raise, please contact the PSA Member Support Centre on 1800 772 679.

The strength of our union comes from our members standing together. You can support the work of the PSA and your delegates by encouraging your colleagues to join the union. The more members who stand together, the stronger our collective voice to advocate for fair treatment, better conditions, and meaningful workplace change.

Contacts

Your PSA Industrial Staff:

Anthony Wright Industrial Officer

Alex Sala Organiser

Helpline, Domestic Violence line and After Hours Team PSA members’ meeting

The Public Services Association will be holding a member meeting for Helpline, Domestic Violence line and After Hours Team.

The PSA are holding four online member meetings on Monday 26 October 2026. We encourage all members from Helpline, DV line and After Hours Team to attend. MS Teams Links for each of the meetings are provided below.

This is an opportunity for members to raise workplace issues and concerns in relation to the roster review.

Meeting 1
Date:	Monday 26 October 2026
Time:	9:00am-10:00am
Location:	Teams Join HERE Meeting ID: 449 896 934 804 169 Passcode: Hz784aw7

Meeting 1

Date:

Monday 26 October 2026

Time:

9:00am-10:00am

Location:

Teams

Join HERE

Meeting ID: 449 896 934 804 169

Passcode: Hz784aw7

Meeting 2
Date:	Monday 26 October 2026
Time:	12:00pm-1:00pm
Location:	Teams Join HERE Meeting ID: 457 266 394 396 766 Passcode: te9xD6tj

Meeting 2

Date:

Monday 26 October 2026

Time:

12:00pm-1:00pm

Location:

Teams

Join HERE

Meeting ID: 457 266 394 396 766

Passcode: te9xD6tj

Meeting 3
Date:	Monday 26 October 2026
Time:	3:00pm-4:00pm
Location:	Teams Join HERE Meeting ID: 467 062 104 602 175 Passcode: MM6zc6tU

Meeting 3

Date:

Monday 26 October 2026

Time:

3:00pm-4:00pm

Location:

Teams

Join HERE

Meeting ID: 467 062 104 602 175

Passcode: MM6zc6tU

Meeting 4
Date:	Monday 26 October 2026
Time:	7:00pm-8:00pm
Location:	Teams Join HERE Meeting ID: 439 522 617 057 656 Passcode: Zw7oH7WE

Meeting 4

Date:

Monday 26 October 2026

Time:

7:00pm-8:00pm

Location:

Teams

Join HERE

Meeting ID: 439 522 617 057 656

Passcode: Zw7oH7WE

We want to hear from you about the issues that affect your working conditions.

Contacts

Andrea Cartwright Organiser

Belinda Tsirekas Senior Organiser

Graydon Welsh Industrial Officer

University of Sydney: Enterprise Bargaining update

Since our last bulletin, your union has participated in another two Enterprise Bargaining meetings. Thank you to all members who joined our member meeting to discuss bargaining. We are pleased to see that the University has returned to the table to continue bargaining despite the EA proposal ‘package’ they suddenly distributed to all staff a couple of weeks ago.

With all our claims tabled, we have made substantial progress on a number of matters and the highlights include:

Further discussion of fixed term contracts and avenues for more secure ongoing employment,
clarified pathways to secondment and professional development opportunities,
movement on improvements for staff living with disabilities and chronic health conditions,
fairer notification of performance concerns for staff and,
clearer terms around access to Higher Duties Allowances for staff with deputising responsibilities in their position descriptions

Contacts

Your bargaining team is working hard to get this concluded by the end of the year.

Your CPSU NSW University of Sydney bargaining team

Grant Wheeler

Tama Woodbury

Holly Eades

Norton Roughley

Alison Wardman

CPSU NSW Industrial Staff

Member Support Centre
1800 772 679

Lisa Nelson Senior Industrial Officer

Jose Vasquez Organiser

Our message to Helen Haines MP and her staff

Our thoughts at the PSA CPSU NSW are with the independent MP for the federal seat of Indi, Helen Haines, and her staff.

In an era of coarsening political debate, we extend our solidarity to all workers in electorate offices and parliamentary chambers nationwide. Regardless of political affiliation, these workers are vital for a thriving democratic process. They deserve respect when carrying out their duties.

We urge all PSA members working in electoral offices and the NSW State Parliament to take precautions when at work. This is particularly important as NSW goes into an election campaign, when political tensions are on the increase.

As your union, we are here for you.

Do you work at Homes NSW in the Hurstville Services Centre?

The PSA is progressing a critical campaign to address systemic failures in domestic and family violence (DFV) response across regional NSW. Community Services Organiser Andrea Cartwright, Senior Organiser Belinda Tsirekas, will be visiting you this week.

The DV Needs Public Services campaign is calling for a coordinated, publicly delivered system that ensures consistent, accountable, and effective support for victim-survivors, replacing the current fragmented approach.

To strengthen this work, we are inviting all members from Homes NSW to attend a member meeting to discuss the campaign, share insights from the workplace, and identify actions we can take together.

