Transfer Update

The following provides some useful information for members who are transferring to the five new non-government service providers.

Transfer Dates

The first areas to transfer are Parcels 2 and 4 (Life Without Barriers) and Parcel 7 (Scope). These parcels contain approximately 140 houses located in North Eastern Melbourne, Inner Eastern Melbourne and South Bayside. We have been informed by the Department that the transfer date is likely to be in late-March/early-April.

Members allocated to these parcels will soon receive a letter from the Department informing them of their confirmed transfer date alongside an estimate of their first Transfer Incentive Payment. We are also seeking confirmation of the dates of all other parcels transferring later in 2019 and will share this with members once we know more.

Voluntary Departure Packages (Redundancies)

Many members have asked questions about when Voluntary Departure Packages (VDPs) will be offered. The Department, in consultation with HACSU, has submitted an application to the Australian Tax Office (ATO) to obtain favourable tax treatment of VDPs. We expect to hear back from them in the coming months—likely in March/April and will communicate with members as soon as we hear back from the ATO.

Casuals Working Across Providers

Since the five providers were announced, a number of casual employees who work in areas allocated to different providers have raised concerns about their ability to continue accessing the same number of hours. In consultation with HACSU, the Department has established a number of processes to ensure that casual employees can access shifts in houses that they may not have previously worked that are in the same area and covered by the provider they have been matched to. These processes will include:

• Causals who have identified themselves through the Exceptional Circumstances application process will shortly be offered targeted assistance to enable them access to additional shifts within their provider.
• Operations Managers, House Supervisors and Casual Coordinators will work with impacted casual employees to make sure they know all of the houses allocated to the provider they have been matched with.
• Familiar casual lists are being updated to ensure that casual employees can pick up additional shifts in other houses allocated to the provider they have been matched to.

It’s important to remember that in most cases, casual employees work all their hours in houses that will be transferring to the same provider they have been allocated to.

Electronic Client Records Transfer

We understand the Department is in the process of asking House Supervisors and Operations Managers to ensure that all electronic client record files are moved to the L:/Drive (for House Supervisors) and F:/Drive (for Operations Managers). Detailed instructions are being (or will shortly) be issued by each Divisional Transfer Team.

If this task creates an unreasonable workload burden in the timeframe the Department has required it, we encourage you to have a conversation with your line-manager to arrange backfill. If you encounter any issues with your request, please contact HACSU Assist on 1300 651 931 or email assist@hacsu.asn.au.

EBA Implementation Update

Since the Disability Services Enterprise Agreement Victoria 2018-2022 (DSEAV) was approved in early November last year, your HACSU Officials have been hard at work implementing new entitlements and clauses. The below provides some additional information on issues raised by members over the past several weeks. 

Commuted Allowance and Sub-Leave

The DSEAV preserves commuted allowance and sub-leave days for employees who were receiving the allowance (i.e. they were full-time employees) at 30 June 2018. Recently, a number of members who were in temporary, fixed-term full-time positions who had their contracts renewed after 30 June 2018 lost commuted allowance and sub-leave days (instead receiving penalties as worked).

We have clarified with the Department that employees who have had their full-time fixed-term contracts renewed or who have been appointed to a full-time ongoing role will continue to receive both commuted allowance and sub-leave days. Payroll are in the process of ensuring any employee who lost these allowances, but shouldn’t have, will be back-paid. 

Long Service Leave

We’ve been advised that a number of members have been having difficulty accessing their Long Service Leave in single days due to issues with the Department’s payroll system. The ability to take a single day of Long Service Leave (rather than a minimum of 7-days) is a new entitlement in the DSEAV and rest assured you are able to access it. If you encounter any issues with your request to take less than 7-days of Long Service Leave, please contact HACSU Assist on 1300 651 931 or email assist@hacsu.asn.au.

Forensic Skills Recognition and Retention Allowance

A new entitlement won by HACSU members in the DSEAV is an additional allowance equivalent of 2.5% of an employee’s salary who works in disability justice accommodation or at the Disability Forensic and Treatment Service (Clause 24.19). The allowance is currently being implemented on the Department’s payroll systems and eligible employees will receive the allowance from 14 February 2019, along with backpay to November 2018 when the DSEAV came into effect.

First Aid Allowance

Clause 24.12 of the DSEAV provides for a weekly First Aid Allowance for eligible employees. The weekly first aid allowance is $18.16, increasing 1 July each year.

Your HACSU officials have been working with the Department to implement this allowance. To be eligible for the allowance an employee must:

• hold a recognised first aid certification,
• are required by the employer to perform first aid duty at their workplace, and
• the first aid they are providing is in response to an unexpected situation involving injury or harm to an employee or client beyond the requirements contained in the client’s health management plan.

The provision of first aid for the purpose of receiving the first aid allowance refers to the treatment or performance of:

• CPR,
• Allergic reactions,
• Anaphylaxis,
• Bleeding,
• Choking and airway obstruction,
• Envenomation, using pressure immobilisation,
• Fractures, sprains and strains, using arm slings, roller bandages, or other appropriate immobilisation techniques,
• Respiratory distress, including asthma, and shock.

In order for payment of the First Aid Allowance to be approved the incident must be reported to the employee’s direct line manager.  In most circumstances this will also involve a formal report of either a client incident report through the Client Incident Management System (CIMS) or a Disease/Injury/Near-Miss/Accident (DINMA) if the incident relates to another employee.

The Department will shortly be releasing a policy explaining this allowance alongside a claim form for employees.