Last week, the PSA received a formal proposal for the making of a standalone Crown Employees (Child Protection) Award for a three year period from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2028. You can view the offer documentation HERE.

Voting for the Award will open tomorrow (2 July 2025) to financial PSA members, which means in order to vote on your working conditions and remuneration, you must be a financial member of the PSA by close of business today.

Revised salary ranges, automatic advancement of increments, 100 new Leading Caseworker roles and the abolishment of forfeited hours

The proposed stand-alone Child Protection Award provides for the following:

• Salary transition for existing caseworkers – The ability to progress up to three increments for existing caseworkers, resulting in remuneration increases of between 3 per cent to 19 per cent over the next 12 months.
• 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. Forfeiture of excess hours worked would therefore be avoided, as the Department will face a financial penalty for all forfeited hours.
• The creation of a Leading Caseworker position – DCJ proposes to create 100 leading caseworker roles. This role will be renumerated at a rate equivalent to Clerk Grade 8.
• New grading for Manager Casework – The Manager Casework grading is proposed to be revised from a salary equivalent of a Clerk Grade 9 to a salary equivalent of a Clerk Grade 9/10.

We encourage members to review the offer documentation to see full details of the proposed Award.

Only PSA members have a vote

The only way for Child Protection Workers to secure a vote on your remuneration and working conditions is to be a financial member of the PSA.  If you think you may be unfinancial, please contact the PSA today on 1800 772 679 and press 1 for Membership.

If you are not yet a member, you can join online today at www.psa.asn.au