HEALTH EMPLOYEES DENTAL PROSTHETISTS AND DENTAL TECHNICIANS (STATE) AWARD 2024

 

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COMMISSION OF NEW SOUTH WALES

 

Application by Health Secretary, NSW Ministry of Health.

 

(No. IRC 242786 of 2024)

 

 

AWARD

 

1.  Arrangement

 

Clause No.        Subject Matter

 

1.         Arrangement

2.         Definitions

3.         Classifications

4.         Transitional Arrangements

5.         Previous Industry Service

6.         Salaries and Allowances

7.         Conditions of Service

8.         Grading and Classification of Officers

9.         No Extra Claims

10.      Area, Incidence and Duration

 

2.  Definitions

 

Unless the context otherwise indicates or requires the several expressions hereunder defined shall have their respective meanings assigned to them.

 

"Employee" means a person or persons employed in any hospital as defined.

 

"Hospital" means a public hospital as defined under section 15 of the Health Services Act 1997, as amended or varied from time to time.

 

"Industrial Committee" means the Public Health Employees (State) Industrial Committee.

 

"Industry Service" unless the context otherwise indicates or requires means service before and/or after commencement of this Award in any hospital and/or laboratory acceptable to the Ministry.

 

"Ministry" means the Ministry of Health.

 

"Service", unless the context otherwise indicates or requires means service or experience as a Dental Technician before and/or after commencement of this Award in any one or more New South Wales public health organisations or any other organisation acceptable to the Ministry.

 

"Union" means the Health Services Union NSW.

 

3.  Classifications

 

3.1      Dental Technician

 

(a)       Trainee Dental Technician means a person appointed as such who is undertaking the Diploma of Dental Technology conducted by NSW TAFE or an equivalent course in Dental Technology.

 

(b)       Dental Technician Level 1 means a person appointed as such who has successfully completed the Diploma of Dental Technology conducted by NSW TAFE or an equivalent course in Dental Technology.

 

(c)       Dental Technician Level 2 means a dental technician who fulfils the following criteria:

 

(i)        having at least 3 years’ experience as a registered dental technician; and

 

(ii)

 

(a)       successful completion of the first year of the Dental Prosthetics course conducted by NSW TAFE; or

 

(b)       having qualifications deemed by the Ministry to be equivalent to the first year of the Dental Prosthetics course; and

 

(iii)     demonstrating skills in excess of those required of a Dental Technician Grade 1; and

 

(iv)     being proficient in, and spending the major part of their time engaged in, one or more of the following areas of work;

 

orthodontic appliances;

 

cast metal denture techniques;

 

crown and bridge;

 

osseo-integrated implant technology;

 

maxillo facial and complicated prosthetics, including over-dentures, oburators, precision attachments and magnets, occlusal splints, complete and partial dentures requiring complicated (that is crossbite, class II and class III jaw relationship) tooth arrangements in balanced occlusion.

 

(d)       Dental Technician Level 3 means a dental technician who fulfils the following criteria:

 

(i)        having at least 6 years’ experience as a registered dental technician and maintains relevant registration; and

 

(ii)      successfully completed qualifications deemed by the Employer to be equivalent to the Advance Diploma of Dental Prosthetics (these may include qualifications in ceramics, orthodontics, implants, crowns etc). Equivalency is to be assessed based upon the hours of study undertaken and the complexity of the course work; and 

 

(iii)     show a high level of competency in the exercise of all the skills of the recognised training in accordance with the position requirements.

 

(e)       Senior Dental Technician Level 4 means a dental technician appointed to such a position and who undertakes the following duties/or role:

 

(i)        meets all the requirements of a Dental Technician Level 3; and

 

(ii)      manages a section/unit, which includes the responsibility of supervising the work and activities of other dental technicians/prosthetists.

 

(f)        Specialised Dental Technician Level 5 means a dental technician appointed to such a position and who undertakes most of the following duties/ role:

 

(i)        master or highly skilled technician with technical skills and proficiency above that which would be expected of a fully proficient level 3;

 

(ii)      specialist in an area of their profession and relied on for advice in this field;

 

(iii)     undertakes complex independent scientific, technical or specialist work and analysis;

 

(iv)     contributes to the development of standards relating to the sector, program or profession;

 

(v)       develops technical or professional standards for the organisation;

 

(vi)     provides professional leadership, education and development of staff in area of professional expertise;

 

(vii)    routinely advises senior levels of the organisation on technical issues and solutions within a functional area; and

 

(viii)   manages complex and significant state-wide, in-house services provided by dental technicians. (Such services provided on a Local Health District(s)-wide basis would be managed by a technician at level 4.)

 

3.2      Dental Prosthetist

 

(a)       Dental Prosthetist Level 1 means a dental prosthetist who fulfils the following criteria:

 

(i)        having at least 6 years’ experience as a registered dental technician;

 

(ii)      having successfully completed all qualifications of the Diploma of Dental Technology and the Advanced Diploma of Dental Prosthetics; 

 

(iii)     possesses and maintains relevant registration; and 

 

(iv)     shows a high level of competency in the exercise of all the skills of the recognised training in accordance with the position requirements. 

