Districts across Housing Services to roll out Psychosocial Safety Plans in 2026
The quarterly Joint Consultative Committee meeting (JCC) was held on 5 December 2025 for Housing Services, providing an important platform for discussions on matters affecting our members. PSA industrial staff attended with delegates and management from Homes NSW Housing Services.
Key discussions on 5 December included:
Functional Review
The Functional Review changes are now live across all districts. Management said it is still settling in with the new changes and there are some areas that “need to be tweaked”. Members in the Northern and Southern & Western districts have told the PSA the new structure does not assist staff to deliver to clients. There has been a loss of support as teams are centralised and some positions are transferred to other roles.
Management in the Northern district has said they’re looking at improving the communications process to resolve issues more quickly. The district has established an issues log for staff to provide feedback directly to management. Members are encouraged to speak with their delegates about the new communications process to confirm that it is fit for purpose.
Management in the Southern & Western district has confirmed workload issues and that there is a focus on plugging the training gaps. Some ongoing appointments have also been made. Members in the district should continue to raise any issues with their local delegates so they can be addressed at the recently established quarterly Southern & Western JCC.
Workload
Housing Services confirmed its expectation that staff work their 35 hours a week and to concentrate on the core functions. Management do not expect staff to work excessive hours. Core business needs are a priority but there is no expectation that everything has to be completed in the one day.
Members should confirm priorities with their managers and not work excessive hours. If they have been called on to help out in other areas of the business, their managers should support them to prioritise. Members should not be expected to support other areas of the business and also meet their KPIs.
Management also confirmed they are developing a policy to make sure the servicing of clients after office hours is consistent across all offices in the state.
Work Health and Safety
Management confirmed the review of the workplace violence training has been finalised. In 2026 staff can expect to receive a refresher package.
There should be signage in every office in the state that clearly says there will be zero tolerance for abuse. If members notice no signage up in their offices, please report to your manager.
The Liverpool HRC is also expected to update its phone system with an abuse-will-not-be-tolerated message.
Members are reminded to log all incidents with Safety Suite. For more information about incident reporting, please read and share our bulletin on why it’s so important.
The PSA raised members’ concerns around staff not receiving the appropriate Safety Suite training. Leadership confirmed it is taught in the eight-week recruitment process. However, it was agreed that it is not user-friendly and refreshers should be offered in team meetings. Members are encouraged to report to local delegates if they are having ongoing issues with Safety Suite reports.
Psychosocial Action Plans
The Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 commenced on 22 August 2025, strengthening the requirements to manage psychosocial risks. Management confirmed that all districts will have Psychosocial Action Plans in early 2026. These will cover issues such as role overload, work-related violence and emotional demands. The WHS Regulation is clear: workplaces “must implement control measures to eliminate psychosocial risks so far as is reasonably practicable”.
That was the last Housing Services JCC meeting for 2025. Meetings for 2026 will be scheduled in the New Year. Members are encouraged to share any issues they have with local delegates, particularly around any of the points raised here.
If you’re not sure who the delegates are in your office, please contact your organiser, Rachel Eldred, for more information.