CC Terms of Reference 

OPERATIONAL UNDERSTANDINGS

1.       BACKGROUND

All schools are required to have a consultation process that addresses the issues associated with the implementation of the current industrial agreement.   At Heathmont College this process revolves around the Consultative Committee. The Consultative Committee has the essential purpose of providing advice/recommendations and reflection to the Principal and other members of the Management Team prior to the making of a decision and of forming an essential link with all areas of the College. As such the Consultative Committee is integral to the consultation processes in the college.

2.       Areas of involvement of the Consultative Committee are specified in the VGSA and are also outlined below. The operation of the Consultative Committee should recognise the following:

2.1.    The need for open communication, trust, and goodwill between all parties, including respect for differences of opinion.

2.2.    Increasing flexibility and complexity in school operations.

2.3.    Recognition that advice to the Principal and/or Management Team should always consider what is in the best interests of students, given staff resource availability.

2.4.    Changes in industrial relations and the requirement to negotiate conditions of employment as per decisions of the Victorian Government and Australian Industrial Relations Commission.

2.5.    The opportunity to develop solutions for industrial relations issues at the school level.

2.6.    That recommendations reached via Consultative Committee processes reflect that there is broad agreement in the school over issues discussed.

2.7.    The need for merit and equity principles to provide a framework for all advice in relation to personnel management.

2.8.    The professional standards for teachers and the DET and College duty statements/codes of practice / values.

Operational Understandings

3.       Membership

             The Consultative Committee will consist of members as follows:

·         Principal

·         Assistant Principals

·         Business Manager

·         Elected Teaching Staff Representatives (3)

·         Elected AEU representative

·         Elected Education Support representative

·         Daily Organiser/ Timetabler

4.       Term of office of AEU and elected representatives : 

• One Year

5.       Elections :

Elections for staff representatives will be held during the last fortnight of Term 1 to ensure that there is maximum continuity during the staffing operation and annual determination of allotments and duties.

6.       Frequency and Duration of Meetings

             As a general rule, meetings will be held at least four times a term during lunchtime on a Thursday for a period of approximately 45 minutes.  Both at the start and towards the end of the year in particular, there may be a need to meet more frequently due to the pressure of business and tight timelines associated with personnel management and planning for the new school year.

7.       Appointment of Chairperson /Agenda Secretary/Minute Secretary

7.1.    A Chairperson responsible for the conduct of meetings will be the Assistant Principal responsible for personnel. The Agenda Secretary will be the Principal and Minute Secretary will be one of the staff elected representatives. The Agenda Secretary will collate the agenda and publish this to the committee via Outlook. The Minute Secretary is responsible for minuting the discussion against the agenda points, distributing this to the committee for checking and then distributing to all staff via the school DL.

7.2.    The agenda will be compiled and distributed at least two working days prior to the meeting through the use of the Outlook meeting scheduling system. All members of the Consultative Committee, and all members of staff (through their representatives), will have the opportunity to raise issues and contribute to the agenda by notifying the Principal via email for an item to be added to the agenda.

7.3.    The Minutes Secretary is responsible for publishing the minutes as soon as possible after each meeting. (preferably within four working days of the meeting) and for posting a copy of these minutes on the staff noticeboard

8.       Roles & responsibilities: Specific Areas of Interest and Advice

The consultative arrangements are to be used about matters related to the long-term planning and

operation of the school as per the requirements of the VGSA including:

·         development of workforce plans

·         the planning and organisation of the program of instruction in the school

·         organisation of work including the face to face teaching requirements

·         organisation of work of graduate teachers in their first twelve months of teaching

·         organisation of classes including class sizes.

Examples of Specific areas of interest and advice:

8.1.    Teaching Allotments/Duties

8.2.    Time Allowances

8.3.    Class Composition/Structure

8.4.    Merit and Equity

8.5.    Workforce Planning/Leadership Profile

8.6.    Occupational Health and Safety

8.7.    Provision/Allocation of  Work Space

8.8.    Role Statements for Positions of Responsibility

8.9.    Extras/Replacement Classes

8.10.  Teacher Vacancies/Tagging of Positions

8.11.  Staffing Adjustments and Over-Entitlement

8.12.  Industrial Issues

8.13.  Higher Duties Allowances

8.14.  Policy Development/Implementation e.g. long service leave, changes to time fraction, replacement classes in lieu of VCE classes, excursions/field trips/staffing, special payments/recognition incentives/performance management, equal opportunity, elimination of sexual harassment.

9.       Conduct of Meetings & Consultative Committee Processes

9.1.    The CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE will operate on the basis of consensus, and an effort will be made to minimise formality. Where a vote is found to be necessary, only elected representatives will vote.

