EDUCATION SUPPORTSUPPLEMENT TO THE AEU NEWS • FEbRUARy 2009

A E U h e a d o f f i c e 112 Tr e n e r r y C r e s c e n t , A b b o t s f o r d 3 0 6 7 Te l : 0 3 9 417 2 8 2 2 Fa x : 13 0 0 6 5 8 0 7 8 We b : w w w. a e u v i c . a s n . a u

NEWSLETTERHelp amidst the ruins

Education support staff will play an important role in helping communities recover from the devastating bushfires — and the AEU is here to

help you.

Mary Bluett branch president

THE bushfires have hit many of our communities directly — and have touched us all. It is times like

these that highlight the role schools play in helping students (and often their families) come to terms with difficult and traumatic events.

You will continue to play that role. For some in the most affected communities this will be a long process.

Three schools — Strathewen Primary School, Middle Kinglake PS and Marysville PS — have been burnt to the ground and many more schools were

closed for some time. Communities have suffered loss of life and homes. Tragically AEU members were among those killed and many others are homeless.

AEU supportThe AEU has released an emergency assistance package for affected schools and members. For details, see www.aeuvic.asn.au — look for the logo above.

The package includes:• Immediatefinancialassistanceof upto$5000

for members who have lost their homes• Interest-freeloanstoassistwhileinsurance

claims are finalised.Theunionwillalsoprovide$5000forthose

schoolsburntdownand$1000forotherschoolsincommunities affected. Our credit unions and Teachers Health Federation have also provided practical support and are to be commended for their

quick response.Our legal firm Holding Redlich is providing legal

assistance by phone and on the ground in helping with insurance claims.

One story out of manyWhile many teachers, principals and education support members have been directly affected (see the next edition of AEU News for much more), I will illustrate with one example.

Carolyn Fennell is business manager at Middle Kinglake PS and an AEU member. Her school and her own home were destroyed in the fires which devastated the Kinglake community.

Carolyn’s principal, Janette Cook, contacted me, keen to ensure she could access the AEU Member Assistance. Where was Carolyn? Out fighting the fires as a CFA volunteer! ◆

SO MUCH has happened that the holiday break already seems a while ago! But welcome back to a new school year.This first newsletter of the year focuses on the new agreement for Education

Support (formerly SSO) members. The AEU is committed to ensuring that ES members maximise the benefits of this agreement.

That is why we have produced an Implementation Guide and are running informationsessionsacrossthestateduringTerm1.Youcanfindoutmoreaboutthese,andkeyfeaturesof theagreement,onpages2-3.

The backpay from the salary increases should now be in your savings account — or well spent already!

As I travel around, many ES members have asked me about the reasons for the

name change from SSO (school services officer) to ES (education support). Here’s why.

Schools educate and support our students — this is our prime focus and responsibility. ES staff play a key role in this. Principals, teachers and ES staff work as a team to maximise educational outcomes for students.

The new name is recognition of this — it more accurately describes the role of ES staff and gives you professional recognition for the work you do as part of that team.

I hope the year ahead is a rewarding one and encourage you to take the opportunities the new agreement provides. ◆

— Mary Bluett

New Year, New Name

ES AdvocAtE progrAm Education support members are becoming increasingly involved in the union. The ES Advocate program gives ES members an opportunity to join in AEU activities and meet and work with AEU leadership and organisers. They will take part in AEU briefings and meetings, and join visits to schools to meet other members.

So if you are a keen union member and interested in learning more about the AEU and how your union works for ES staff — then this is an opportunity for you. For more information: www.aeuvic.asn.au/sso/sso_advocate. ◆

2 ES newsletter | february 2009

Where do we begin?WITH so much in the new ES Agreement, you could be forgiven for asking:

Where do we start?Theansweris—pages6-7of theAEUImplementationGuide.Itsetsouta

timeline for putting the agreement into practice. We would recommend all reps and ES members to consider it.

First and foremost it encourages members to familiarise themselves with the new agreement. You can do this by attending regional meetings and/or AEU Active training courses. If this is not possible you may consider inviting your AEU organiser to your school to meet ES staff.

Once members have had a look at the improvements in the agreement they need to mull over how or if their school will be affected. Some practices or policies may need to be reviewed in the light of the agreement.

We suggest that members discuss any areas of concern and form a com-mon view, then develop a plan to address them.

