The votes are in, an overwhelming majority (90 per cent) of members have endorsed the making of a new standalone Child Protection Award.

The new Award is the result of years of campaigning and negotiations which led to the recently announced $1.2 Billion Child Protection Package from the NSW Government.

Next steps

The PSA and DCJ will immediately takes steps to draft and lodge the new Award in the Industrial Relations Commission.  We will keep you up to date with progress.

Members should receive an immediate 3 per cent pay rise from the first full pay period after 1 July 2025.

Work will also begin on the salary transition and advancement of increments as outlined in the offer letter.  We will update members with timelines for this transition over the coming week.

More work to do

Of course, there is more work to do for Child Protection workers across the state. As per the information distributed, the PSA will also begin negotiating on the matters that are still unresolved, such as the allocation and duties of administrative roles and their current classifications. There will also be an education campaign around the new overtime provisions, and how they will provide for a greater work life balance, or at least pay you for those extra hours.

Thank you to members and delegates

The Industrial staff thank all PSA members for their hard work and dedication over the years to highlight a system in crisis. Whether you attended one of the many PSA rally’s, participated in Industrial action in 2024, assisted us with responding to various surveys, or attended a members meeting to discuss your concerns, your actions have resulted in the NSW Government finally putting Child Protection front and centre, and directly resulted in the current NSW Government making the largest ever investment in child protection and out-of-home care in the state’s history.

We would like to particularly thank all your amazing PSA delegates, past and current, for their tireless dedication and incredible passion for affecting change not only for workers, but vulnerable children across NSW.