We met with Education Department Secretary Tim Bullard yesterday to discuss the structure of the new Department of Education, Children and Young People.
 
We’ve been trying to get more relevant information for months now, and whilst we haven’t got all answers we need from the government, we did find out a bit more:

• The new agency structure will be an interim structure in order to “keep things running”, but in the longer term, there will be a move for workers across the new Agency to work more closely together and differently. (What will this look like? At this stage, nobody knows.)
• There could be a decision to integrate Child Safety and schools. Members, particularly those who have concerns about this, should note that as a possible intention.
• There will be significant work once the transition takes place for more “cultural alignment” across the new Agency. The cultural alignment and restructure process is a body of work that will take up to three years.
• The Child Safety and Youth Justice functions that sit currently in DCT will report directly to the Secretary of the new Agency. A Deputy Secretary for these functions, along with a number of other functions that sit with the Secretary currently, will not exist.
• Whilst Deputy Secretaries for other functional areas across the new Agency exist, the current DCT Executive Directors will sit on the new Agency Executive.

We have been told that the new structure will be communicated to you all in the very near future and that the new structure will be discussed through the normal change management processes. While it’s good to have more information, it seems that the more we know, the more questions need to be answered. For more information or to join HACSU, contact us on 1300 880 032 or at assist@hacsu.org.au