PSA Staff and union delegate Trina Leask met again with management on 1 August 2024 as part of the weekly restructure meetings. The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are regularly updated for staff. Service NSW acknowledged receipt of PSA member feedback and responded to your concerns as follows:

 

1. There will be one-on-ones for people on leave to ensure they are provided the information on what to do, particularly in terms of joining the process late when returning from leave or choosing to engage while still on leave. Forty (40) to fifty (50) individual meetings have already occurred with Human Resources/People & Culture (HR/P&C) representatives. For people still on leave or not impacted until Waves 2 or 3, it was confirmed that mobility will be open to them in those waves. Staggering entry into the mobility process allows for other roles outside Service NSW to come through and be available for those going through the placement process.

 

2. PSA reminds members that roles outside Service NSW can have different salaries. For instance, a 6/7 role in Service NSW may match with a 5/6 role in the Department of Customer Service (DCS), but only up to 7 (year 2).  If you are at a 7 (year 3) grading, the salary will not be the same.  Salary maintenance is confirmed for 3 months only for roles in DCS and not available for roles in other government agencies.

 

3. Calculations for a Voluntary Redundancy are available in the Sharepoint hub and also in the Managing Excess Employees Policy.

 

4. Feedback was provided around concerns over access to Team Leaders. We were advised that the ratios are within range however Service Delivery help will be rolled out across the entire service deliver which should take the strain.  They also intend to mature operational support so they can take work from Team Leaders as well.

 

5. While they feel it is unlikely that a whole cluster would be devoid of Team Leaders, Service NSW says it will run a risk assessment prior to completion to understand how the final structure will look and what impacts it may have.

 

6. Several members raised concerns about bias. It was reiterated that there will be independent people on the recruitment panels, including from HR/P&C and/or the Executive Director Service Delivery.

 

7. After concerns raised by PSA, Service NSW has amended its process and people will be directly assigned where possible, rather than have to go through an Expression of Interest (EOI).

 

8. The process will be halted prior to the Christmas break to ensure that no one will lose their job before Christmas.

 

9. It is understood that the media articles are beyond the control of Service NSW, and they will not be commenting on them.

 

10. There is no intent to assign people to roles far away from where they live. Landing days and travel associated with them is still being looked at.

 

11. Tier 1 skilling – members have been concerned about work overload. We were advised that there will be progressive training.  They are also willing to examine what is simple and what is complex in terms of tasks an broaden and strengthen knowledge.

 

12. Members raised specific concerns about assignment to role outside their region and we are advised that Service NSW has no intention of assigning to a role where you can’t do the hours or the travel.

 

13. There was general agreement that virtual hold does not reduce efficiency. Service sees it as a measure to deal with quality of customer service.

 

14. PSA has been provided with information in relation to reduction of Senior Executive Band (SEB) roles. We confirm that Service NSW has committed to a reduction of 16% of SEB roles by the end of financial year 24/25.

 

15. We also discussed feedback in relation to core profiles. It was acknowledged that iCare has a dedicated technology platform which adds a logistical challenge, and they are looking at what they can do about that.

 

16. It will take time to work through the level of complexity in the blending of skills in the contact centre team. Changes will be progressively rolled out over months.

 

17. Cyber have continued to hold drop-in sessions. They are noting an increase in questions around Wave 2, structure and architecture functions, Role Descriptions, Temporary Acting Arrangements (TAAs).  They are working to ensure consistency in Role Descriptions and will put further information around TAAs etc in the FAQs.

 

18. Procurement has had about a dozen pieces of feedback, and they are looking at clarifying what each team will do. Role Descriptions are also being realigned.

 

19. Service NSW is finalising the structure based on feedback. There will be a few extra roles going into the structure, but we don’t know yet whether they will be project or frontline based.

 

20. With regard to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members, we have been advised that additional support is available as:

 

• TELUS Health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people:

Support from clinicians who either identify as or who have in-depth cultural awareness and extensive experience in supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

• Dedicated Support Page: There is a dedicated support page for diverse team members, which includes specific resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff.
• Employee Support and Resources: On the ERH platform, there is a dedicated tile under Employee Support and Resources. Clicking on this tile will launch an Outlook email to , allowing team members to directly reach out for support.
• Mental Health Support: There is an Aboriginal Mental Health First Aid Officer available in the Mental Health Support section to provide specialised assistance.
• SNSW Social Impact Team: The Program Realign Team is working closely with the Social Impact Team to identify further opportunities to support diverse team members

 

We will meet again with management on 8 August 2024.  Please contact quoting reference number 222518 with any further concerns.