Agenda

Provide an overview of the PSA DV campaign and its objectives
Discuss key issues affecting members working in DFV and related services
Gather member feedback to inform campaign strategy and advocacy

Hurstville Community Services Centre
Date:	Thursday 22 October 2026
Time:	12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location:	HUR-12BUTLER-L3 and online via MS Teams Join HERE Meeting ID: 445 085 361 391 911 Passcode: MY3xx7Gire

Hurstville Community Services Centre

Date:

Thursday 22 October 2026

Time:

12:00pm – 1:00pm

Location:

HUR-12BUTLER-L3 and online via MS Teams

Join HERE

Meeting ID: 445 085 361 391 911

Passcode: MY3xx7Gire

Contacts

Andrea Cartwright Organiser

Belinda Tsirekas Senior Organiser

Do you work in Child Protection and Permanency Sutherland or St George Community Services Centre?

To strengthen this work, we are inviting all members from Child Protection and Permanency to attend a member meeting to discuss the campaign, share insights from the workplace, and identify actions we can take together.

Agenda

Provide an overview of the PSA DV campaign and its objectives
Discuss key issues affecting members working in DFV and related services
Gather member feedback to inform campaign strategy and advocacy
Phase 3 of System Reform for Child Protection and Permanency (CPP)

With the announcement that many CPP staff who have been working in various teams are being returned to frontline Casework, it makes it clear that the Department is oblivious to its own structure and has to continue to “rob Peter to pay Paul” to undertake its statutory responsibility.

These changes highlight the serious issues with recruitment and retention of staff. Even with the wage increase for many Caseworkers, the Department of Communities and Justice continues to be unable to recruit and retain staff.

The PSA has grave concerns that, with these proposed changes, many CPP staff will leave the Department. This will lead to greater workloads and vacancies, meaning less service and support to children, young people, families and carers.

The Department needs to listen to its staff, take their feedback seriously and give it proper consideration. You are the people performing the work. You are the people caring for children and young people. You are the people supporting families and carers. Come along and raise your voices!

Sutherland and St George Community Services Centre
Date:	Thursday 22 October 2026
Time:	12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location:	HUR-12BUTLER-L3 and online via MS Teams Join HERE Meeting ID: 445 085 361 391 911 Passcode: MY3xx7Gi

Sutherland and St George Community Services Centre

Date:

Thursday 22 October 2026

Time:

12:00pm – 1:00pm

Location:

HUR-12BUTLER-L3 and online via MS Teams

Join HERE

Meeting ID: 445 085 361 391 911

Passcode: MY3xx7Gi

Contacts

Andrea Cartwright Organiser

Belinda Tsirekas Senior Organiser

Expressions of interest now open for Health and Safety Representative training: November 2026

The PSA CPSU NSW is now accepting expressions of interest for a five-day Health and Safety Representative (HSR) initial training course to be held at PSA House in Sydney on 9-13 November 2026 inclusive.

About the course

This five-day initial course is designed to give elected HSRs the knowledge, skills, and confidence to exercise their powers under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) and represent workers on health and safety matters in their workplace.

Participants will cover:

The purpose and principles of WHS legislation, including the duties of a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBUs), officers, workers, and other duty holders.

The role, functions, powers, and limitations of HSRs and Health and Safety Committees (HSCs).

Consultation, cooperation, and coordination to improve workplace safety.

Hazard identification, risk assessment, and control measures.

Workplace inspections, incident notification, and issue resolution procedures.
The use of Provisional Improvement Notices (PINs) and the power to direct workers to cease unsafe work where permitted.

By the end of the course, participants will be better equipped to:

Understand and apply the role of an HSR under the WHS Act and Regulations.

Promote effective consultation between workers and management on WHS issues.

Identify hazards, assess risks, and support practical control measures.

Conduct workplace inspections and contribute to ongoing WHS improvements.

Assist in incident and near miss investigations.

Advocate for safer work design, policies, and practices in their workplace.

Issue PINs and direct workers to cease unsafe work where permitted.

Who should attend?

This course is intended for workers who have been elected as HSRs or Deputy HSRs for their work group under the WHS Act. It is relevant across workplaces where consultation on health and safety is required and where workers want to play an active role in improving WHS outcomes.

Certification

Participants will receive a Health and Safety Representative Training Statement of Attendance issued by the Public Service Association of NSW (SafeWork NSW RTO Approval Number: RTO800661).

Completion of the initial course supports HSRs to understand and exercise their functions under the legislation, including issue resolution processes and the use of powers available under the WHS framework.

Prerequisites and attendance requirements

There are no formal academic prerequisites. To attend, participants must:

Be elected by their work group as an HSR or Deputy HSR.

Provide a copy of their HSR or Deputy HSR appointment letter before training.

Present valid identification, such as a driver licence or passport, to the trainer for verification purposes.

Please note: all training must be completed in consecutive sequences and if you miss one day you will be required to attend a future training date(s) or repeat the course entirely.

Fees and employer obligations

The course fee is $880.00 including GST.

