1 December 2020
Cessation of HOSES duties inconsistent with the role description
During 2020, the QTU established a HOSES Workload Campaign Group to examine strategies and approaches to reducing HOSES’ workload.
In Term 3, a questionnaire was sent to HOSES members asking whether they believed 10 listed duties were inconsistent with the HOSES role description. The vast majority of HOSES agreed that the duties were not part of their role. In Term 4, the QTU conducted an online ballot of HOSES members and asked if they were in favour of participating in a “work to the role description” by following a QTU directive not to undertake the following nine duties.
- Responsibility for Annual Performance Reviews and Exit Summary and Observation Reports (ESORs) for teachers who HOSES do not line manage or who are not attached to the SEP.
- Coordination of medication for students other than students with a disability.
- Development of, uploading and responsibility for medical documents for students who are not students with a disability.
- Responsibility for development of behaviour plans for students who are not students with a disability.
- Provision and coordination of behaviour support for students who do not have a disability.
- Responsibility for ESFP applications for students who are not students with a disability.
- Responsibility for students with low achievement but who are not students with a disability.
- Responsibility for part-time enrolment processes for students who do not have a disability.
- Responsibility for alternative education program documents for students who do not have a disability.
In the above duties, students with disability are those students identified in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) process.
Approximately 92 per cent of HOSES who voted were in favour of following a QTU directive not to undertake the above duties. The QTU has held discussions with the department about the proposed directive, and the department has also acknowledged that the above duties are inconsistent with the role description.
The QTU Executive has agreed not to issue the directive on the basis of the following departmental commitments.
- The inclusion of Department of Education content in this email (see below) stating that HOSES should not be undertaking the above duties from 2021; and
- The inclusion of the information about HOSES’ duties in the Department’s Inclusive Education Policy – Every student with disability succeeding – Frequently asked questions. The revised FAQs will replace the current version published on the Students with disability OnePortal page in December 2020, with the link provided to all state schools through their final targeted resource allocation email at the start of 2021 school year.
Department of Education Position - Ms Deb Dunstone (Assistant Director-General, Inclusive Education)
“The work performed by HOSES and staff allocated under the Students with Disability funding model is critical to the department in improving outcomes for students with disability as identified through the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD).
HOSES are experts in supporting students who require reasonable adjustments due to a disability as reflected in their NCCD data.
When allocating resources in schools, principals are required to consider workloads of HOSES, teachers and other staff, as well as the needs of students.
This should not result in an allocation of additional duties and responsibilities for HOSES that do not align with the role description, and to this end the Department of Education agrees with the Queensland Teachers’ Union that the nine duties outlined in this email should not be undertaken by HOSES and if this is occurring it should cease at the end of this year.”
If a HOSES is undertaking any of the above nine duties, this should cease from the beginning of the 2021 school year.
If you have any questions arising from this email, please email services@qtu.asn.au or contact Jeff Backen (Assistant Secretary) on 3551 1936.
We wish HOSES and principal members a safe and enjoyable summer vacation.
Yours sincerely,
Kate Ruttiman Jeff Backen
Deputy General Secretary Assistant Secretary
Authorised by Kate Ruttiman, General Secretary, Queensland Teachers' Union
21 Graham Street, Milton, QLD, Australia, 4064