Consultation will be central to ensuring that your plan works — and the revamped consultation clause gives you the means to raise your concerns and have them addressed.

It is identical to the consultation clause in the Schools Agreement (covering teachers), which means that thorough consultation must be carried out with both ES and teaching staff before any decisions are made that impact on your working conditions.

“Working conditions” for ES staff include hours of work, time in lieu, at-tendance at meetings, time fraction changes, yard duty, and role descriptions, to name but a few. ◆

Getting it rightThe ES Agreement is in place — now we have to put it into practice on the ground. A busy program of AEU meetings and workshops will help you to help yourself.

Kathryn Lewis ES organiser

OUR new Education Support Agreement has the potential to

improve the working lives of ES staff everywhere — and just as importantly, to improve the quality support you provide to our students and schools.

But to do that we’ll have to turn the words of the agreement into actions in our schools.

The AEU will be here to work with members to develop your understanding of the agreement and help you gain the full benefits. Every member —alongwiththeAEUsub-branch—hasakeyrole in the local implementation of the agreement.

To help you, the AEU has already begun a full

program of meetings, workshops, training sessions and publications. You should already have your Implementation Guide (see below). Now come along to one of our meetings.

Our main implementation advice sessions are being held in conjunction with our AEU regional meetings this term. We have chosen to use the regional meeting structure because it is important that teaching and ES staff work together to ensure that the benefits of the agreement are realised.

ES members and AEU reps are encouraged to attend to ensure that they are informed. Dates and locations will be published in the coming weeks as they are set for each individual region. You’ll find them in the About Us section of the AEU website at www.aeuvic.asn.au/about/.

Your AEU rep at school will be also be sent information about the regional meetings, so let them know that you are interested in attending. It would be great if members organised a contingent from each school to attend so that they can take the information back to school.

We also encourage as many members as pos-sible to attend our training courses and forums, which will focus on the new agreement. For dates and venues, see the table opposite.

Don’t forget, our organisers are keen to visit your school to work with members to implement the agreement. If you would like to arrange an ES implementation meeting at your school, just email julie.lynch@aeuvic.asn.au.

Over to you! ◆

Got a question?It’s in the Guide!EVERY education support member and

sub-branchrepshouldnowhavetheirown copy of the AEU Implementation Guide — the one stop shop for answers on the new ES Agreement.

The handy booklet is your key to putting the agreement into practice. It contains details of all the main features, including how contract staff can gain ongoing positions, the new allowances system, rules on supervision, consultation, grievance procedures and more.

Most importantly, it sets out in full the new Dimensions of Work and gives details of how to apply for a range review.

This is the ammunition you’ll need to ask for a pay rise if you’re working above your range. Remember, you can now ask for a range review at any time.If you have not received your copy, download it at www.aeuvic.asn.au/sso or call Julie Lynch on (03) 9417 2822 or email julie.lynch@aeuvic.asn.au. ◆

www.aeuvic.asn.au 3

ELIGIBILITY for contract ES staff to be converted to ongoing employment has significantly improved in the new ES Agreement.To be eligible you must have been employed continuously for longer than

12months,either:• Inavacancythatwasadvertisedaslongerthan12monthsOR• Inavacancythatwasadvertisedas12monthsorless,resultingintwoor

more fixed periods of employment.When ongoing positions become available at school, the principal should

offer them to any eligible employees, as defined above. This can be done at any time during the school year and eligible staff must be considered before posi-tions are advertised externally.

Ongoing improvements

Where more than one person is eligible to be converted but only one posi-tion can be made ongoing, an internal merit selection process should take place.

Tomaximiseongoingemploymentforcontractstaff,sub-branchesandconsultative committees should review all contract positions, to check that each is a genuine contract position.

Staff who are eligible for conversion to ongoing should be identified and when a suitable ongoing position becomes available, translation to ongoing should be sought.

For help and advice on securing greater job security through ongoing employment, contact the Membership Services Unit on (03) 9417 2822 or email melbourne@aeuvic.asn.au. ◆

It just got easier for contract staff to gain ongoing employment.