Elected HSRs are entitled to attend HSR training, and employers must allow them paid time off to attend within three months of the HSR requesting training. Employers are also required to cover the course costs and other reasonable attendance costs associated with the training. After completing the initial five-day course, HSRs are entitled to attend a one-day refresher course each year of their term of office.

Register your interest

Expressions of interest are now open HERE.

Survey closes at 5:00pm on Friday, 30 October 2026.

Do you work at the Downing Centre? Morning tea is on us! Come meet the PSA

Your union, the PSA, is hosting a morning tea for members who work at the Downing Center.

This is an opportunity to meet PSA staff, your delegate and join us for a relaxed morning tea where members can catch up, ask questions, raise workplace issues, or just say hello.

Come join us for morning tea on Friday 23 October from 11:30am-12:00pm in the level 4 lunchroom.

PSA staff will also be available in the lunchroom from 1:00pm-2:00pm to chat to members.

Morning tea will be free for PSA members, but we are more than happy to talk to people interested in joining the PSA as well. Bring a colleague along with you and come and say hello!

Morning tea details
Date:	Friday 23 October 2026
Time:	11:30am-12:00pm (morning tea); 1:00pm-2:00pm (PSA member chat)
Location:	Level 4 lunchroom

Contacts

Mel Ciraolo Organiser

Chris Auld Senior Organiser

NSW Trustee and Guardian: PSA site visit

PSA Organiser Alex Sala will be visiting members at the NSW Trustee and Guardian office on Tuesday, 20 October 2026.

Members are invited to drop by and have a chat about industrial issues, workplace concerns and any matters you may be experiencing at work.

Your industrial staff and workplace delegates are currently working with NSW Trustee and Guardian leadership teams on following matters:

Systemic workload pressures (how to report these and follow up actions).
Restructures and consultation.
Better training and streamlining of processes across all teams.
AI policy: consultation with the PSA.

What does the PSA do?

The PSA works to:

Advocate for and protect your rights and entitlements as an NSW government employee.
Negotiate and advocate on matters affecting your working conditions.
Support members with workplace and industrial issues.
Provide a range of member benefits, including journey insurance.

What can you do?

Display this bulletin on your workplace noticeboard.
Talk to your colleagues about the benefits of PSA membership.
Encourage a colleague to join the PSA.
Enrol in PSA training to build your workplace knowledge and skills.

Not a PSA member?

Come along and have a chat with Alex and with your workplace delegates.

Non-members are very welcome to discuss the benefits of joining the PSA and find out how union membership can support you in your workplace.

Membership forms will be available on the day.

Your union. Your voice. Your rights.

Meeting details

Date:

Tuesday, 20 October 2026

Time:

10:00am – 11:30am

Location:

NSW Trustee and Guardian office, 160 Marsden Street Parramatta, in room 6.03, or online via Teams

Join HERE

Meeting ID: 426 729 064 255 013

Passcode: hn7WY2dy

Contacts

Monika Wunderlin Industrial Officer

Alex Sala Organiser

Australian Catholic University, let’s celebrate your new enterprise agreement: coffee’s on us!

It’s time to celebrate!

Join your CPSU NSW representatives for a coffee as we celebrate the launch of your new Enterprise Agreement and recognise the fantastic work of your workplace delegates in securing a pay rise and improvements to your working conditions.

This achievement reflects the commitment, dedication and collective efforts of your delegates and members, and we’d love to celebrate it with you!

Come and join us for a coffee, a chat and a celebration
Date:	Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Time:	10:00am – 12:00pm
Location:	Charlie + Franks Coffee Shop, James Carroll Building, Level 3, Building 502, 40 Edward Street, North Sydney

The coffee is on us! Coffee, tea or hot chocolate is free for all CPSU NSW members.

Not a member yet? You’re very welcome too! Come along, enjoy a free coffee with us, and have a chat about the benefits of joining CPSU NSW.

Bring a colleague, say hello to your representatives, and help us celebrate what we’ve achieved together.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Your CPSU NSW Team

Contact

Jose Vasquez CPSU NSW Organiser

Member Support Centre 1800 772 679

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Child Protection Helpline, After Hours Response Team, and DV Line workplace group vacancies: call for nominations now open

Recent News

Department of Customer Service Psychosocial Health and Safety Plan: have your say

How to submit feedback

Recent News

Multicultural NSW: newly elected PSA delegates

Recent News

Helpline, Domestic Violence line and After Hours Team PSA members’ meeting

Recent News

University of Sydney: Enterprise Bargaining update

Recent News

Our message to Helen Haines MP and her staff

Recent News

Do you work at Homes NSW in the Hurstville Services Centre?

Recent News

Do you work in Child Protection and Permanency Sutherland or St George Community Services Centre?

Recent News

Expressions of interest now open for Health and Safety Representative training: November 2026

Recent News

Do you work at the Downing Centre? Morning tea is on us! Come meet the PSA

Recent News

NSW Trustee and Guardian: PSA site visit

Contacts

Recent News

Australian Catholic University, let’s celebrate your new enterprise agreement: coffee’s on us!

Contact

Recent News

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