Late last year the PSA along with your delegates met Superintendent Paul Mcdonald and Chief Inspector Michael Cruikshank as well as workforce relations as part of our regular Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) meeting. The following items were discussed:

Introduction of Cert 4 accreditation

It is looking likely that the Certificate 4 accreditation will become available in March/April for staff. The final RPL processes are being completed by the trainer with sign off by the AFP required before rollout.

Review of Diligent and Ethical Service Award

The final diligent and ethical service award that has been agreed upon has been submitted for final sign off.

Review of insignia

The PSA raised the ongoing issue of the review of insignia for special constables. As members may be aware the PSA in consultation with your delegates had previously submitted a proposal for consideration. We believed this proposal was in line with the rest of the NSW Police and reflected the ranks and length of service of special constables. The feedback we received around this proposal was that it did not reflect the Award and that we should look to have insignia reflect the ranks and pay grades set out in the Award.

Again, in consultation with your delegates the PSA edited our proposal to ensure it aligned entirely with the ranks and pay rates detailed in the award. This proposal was submitted for consideration late last year.

Laundry Allowance

The PSA raised that a number of discrepancies have been reported to us from members in regard to the amount being paid to staff. The PSA will detail these instances and send through to unit leadership for consideration. If any members have concerns around the value of the laundry allowance being paid, they are encouraged to get in contact with the PSA.

SOPS

The PSA were informed that the SOPs for Homebush were not yet published as finishing touches were being completed.

The SOPs at Potts Hill were also raised, with the PSA inquiring whether there had been an amendment in relation to one out patrols. The PSA was informed that they were fairly certain that patrols had been removed. Members are encouraged to get in contact with the PSA if they are still conducting patrols at Potts Hill.

Justice legal fund

Members may be aware of a recent criminal case involving a PSA member in corrective services “Officer A”. The POVB (Prison Officers Vocational Branch) legal fund has been instrumental in ensuring that there are no out of pocket legal costs for this member during this period. A few years ago, due to the success of the POVB legal fund in financially supporting members who find themselves in difficult circumstances, the PSA established a justice sector legal fund. This fund was established as a protective measure for members across the Justice industry who may be charged with a criminal offence in the workplace.

It is important to note that PSA membership does NOT include automatic membership of the Justice Sector Legal Fund. Members need to fill out a separate application to be covered. More information can be found HERE