 

(b)       Senior Dental Prosthetist Level 2 means a dental prosthetist appointed to such a position who has developed specialised skills through additional study or the development of specialised skills/techniques and who undertakes the following duties: 

 

(i)        meets all the requirements of a Dental Prosthetist Level 1; and

 

(ii)      has a specialised area of practice such as dealing with special needs patients or trauma patients with complex prosthetics requirements; and

 

(iii)     may manage a section/unit, which includes the responsibility of supervising the work and activities of other dental technicians/prosthetists.

 

(c)       Specialised Dental Prosthetist Level 3 - means a prosthetist appointed to such a position and who undertakes most of the following duties/ role:

 

(i)        master or highly skilled prosthetist with technical skills and proficiency above that which would be expected of a fully proficient level 2;

 

(ii)      specialist in an area of their profession and relied on for advice in this field;

 

(iii)     undertakes complex independent scientific, technical or specialist work and analysis;

 

(iv)     contributes to the development of standards relating to the sector, program or profession;

 

(v)       develops technical or professional standards for the organisation;

 

(vi)     provides professional leadership, education and development of staff in area of professional expertise;

 

(vii)    routinely advises senior levels of the organisation on technical issues and solutions within a functional area; and

 

(viii)   manages complex and significant state-wide, in-house services provided by dental prosthetists (such services provided on an Area-wide basis would be managed by a prosthetist at level 2.)

 

4.  Transition Arrangements

 

(a)       Existing dental technicians will have their current duties and qualifications assessed against the classification descriptors provided in clause 3, in order to appropriately transfer employees into the dental prosthetist classification structure. There will be no reduction to employees’ rates of pay arising from this transition and existing incremental dates will be maintained.

 

(b)       Dental technicians who obtained prosthetist qualifications under the previous award provisions will have their qualifications recognised and, if appropriate, their current grade as a dental technician maintained. However employees who have not yet commenced nor completed the prosthetist qualification will no longer have this qualification recognised for progression to level 2 or beyond in the technicians stream of the classification structure. Employees who have partially completed this qualification can only rely upon the qualification to progress as a prosthetist, not as a technician.

 

(c)       Progression to level 3 in the technicians’ structure, and to level 1 in the prosthetist structure, will require completion of relevant qualifications, the exercise of the relevant skills and the possession of any relevant license or registration.

 

(d)       The parties will work together to identify suitable qualifications for progression in the dental technician classification structure.

 

(e)       The award classification of Deputy Chief Dental Technician has been deleted but this classification and salary will be maintained for the current occupant.

 

5.  Previous Industry Service

 

Previous industry service shall be taken into account in determining the commencing salary of an employee to be paid in accordance with rates set in the Health Professionals Salaries (State) Award 2024, as varied or replaced from time to time.

 

6.  Salaries and Allowances

 

Full time Dental Prosthetist and Dental Technician employees shall be paid the salaries and allowances as set out in the Health Professionals Salaries (State) Award 2024, as varied or replaced from time to time. 

 

7.  Conditions of Service

 

The Public Hospitals (Professional and Associated Staff) Conditions of Employment (State) Award 2023, as varied or replaced from time to time, shall apply to all persons covered by this award.

 

In addition, the Health Industry Status of Employment (State) Award 2023, as varied or replaced from time to time, shall also apply to all relevant employees.

 

8.  Grading and Classification of Officers

 

Nothing in Clause 3 - Classifications, or Clause 5 - Previous Industry Service, shall affect the right of the Union to apply to the Industrial Commission of New South Wales for the settlement of any dispute arising from the grading of an employee under this award.

 

9.  No Extra Claims

 

The Commission makes this Award on the basis that the parties have provided the following undertaking: Other than as provided for in the Industrial Relations Act 1996, there shall be no further claims/demands or proceedings instituted before the Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales for extra or reduced wages, salaries, rates of pay, allowances or conditions of employment with respect to the employees covered by the Award that take effect prior to 30 June 2025 by a party to this Award.

 

For the avoidance of doubt, the Parties may, during the term of this Award, discuss additional opportunities for system improvements and, if agreed, a further pay increase may be provided to recognise the contribution of employees to those system improvements.

 

10.  Area, Incidence and Duration

 

(i)        This Award takes effect from 1 July 2024 and shall remain in force for a period of one year.

 

(ii)      This Award rescinds and replaces the Health Employees Dental Prosthetists and Dental Technicians (State) Award 2023 as published 8 September 2023 (395 I.G. 80) and all variations thereof.

 

(ii)      This Award shall apply to persons employed in classifications contained herein employed in the New South Wales Health Service under s115(1) of the Health Services Act 1997, or their successors, assignees or transmittees.

 

 

 

I. Taylor, J, President.

 

 

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Printed by the authority of the Industrial Registrar.