The NSW Department of Education hosted the PSA at Eveleigh Office last month for our quarterly joint consultative committee meetings.  The JCC Agenda items raised by the PSA for Education Support Staff (ESS) were:

• WHS – Incident Reporting & Processes
• Consultation on Mobile Phones replaced with Teams audio
• New Flexible Working Arrangements implementation
• Performance and Development Plan – Success Factors
• Organisational Change and the Public Education Plan
• People Matter Employee Survey (PMES) results and response
• Workforce Planning and Retention
• Workforce Data

WHS – Incident Reporting & Processes

As part of this standing agenda item the Project Lead for the new online WHS incident reporting system presented to PSA staff and delegates and listened to feedback. The new system is expected to replace the manual form, but the phone incident hotline will remain in place. PSA delegates will be considering what feedback may be required from an ESS perspective.

Consultation on Mobile Phones replaced with Teams audio

The PSA has asked for proper consultation on the department’s proposal to replace department-issued mobile phones with using Teams for calls, except for field staff. PSA members want clarification on data use and personal phone use.

New Flexible Working Arrangements implementation

The PSA has advocated that the return to ‘office presence’ requires staff have access to fit-for-purpose and safe office accommodation. The PSA interrogated processes for booking office desk space, access cards and ensuring compliance with evacuation procedures, fire wardens and first aid officers in buildings. The union recommends all issues be logged either through the incident reporting hotline or directly with your manager.

Performance and Development Plan – Success Factors

PSA sought an out of session meeting to demonstrate the full functionality of the new ‘success factors’ platform for PDPs and will report back to members once this occurs.

Organisational change and the Public Education Plan

The PSA continued to interrogate compliance with workforce mobility matching and placement processes as per the government’s commitment to retention of staff impacted by restructures. As part of the two disputes lodged over the restructure process so far, the PSA is requiring the department provide data on the placement of staff impacted by restructuring including internally and externally through mobility. We reiterated internal placement of impacted staff must be the priority and have previously expressed concern with the level of external recruitment over the last six months. We will continue to advocate for members throughout workplace change and restructures.

PMES results and response

PSA will meet with a departmental representative (who was a late apology to the JCC) who will outline the department’s respective areas’ responses to the key PMES issues.

Workforce Planning and Retention

The PSA was responsible for the department developing an exit survey to gain information about why staff leave their employment. We then followed up as to who is responsible for collating and analysing the data to inform retention. We are now advised that the data has moved from corporate recruitment to the data analytics team and is being reported upwards to the executive.

Workforce Data

As a standing agenda item, the PSA continues to receive quarterly updated data on Full Time Equivalent ongoing and temporary staff and contingent labour by directorate. We have requested a further breakdown of roles contingent labour are currently sitting in.

Contacts

Your PSA Education Support Staff Departmental Committee Delegates 

Bernard Kelly –

Carole Crawford –

Chris Angelucci –

Danielle Fogarty –

Kerryn Pryor –

Kim Allen –

Mark Kunach –

Michael Ross –

Michael Wright –

Ross Amor –

Ruth Disher –

Todd Douglas –

Vera Kostadinovska –

PSA Staff 

Industrial Officer Katy Ambler

Organiser Peta Noke

To contact your industrial team email