POVB bulletin - Benchmarking - Public Service Association

POVB bulletin – Benchmarking

POVB bulletin – Benchmarking – November 2017 (PDF version)

Last week two centres had their initial benchmarking meetings:

Dawn De Loas

SAS – Gain 3

AS – Loss 4

SCO – Loss 2

CO – Gain 1

OS – Loss 1

Outer Metropolitan Multi-Purpose Centre

MOS – Loss 1

SAS – Gain 4

AS – Loss 6

SCO – Loss 2

CO – Gain 6.5

OS – Loss 1

These centres will start the initial consultation process of forming a committee to look at the proposal, complete risk assessments, and put up a proposal looking at all the extra information that the CSNSW benchmarking team may not have been aware of.

Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre has been signed off by the Commissioner after much deliberation over funding for infrastructure that was part of the SWWCC benchmarking proposal.

We have heard that future centres have been informed not to put in infrastructure as there is not enough money. If your centre is having job losses, and it is deemed unsafe to reduce those numbers due to infrastructure, then infrastructure needs to be factored in. If you have any issues with this please contact one of the State Executive as soon as possible.

We have given feedback to Correctives Services on Kariong and are now reviewing Berrima with comments due at the end of November.

Natalie is attending Cooma and Mannus this week to assist in benchmarking in those centres.

There are no more centres to have their initial meetings about benchmarking until next year. As yet we have no dates for when these will take place.

A bulletin is going out across all PSA branches informing members that we are before the IRC and a link to see the notification is attached to it.

Serious incidents

Over the last month, we have had several serious incidents:

  • Death in Custody – Tamworth Correctional Centre
  • Death in Custody – MRRC
  • Fire – Moree Court Complex
  • Attempted Escape Hospital Escort – Cessnock
  • Serious Assault on an Inmate – Mid North Coast CC

Tamworth staff have had to endure a lot of publicity and also protests in front of the centre. A death in custody is traumatic for all involved and we offer our support and assistance if and when needed.

As reported in a previous bulletin, Moree Court Complex had a fire where staff were hospitalised.

There was a serious assault on an inmate at Mid North Coast and we offer any assistance to the staff that witnessed this incident now and in the future.

The attempted escape on the hospital escort at John Hunter Hospital resulted in one officer being hospitalised after putting her body on the line to try to stop the inmate.

The female officer has had major surgery on her leg after it was broken in three places and her ankle was dislocated.

The other officer who also needs to be commended, rendered assistance to his injured colleague, called police, and whilst doing all this was able to assist police in the recapture of the inmate.

Both staff members responded to this incident professionally and went above and beyond their call of duty.

I would like to thank the staff from Cessnock that have supported both officers, visited the officer in hospital and supported her family. It is times like this that it makes me proud of our Corrective Services family.

Last month was Mental Health Awareness month. PSA has introduced a care and resilience package and is doing ongoing training for members. The above incidents are a prime example of why this was introduced. As Correctional Officers, we don’t go to work thinking the above incidents are going to happen. We witness some horrible things in the course of our duty and it is hard to go home and talk to family about it. This package assists us all in helping each other.

There is a date for this course on the PSA website for Wednesday, 28 February 2018.

I can try to get regional courses happening if enough members are interested.

PSA courses in 2018

The following courses are available for members in 2018:

Introduction to the PSA Tuesday, 20 February
Role of the Delegate Tuesday, 27 February
Care and Resilience Wednesday, 28 February
Women in the Union Tuesday, 13 March
Dealing with member issues Wednesday, 21 March
Workplace Bullying Tuesday, 3 April
Meeting + Negotiation Skills Tuesday, 10 April
Dealing with restructures Friday, 4 May
Public Speaking Tuesday, 15 May
NOTE ANNUAL CONFERENCE WILL BE IN MAY
Intro to the PSA Tuesday, 5 June
Role of the Delegate Tuesday, 12 June
Workplace Bullying Tuesday, 19 June
Care and Resilience Wednesday, 20 June
Achieving workplace flexibility Wednesday ,27 June

I encourage all new delegates to do the Role of the Delegate and Meeting + Negotiation Skills. The application form is on the PSA website.

Nicole Jess
Chairperson
POVB

Contact Details

Nicole Jess – Chairperson – 0427 609 199

Jason Charlton – Vice Chairperson – 0401 500 976

Thor Sutherland – Country Chairperson – 0447 633 476

Natalie Howes – Secretary – 0407 011 441

Darren King – Assistant Secretary – 0407 935 039

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