Training and PD for ES membersTERM 1 DATE

AEU Active (2 Days) – The New ES Agreement 5&6March

AEUActive(1Day)–ForNewReps 19March

AEUActive(1Day)–TheNewESAgreement 24 March

TERM 2 DATE

After School Member Forum – AEU Reps: Your Rights 28 April

ES Regional Conference – SE Region 7May

ES Regional Conference – Benalla 12May

AEU Active (2 Days) – Special Schools 2&3June

AEUActive(1Day) 4 June

Application&Interviews 11June

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TERM 3 DATE

ES Regional Conference — Ballarat 18June

ES Metropolitan Conference 7August

After School Member Forum – Applying for Jobs – Ballarat 5August

After School Member Forum – Applying for Jobs – Gippsland 11August

AEUActive(1Day)–Consultation 21August

After School Member Forum – Consultation 21July

AEU Active (2 Days) – The ES Agreement 8&9September

AfterSchoolMemberForum–Application&Interviews 3September

TERM 4 DATE

AEU Active (2 Days) – The ES Agreement 13&14October

After School Member Forum – SRP 15October

ES Regional Conference – Gippsland 28 OctoberAll events held at AEU Abbotsford unless noted.

4 ES newsletter | february 2009

Carolyn Clancy deputy vice president, primary

ONE thing was clear from members’ feedback as we prepared to negotiate our new agreement

— rewards for staff involved in medical intervention were desperately inadequate.

The message was reinforced during our negotia-tions and meetings with ES members. Members informed us of inadequate practices occurring in schools — some of which severely exploited the goodwill of their staff.

In some cases staff were not receiving the allowance. Some were receiving it when no longer responsible for undertaking medical intervention, while others were asked to share their allowance in a pool to go towards professional development.

Consequently, we knew we had to address this situation in the new agreement.

Medical intervention carries significant respon-sibility and accountability. ES staff undertaking this role should be adequately remunerated. This is now acknowledged in the new agreement, which removes the old medical intervention allowance. In its place, ES staff undertaking this role will be

classifiedasatleastESLevel1Range2.AnyESinRange1whoisundertakingmedical

intervention will require a range review to move them into the correct classification. This request should be made in writing to your principal.

Schools need to determine through their consul-tation processes how best to allocate positions to ES staff to satisfy the medical intervention needs of their students. Positions can be advertised internally —butmustbeatleastatESLevel1Range2.

Specific and appropriate training must be under-taken by ES staff who are supporting students with complex medical needs. Training is provided by the Royal Children’s Hospital School Care Program.

Schoolspreviouslyreceived$599ayearforevery student who required medical intervention, as part of their budget, the student resource package (SRP), to pay SSOs who were supporting these students. Schools are now funded through their SRPat$10,000foreachstudentrequiringmedicalintervention, covering the cost of paying ES staff at the correct classification.

Applications for the funding are made to the Student Wellbeing Branch. They are due by

February27tocoincidewithcensusday.DEECD has a list of the support procedures that

are eligible for medical intervention funding. They include mechanical ventilation, oxygen, tracheostomy care, suction, tube feeding, ostomy and faecal management.

DEECDcircularS044-2009,Program for Students with Disabilities — Medical Intervention Support2009, has been sent to principals, giving more detailed information on the support procedures.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss this particular area of the agreement, email carolyn.clancy@aeuvic.asn.au or kathryn.lewis@aeuvic.asn.au. ◆

Welcome to new members!THEAEUispleasedtowelcomethe900Educa-

tion Support members who joined the AEU during the SSO Agreement campaign last year.

The new agreement has sparked the interest of ES employees, with many seeing why there are so many good reasons to join their union. We need to continue to highlight the importance and value of AEUmembershiptonon-members.

Growing membership will give strength and confidence to the voice of ES members as we work to ensure that the entitlements and gains achieved in the agreement are realised.

Welcome aboard! ◆— Kathryn Lewis ES organiser

Medical milestoneThe new agreement ensures greater rewards at last for ES staff who give medical care and support to students.

It’s official!IT’S official — Education Support staff are members of the teaching service.

What, you already knew that? Well it seems the Government didn’t — until now.TheEducationDepartmenthasjustannouncedthatwhereitpreviouslyreferredtoschool-based

staff, it will now refer to teachers, principals and education support staff as members of the teaching service.

AllareemployedbythedepartmentundertheEducationandTrainingReformAct2006.Thetermteaching service will now be used when referring to principals, teachers and ES classes as a group.

ThememoinquestionwascontainedinHRMOnlineIssue1-09January292009.◆— Peter Steele vice president, primary

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