On Friday 28 June 2024, the PSA lodged a dispute in NSW Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) in relation to concerns there has been no genuine or meaningful consultation over the changes proposed in the document CPHL & NSW DV Line Practice Quality, Supervision and Support Guidelines.

The primary concern for the proposed changes is the abolition of group supervision for all practitioners at the Child Protection Helpline (with the exception of the After-Hours Response Team) and the NSW Domestic Violence Line.

DCJ’s current policy states that ‘…group supervision is one of the key foundations of the NSW Practice Framework’ (DCJ Supervision policy for child protection practitioners, p9). Members advocated strongly for group supervision for many years and have embraced what is now a 2 hour group supervision session per month. Practitioners have adopted and developed group supervision to meet the WHS and practice needs of the Helpline and DV Line.

Consistent with the NSW Practice Framework, Members consider group supervision as fundamental to delivering practice excellence in their work with children, young people, families and victims/survivors of domestic and family violence.

Helpline PSA Delegates have heard very clearly that members require group supervision to remain and will continue in their best endeavours to resolve this dispute to achieve this.