Agency staff in DADHC's Met South East Region Group Homes and Respite Units

Following advice from Regional Management of the need to provide additional staff in the Region the PSA has met with the Department to negotiate arrangements surrounding the introduction of agency staff.

Whilst the Association is opposed to the use of agency staff it recognises the need for an additional source of staffing relief as the Department's recruitment strategies have failed to alleviate staff shortages.

Consequently full time staff are being required to work excessive amounts of overtime which has serious occupational health and safety implications and is of concern to the Association and the Department.

The following units have been identified for the introduction of agency staff: Baxter Road, Eastlakes, Primrose Avenue, Milroy Avenue, Fairview Street, Forest Road (both units), Bruce Street, Acacia Road, Formosa Street, Hannan Street, Done Street, and Parkview.

Below are the Department's business rules for inducting and engaging Agency Staff into the units-

• Agency staff will only be inducted into houses and used at short notice as a last resort to fill shifts that can't be covered by permanent part-time employees as additional hours, or by DADHC casuals.

• The house staff must ensure that permanent part-time staff are offered additional hours 1st. If they are unable to cover the shift or have already reached their maximum hours (76 per fortnight), then DADHC casuals are to be contacted to fill the shift.

• If you are unable to cover the shift after contacting casuals for approximately 15-20 minutes, you should contact the Network Manager (or on-call Network Manager if outside of office hours) to inform them.

  They can then provide approval for you to contact an Agency to cover the shift.

The Association has advised the Department that no member will conduct an induction of new staff at the end of their shift unless overtime is approved for this purpose. The Department accepts that no one will be required to remain in the unit to conduct an induction without being paid for their time. Any overtime payment to staff needs to be factored in when considering the economic viability of engaging agency staff.

It is important to note that full time RSWs are able to safely work 8 hours of overtime per fortnight. When filling short term vacancies equal consideration is to be given to overtime as to agency staff. The determining factor between overtime or agency is cost.

Another issue raised by the Association with the Department is where different agency staff are turning up each day requiring 3-4 hours of induction whilst an RSW is on shift and how the lost direct care time is to be compensated.

This issue remains unanswered. For this reason the Association would like to receive information from members on how many direct care hours are being lost whilst RSWs are inducting agency staff. This information should be emailed to Shane Howes, PSA Organiser, at howess@psa.asn.au. Alternatively, the information can be faxed to Shane on 9262 1623.

During negotiations over this issue the Department agreed to call for expressions of interest from part time RSWs interested in working additional hours throughout the region. A list of respondents will be produced and made available to Network Managers and Units. It is anticipated that this will alleviate much of the need for agency staff as vacant shifts MUST be offered to part time staff (and casuals) in the first instance.

It is in the best interests of all members to be aware of the order for filling shifts and to minimise the use of agency staff wherever possible.

Additionally, the Department has an obligation to ensure agency staff are properly inducted into the unit in which they are required to work. The Department has issued an induction checklist with its recent notifications on the use of agency staff.