FACS gives ground on COM placement strategy but forges ahead with massive job losses
The Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) has agreed to an amended placement process for staff affected by the Cluster Operating Model (COM) restructure, while indicating as many as 800 support roles could be lost by July 2018.
Click HERE for a copy the change management plan.
The changes to the placement strategy mean affected staff will only be required to participate in Phase 1 (direct appointment) and will be able to choose whether to participate in subsequent phases.
This amendment should free up opportunities for staff who wish to remain with FACS, while allowing those who would prefer a voluntary redundancy the chance to leave early. Note, staff who are offered a comparable role through Mobility Pathways must accept the offer or risk forfeiting their redundancy entitlements please contact the PSA for further details or assistance.
Staff who wish to secure a role must actively participate in Phases 2 and 3 of the placement process to avoid being declared excess prior to the end of phase 4.
In a further concession, staff who have been acting in a higher graded role for more than 12 months will be eligible for placement at their substantive grade, however they will not be able to compete against ongoing staff for higher graded roles until phase 4.
Additionally staff will now have access to localised data on all available COM roles, although FACS is still refusing to release figures detailing the number of existing staff included in each pool.
The job losses are expected to be heaviest in rural and regional areas across the state and the PSA has written to new Deputy Premier, John Barilaro, to voice our concern. Mr Barilaro is yet to respond to our letter.
In related developments, the PSA has saught further consultation with FACS in relation to mooted changes to the Adoptions Unit and Housing Contact Centre. FACS has agreed to review our concerns and meetings with the agency are expected shortly. Further updates will follows.