POVB member update – February 2019 (PDF version)

Disciplinaries

Last week the MRRC went on strike for 24 hours due to issues with members who are on disciplinary issues and suspended.

We were before the Industrial Relations Commissio (IRC) and MRRC members were ordered back to work. In our last bulletin we discussed the process and attached the transcripts in relation to the matter.

On the Thursday after the IRC, General Secretary Stewart Little and Jason Charlton met with Minster Elliot to discuss the POVB’s issues regarding CSNSW and how it is managing disciplinary matters. This was our opportunity to put our concerns to the Minister and what we believe are inadequacies in the process.

We have since met with Assistant Commissioner Carlo Scassera which was productive. The Executive were informed that we could now meet monthly to discuss individuals who are on disciplinaries or suspension and where their case is up to. This has never been afforded to the POVB Executive before so this is a step in the right direction. Mr Scassera also stated that processes are being put into place to expediate the investigations. Some investigations and issues will be put back to the Governors to manage.

The issue of limiting access to other staff when under suspension was discussed and Mr Scassera agreed the previous process was limiting and detrimental to the officers’ mental health. Staff on suspension can now speak to a greater amount of staff, although not to staff who may be involved in the investigation.

It was explained to us that members who may be on suspension for Use of Force or Inappropriate relations/interactions will come under outside agencies, which is the reason why the investigation takes so long. PSC cannot move forward with the issue until the outside agencies – ICAC, Operation Themis, have completed their investigation.

Consultative

We met with CSNSW management and discussed the following issues:

• Use of Force Review – more information will come from further meetings. A POVB Executive member will be present for the IAT conference where the review will be discussed at length and IAT involvement. More information will come from the meeting which is being held on 20 February, 2019.
• Buy-ups Long Bay Complex – raised that there are concerns with who is responsible for the buy-ups if there are any errors or items tampered with. The POVB Executive will liaise with the Long Bay Sub-Branch and assist where needed.
• HR issues – more will come at a meeting being held on 22 February, 2019. Individual issues were discussed and CSNSW will fix the issues. The POVB Executive will liaise with the individuals about the outcomes.
• At the DTM a motion was raised to have the same processes that South Coast CC have for VORs and parades.
• CSNSW has stated this will be put in the COPP and it is near completion for implementation in Centres.
• Skype Doctor Certificates were raised at the DTM and the fact that some centres were not accepting them. CSNSW has confirmed that centres will accept them.
• The two pilots – Newcastle Transport and S33s – were discussed and, at present, there has been no real issues raised. CSNSW praised staff involvement and the professionalism of all staff.
• Nicotine Lozenges – the misuse of the lozenges by inmates was discussed and that the issue was reaching a negative level in most centres. We raised that CSNSW need to take the issues and concerns of staff seriously as it happening in all centres and will result in industrial action if not actioned appropriately by CSNSW.
• MRRC benchmarking and the lack of CRES documents to assist in the benchmarking process. CSNSW has stated the documents can be issued. We stated we understood this but we have waited six months for them. We cannot move forward with the risk assessment until we have them.

IRC Benchmarking report back

Issues discussed:

• Lithgow staffing discussed and the process which is happening for weekends.
• CSNSW will give PSA/POVB copy of each centre’s meetings to discuss the issues register.
• CSNSW will give PSA/POVB a copy of each centre’s issues register.
• CSNSW want to discuss VORs – an example they used was if there is three video bail staff and only two inmates for video bail do all three staff positions need to be filled. We stated we will have to look at the positions and its involvement in unlocks and lock-ins and other duties they may perform throughout the day – like response post. This will be discussed at a future meeting not determined as yet.
• CSNSW will develop a policy in COPP on what is expected when centres change processes or staffing from the original approved benchmarking documents. This will be discussed in the COPP meetings. Next COPP meeting is 4 March 2019. The policies will be discussed and we will put out a bulletin from that meeting.
• Backfilling of overseers – when overseers are not backfilled this has an impact on the inmates in wings and time out of cells.
• New builds were discussed. Meeting at Mid North Coast on 5 March 2019 to discuss the new builds and any issues members have with the staffing.
• We raised our concern that CSNSW is not disclosing their future workforce planning with the new builds coming on and the process of switching off the three out cells in some centres. We raised that we have concerns that if the staffing in Wellington is reduced, due to the reduction of inmates and switching of three out cells, that the centre could not operate safely. We have raised this at benchmarking meetings also and have stated we will not accept any reduction in staffing for that centre even if there is a reduction in the inmate state.
• We also raised that we would like to know what CSNSW have planned for centre closures when all the new builds come on line.

Name tag meeting

CSNSW called a meeting to discuss staff wearing name tags as per the Ombudsman’s recommendation. The POVB Executive discussed the motion that has been in place for well over 15 years. We will not accept our names on a name tag or our serial number. CSNSW will come back to us with other options.

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
• David McCauley – POVB Industrial Officer
  0419 022 767