Student Support Officers’ Term 2 update: Flexibility, recruitment, overtime and professionalism
15 June 2025
In this update
- Student Support Officers Vocational Advisory Group
- Flexible Working Entitlements
- Direct Recruitment by Schools
- Overtime
- Professionalism and Professional Supervision
Student Support Officers’ Vocational Advisory GroupÌý
On Wednesday, 14 May 2025, delegates on the Student Support Officers’ (SSO) Vocational Advisory Group met with industrial staff at É«ÀÇÉçÇøHouse. Delegates discussed matters raised by SSO É«ÀÇÉçÇømembers in preparation for the upcoming Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) meeting with the department on 4 June 2025.
Access to flexible working entitlements
We heard from delegates that there is still inconsistency across schools about SSO access to flexible working hours and being supported to work remotely during school holidays. We want to remind members that SSOs under the Flexible Working Hours Agreement 2022 have access to flexible start and finish times within a 7:30am-6:00pm bandwidth, whilst the operational hours of the school are covered.
We also remind members that the É«ÀÇÉçÇøcontinues to press the Department to ensure SSOs are supported to work remotely during school holiday periods. We stress that no-one should be working on a school site alone, without having a Working Alone Risk Assessment, approved by the Principal who has a duty of care to ensure your safety.
É«ÀÇÉçÇøwins compliance in recruitment of SSOs by schools
The É«ÀÇÉçÇøhas previously met with Corporate Recruitment and expressed serious concerns about the Department’s two-tiered system of recruitment for SSOs. The majority of SSOs are recruited centrally by corporate recruitment, where they are screened for the required qualifications, have access to a commencing salary procedure and are properly on-boarded and inducted. However, School Principals can also act as hiring managers and recruit Student Support Officers.
Delegates have brought to the PSA’s attention recent examples of non-compliant recruitment by schools, including job ads that do not specify the required qualifications of ‘Social Work, Youth Work or equivalent’ and in some cases the creation of role titles as a hybrid ‘wellbeing roles’ between an SLSO and an SSO.
The É«ÀÇÉçÇøformally wrote to the Department to remove a recent incorrect job ad and cease non-compliant recruitment. The Department has halted the process and advised Principals about requirements and parameters for recruitment of SSO roles. The É«ÀÇÉçÇøwill meet again with corporate recruitment and will continue to address recruitment procedures.
Joint Consultative CommitteeÌý Ìý
É«ÀÇÉçÇøindustrial staff and delegates meet quarterly with Employee Relations for a meeting dedicated to discussing matters relating to School Psychologists and SSOs. The JCC meeting was held on 4 June 2025 at the department’s Eveleigh office. Our agenda items were as follows:
- Recruitment and Mobility
- Overtime
- Professional supervision
- Workforce Data
- Professionalism – Record-keeping
Recruitment: It was agreed in the JCC that É«ÀÇÉçÇøindustrial staff and delegates meet with Corporate Recruitment on 5 June 2025 to discuss the details of our concerns. The É«ÀÇÉçÇøoutlined the matters above and we have not agreed to the department’s proposed Recruitment Procedures for wellbeing roles, and will require further consultation before the drafts can be finalised.
Overtime: The É«ÀÇÉçÇøhas been pressing the Department to outline and demonstrate consistent practice for employees recording and claiming overtime. We know SSOs are regularly expected to attend School Excursions. Your flex sheets only record bandwidth hours but do not currently record working time outside your bandwidth hours. There is no consistency for the properly calculated Award rates of overtime to be recorded and claimed by SSOs as Time in Lieu (TIL) or payment.
We agree overtime accrual should not interfere with flex accrual. The Department has advised that its position is that overtime should be claimed on SAP.Ìý Members have said that SAP is not functional for recording overtime, so the É«ÀÇÉçÇøhas requested the department provide a step-by-step guide and SAP demonstration for recording overtime. ÌýThis will be arranged in the coming weeks with delegates present.
Professionalism – Record-keeping: The É«ÀÇÉçÇøknows our members who work in wellbeing roles in schools are qualified professionals, dedicated to ethical practice including keeping secure and confidential records of their interactions with students. The É«ÀÇÉçÇøis aware of OSCR for School Psychologists but has raised concerns that there are differing expectations across different schools for the records kept by SSOs. We’ve asked the Department to provide clear guidelines on what should be recorded, where it should be stored (such as on Sentral or other platforms) and who should have access to these sensitive records concerning student wellbeing.Ìý
Professional recognition and learning: The É«ÀÇÉçÇøraised that SSOs require professional recognition, supervision and tailored professional learning. Our members and delegates report being required to attend Teacher PL sessions and/or sitting in SASS staff training rather than being provided with relevant professional supervision and/or learning. The É«ÀÇÉçÇøis advocating the Department should ensure Principals have a clear understanding of the SSO role and the professional and ethical obligations attached to it.
Workforce data: The É«ÀÇÉçÇøreceives quarterly workforce data updates for FTE and temporary SSOs employed by the Department.
Member benefits
The É«ÀÇÉçÇøoffer many member-based benefits that you can access. Today we are going to highlight Gidget Foundation Australia and Foundation House.
Gidget Foundation Australia provides programs to support expectant and new parents experiencing perinatal depression and anxiety. More information can be found HERE.
Foundation House is an alcohol, drug and gambling treatment centre, offering a 28-day residential rehab service members and their immediate family members free of charge. More information can be found HERE.
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