After years of campaigning by your union, Child Protection Workers finally have a new Award.

Your new Award was finalised and “made” in the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) on 22 September 2025. This followed intensive negotiations since members endorsed the making of a standalone Crown Employees (Child Protection) Award in July 2025.

What does this mean?

Now the Award is finalised, the salary transition members endorsed can take effect. The transition allows for existing Caseworkers to progress up to three increments, resulting in pay increases of between 3 per cent and 19 per cent over the next 12 months. The advancement will be backdated to July 2025, which means an increase in pay going forward, as well as a “lump sum” amount of backpay to take into account the period of July through to the making of the Award.

You can review the offer documentation from back in July below.

Child Protection Award Documentation

The new Award also provides for the following:

• An additional pay increase next year A further pay increase of 3 per cent in July 2026
• No more forfeited hours Where hours worked exceed the carry forward balance for the settlement period, and those hours worked cannot reasonably be taken as flextime or otherwise reduced before the end of the settlement period, overtime rates will apply. This will either reduce the amount of hours members are working, as the Department would need to pay overtime, or result in the extra work you perform being paid (at overtime rates) rather than forfeiting those hours and essentially working for free. These changes will come into effect at the commencement of the next settlement period (6 October 2025).
• 200 additional Caseworkers A commitment from the NSW Government to recruit 200 new caseworkers.
• The creation of a Leading Caseworker position Department of Communities and Justice will create an additional 100 leading caseworker roles. This role will be remunerated at a rate equivalent to Clerk Grade 8.
• New grading for Manager Casework The Manager Casework grading will be revised from a salary equivalent of a Clerk Grade 9 to a salary equivalent of a Clerk Grade 9/10.

New Award highlights the power of being in the PSA

This would not have happened without a strong union, the Public Service Association of NSW (PSA) fighting on your behalf.

The making of the standalone Child Protection Award is the result of years of campaigning from PSA executive, staff, delegates and members to highlight a system in crisis. Whether you attended one of the many PSA rallies, participated in industrial action in 2024, assisted us with responding to various surveys, or attended a meeting to discuss your concerns, your actions have helped force the NSW Government to finally put Child Protection front and centre and make the largest ever investment in child protection and out-of-home care in the state’s history.

While there is always more work to do, the making of the Award is a historic win for PSA members.