The Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) meeting between the PSA and Community Corrections was held on 24 November 2022. Please find the following summary of what was discussed at the meeting
Acting Assistant Commissioner’s update
- Restructure
The biggest impact on Community Corrections will be in specialists and the strategic area. Members in these areas will report to the AC for strategy and policy or delivery performance and culture, who will in turn report to Deputy Commissioner Luke Grant. In response, the PSA requested a working group between Community Corrections and the PSA like members have in the non-custodial space. Community Corrections advised it is not involved in such groups. Your union advised that the PSA would request a working group for members through HR.
- PMES
Community Corrections advised there was a 73 per cent completion rate. Community Corrections scored the highest in relation to job purpose and flexible working. However, CC conceded there was lots of improvement needed, especially around burnout, employee confidence in recruitment process and decisions, believing action will be taken on the results and grievance handling. To begin to address this, the substantive A/C role for Community Corrections needs to be filled to set directions for next year.
PSA requested information about what CC is doing about burnout. Community Corrections advised that they are trying to get staff to work to the workload model and not undertake tasks outside of it. Another factor affecting workload is staff vacancies.
Request by Community Corrections to take on tasks of custodial staff during industrial action
The PSA raised the fact that members where being asked to do work with direct contact with inmates and this was a safety issue. Community Corrections advised that they were currently working on a document to provide clarification around what can be done by Community Corrections staff who wish to volunteer to assist when custodial staff take industrial action.
Regarding such a request, the PSA emphasises to members that the request to take on any work in the custodial area is not a direction but merely voluntary.
Project update: improving the safety of frontline CC staff conducting field visits
Community Corrections provided an update on this project and advised:
- There will GPS tracking on all vehicles
- Satellite phones will be rolled out to members where reception is not good. Mobile signal boosters have been ordered and installation is now being organised
- Telematics are now being installed in all cars, this will be standard for the whole of government fleet
- Safety training refresher will be organised based on policies and procedures manual.
A letter to the PSA regarding these changes will be forthcoming.
Training
Training will restart in February 2023, face-to-face with option of online for regional staff members.
Domestic Violence Electronic Monitoring
The PSA requested an update on the industrial issues of overwork raised in June.
Community Corrections advised that it will send a letter to the PSA on the matter. CC have conducted a review of workloads based on data from 40 randomly selected staff members interviewed.
Admin Supervisors
The PSA raised the fact that Admin Supervisors are being used as personal assistants and the 1/2 admin officer workloads are increasing. Further the PSA stated that Admin Supervisors don’t feel like they are part of the management group, rather they take meeting minutes if they do attend management meetings, and that they have not been afforded any training in this new role. Community Corrections requested examples for them to follow up on as Admin Supervisors should not be personal assistants or be used inappropriately
Kosazaro v state of Victoria (A recent High Court decision with implications on how employers dela with trauma)
PSA advised the response from Community Corrections following the case has been well received so far by members at Long Bay.
COVID and returning to employment at Community Corrections
Reemployment and any termination because of the vaccination policy won’t be held against former employees. They can apply via iwork for NSW in relation to any vacancies
Recruitment process, clarity, and transparency issues
PSA raised the issue of people being ‘picked’ for roles and recruitment decisions being made unofficially prior to interviews. Members know this practice is across the board but people are concerned about raising it as an issue for fear of repercussions.
Progression of Community Corrections Officer 5/6 to Senior Community Corrections Officer 7/8
The PSA advised that there are 6/7 roles in Youth Justice with similar duties as the CCOs. In fact, CCOs do more at the 5/6 level than equivalent 6/7 roles in DCJ. Therefore, CCOs should progress without the hard barrier of having to apply for a senior role and automatically become SCCO after a period of satisfactory performance.
Community Corrections responded and stated that Community Corrections Officer roles are different to other 5/6 roles and that’s indicated in the role description descriptions. Regarding Senior CCOs, what Community Corrections is expecting is more mentoring around the office.
The PSA refuted this and stated that is not how mentoring works within teams and mentoring is left up to the unit leader.
Employment check and crim track checking, streamlining recruitments
Community Corrections advised it agreed that the checks take a while and they need to run projects around the process and determine where they can make changes. Once Community Corrections have identified these changes, they will be sent to the dedicated recruitment team.
Redeployment of medium to low offenders and implications for RAT
PSA sought clarification around the RAT. Community Corrections advised that its exactly the same. Any changes are just about getting everyone to use the RAT. Any changes have been because Community Corrections have now increased staffing while total offenders have dropped off therefore there is capacity to supervise these offenders.
Talent pools and process: new talent pool are being created when others are still current, members want a way of appealing appointments
The PSA raised the fact that members have contacted us regarding talent pools and promotions. Members are angry and disappointed when they see another talent pool being created and people from the new ones are getting the positions for roles the old talent pool was supposed to be for.
The PSA also highlighted to Community Corrections that the grievance handling and recruitment scores for Community Corrections were the lowest in PMES and this is an example of why.
Community Corrections advised that there will be someone looking closely at talent pools and how they operate. Community Corrections also advised that they are concerned that people are being put on talent pools because managers don’t have hard conversations.
The PSA then requested that Community Corrections provide feedback to unsuccessful candidates if they’re placed in a talent pool.
Community Corrections advised that this is a suitable practice, and the hiring manager needs to provide information to unsuccessful candidates.
PSA Industrial Staff
Monika Wunderlin Industrial Officer