9.2.    As a general rule, and in an effort to expedite business and to encourage teamwork, the Principal will indicate his/her support for any particular recommendation at the meeting, either personally or through the Assistant Principal, rather than reserve his/her decision to another or later time.

9.3.    If the Principal/Assistant Principal is unable or unwilling to accept the recommendation of the CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE in relation to any matter, the reasons for this will be explained to other members of the CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE and documented in the minutes.

9.4.    It is understood that there will be times when the Principal/ Assistant Principal will require additional information, or advice from the Management Team before making a final determination in a matter under consideration.

9.5.    If a staff member requests confidentiality in relation to a personnel matter, the CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE will respect that right and the decision of the Principal to not share information regarded as confidential, without prejudicing the decision of the CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE or the advice to the Principal/Assistant Principal.

9.6.    It is recognised that CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE will sometimes discuss items of a sensitive nature that will require confidentiality. While this requires judgement on behalf of members, every effort should be made in meetings to identify those items that are of a confidential nature.

9.7.    If they so desire, any staff member has the right to attend a CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE meeting to present an issue in person, although a decision will not be made until the person/persons have left the meeting.

9.8.    If a member of the CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE has a pecuniary interest, or conflict of interest in relation to any matter before the CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE, that same member will absent himself/herself from the meeting at the time that the decision is taken, or matter is resolved.

9.9.    Staff with specific interests or expertise may be requested to attend a CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE meeting to give advice in relation to any matter under consideration.

9.10.  Members of the CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE are expected to represent the views of all members of the teaching staff, irrespective of their personal views about a particular matter.

9.11.  CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE members will make every effort to canvas staff views about policy issues. When appropriate, issues may be raised for discussion at staff meetings and CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE representatives may lead small group discussions to ensure that all staff have the opportunity to have their views heard. At the same time, staff are asked to inform CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE representatives of their views in relation to relevant issues to ensure the widest access to the consultation process.

9.12.  Members of the CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE will not undermine or slight the recommendations of the group, even if not personally in favour of the recommendation.  Each member needs to be able to present the reasoning for recommendations made.

10.   Review of CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE operations

The above operations will be reviewed on an annual basis after the election of the CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE, although the Principal, in consultation with the CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE, reserves the right to make amendments during the course of the year.

CONSULTATION PROCESSES

Consultation processes and practices in schools are nearly always a focus of attention as we constantly try to balance the need for broad scale informed consultation with the reality of time constraints and competing demands on everyone’s time. It is important however that we have clearly recognised processes that allow staff to have appropriate input and that provide conduits for issues/input.

Heathmont College has a range of forums and processes that all play a part in the consultation and decision making process. The main forums and processes (beyond full staff meetings that will largely be “topic focused”) these include:

• Curriculum Committee (consisting of Curriculum Area leaders focusing on issues around curriculum, teaching approaches etc)

• Educational Leadership Group (consisting of leaders in the teaching, learning and staff development area who oversight broad scale planning in relation to the strategic plan, DET requirements, etc)

• Consultative Committee.  This deals with the implementation of the industrial  agreement and also will provide  advice and reflection to the Principal and other members of the Management Team in relation to the teaching staff conditions and appropriate matters affecting teaching personnel management. eg leave, leadership profile, teacher vacancies, policy development in relation to a broad range of relevant issues (such as excursions/field trips, time fraction changes, LSL, replacement classes etc etc). Staff have the opportunity to make comment to their CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE representatives (who include both staff and AEU rep’s) so that CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE is in a position to more fully represent views and to make recommendations.

• Curriculum Area Meetings: address issues to do with teaching and learning, use of data to inform teaching, professional growth issues etc. Issues coming from these meetings may move through to the Curriculum Committee if required.

• Finance Sub Committee: a Council sub committee responsible for the allocation of budgets, for overseeing that the school operates within its means and that funding helps address the targets and improvement areas in the strategic plan. Funding issues that go outside the regular budgeting process must go through Finance C’ttee. Note that any submissions must fit with the meeting schedule of Finance C’ttee and Council and should go through our Business Manager. Finance Cttee generally meets on Wednesday in the second week of the month. Submissions need to be with BM at least one week prior to meetings.

• Resources & Facilities C’ttee: a Council sub committee responsible for all issues associated with resources, facilities and physical resources in the school. Items that need to be addressed should be reported to the Principal  to be directly addressed via current funding budgeted for the purpose or to be taken to R&F C’ttee as necessary. Items need to be presented to the Principal one week before meetings as identified on the school professional learning calendar.

• Student Management Team consisting of regular meetings of Heads of School, House Leaders, Student Wellbeing and others associated with student management. Items associated with addressing student needs, student management, consistency of approaches etc are a focus.

The individual Assistant Principals, leading teachers, coordinators etc have duties and responsibilities for a range of areas. Staff should contact the relevant people where there are items they need to raise and/or have addressed.