Your PSA Delegates and staff have been working hard on a range of issues for members throughout term 1.
Your Delegates across all classifications met recently to work through the issues that members have raised with them. These will continue to be progressed over the next few weeks with the Department of Education (DoE).
Check out a picture of your delegates at the meeting HERE.
School Learning Support Officer Student Health Support transfer
The PSA has followed up with the DoE on the timeline for meetings to consult on the transition to the School Learning Support Officer Student Health Support (SLSO SHS) role. The PSA is concerned that some schools have recruited to SLSO SHS jobs over the past 12 months and that there has been insufficient consultation around the training for this position.
The PSA reminds all members that you must be provided training to undertake your job, especially tasks relating to the Health Care Plans of students. Training to undertake First Aid, Administration of Medication and Health Care Procedures is not adequate if provided by a colleague or a parent.
You MUST be trained and you MUST be in receipt of the allowance to undertake this work or you are putting yourselves and the students at risk.
The union will keep members up to date on these discussions.
WBS/IO Solution – back from the dead!
Members from various schools across the state provided information to the PSA that shows advice has been released that they must use the solution.
The PSA immediately raised this with the Department, following that up with a letter outlining the issues with the solution seeking assurances that they reinforce to schools that the WBSIO Solution is OPTIONAL, as agreed by the Department in 2019. The PSA has requested a meeting to discuss this further and will report back to members.
New recruitment procedures – 100% Permanent
The new recruitment procedures are starting to take effect and, as was predicted by the PSA, have resulted in an increase in workload and little to no change in relation to the conversion of temporary staff. This is despite the period of service required for conversion being halved to 12 months.
You can find our previous update on this HERE.
We will continue to monitor how the procedures are working and raise concerns as they arise.
The PSA will not stop fighting for genuine permanency as part of the Worth 100% Campaign.
Covid-19 and workload
With the new year well underway, the work and effort put in by members throughout the pandemic, along with our members working at the Ministry of Health, over the past 12 months is being seen by everyone as class leading and there have been almost no locally acquired cases in NSW for over a month.
But the resulting increase in workload for SAS Staff is taking its toll on members.
The PSA has written to the DoE to raise significant concerns over the dramatic increase in workload, seeking an urgent meeting to discuss resourcing and additional support.
New DoE Behaviour Strategy – 100% Protected
The PSA provided a submission in response to the new Student Behaviour Strategy and has now commenced ongoing meetings with the Inclusion and Wellbeing Directorate to discuss how the strategy will roll out and what additional supports there are for students and staff.
To read the PSA submission, download it from our website HERE.