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PPOA Newsletter PPOA Newsletter PPOA Newsletter PPOA Newsletter

November 2018

Probation and Parole Officers’ Association NSW IncProbation and Parole Officers’ Association NSW IncProbation and Parole Officers’ Association NSW IncProbation and Parole Officers’ Association NSW Inc....

INSIDE THIS

ISSUE:

President’s Message continued 2

Logo competition winner – About the Design 2 Recognition – 3, 4 What, Why & How Testimonial Brett Cousley 5 Testimonial Mallory Siemsen 6 Development Day Wrap up Sydney 7 Wagga Wagga 8 Tamworth 9 Save the Date 10 PPOA Awards night Call for 11 Nominations Notice of AGM 12 Nomination for Executive Form 13

President’s Message

Time certainly flies when an organisation is introducing and embedding legislative reforms that impact

upon our operational practice; and it has been wonderful to see the commitment of staff in embracing

those changes with a genuine desire to do the best job they can. Professional development has abounded,

with ongoing Practice Manager workshops, multiple e-learning modules, Community Corrections

Refresher Workshops I and II, Managers Workshops to name a few, and of course the 3 PPOANSW

Development Days in Sydney, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga; all testament to that commitment at all

levels.

I particularly would like to note the success of the PPOANSW Development Days with in excess of 75

Community Corrections staff from both metropolitan and regional locations attending. I refer you to the

feedback from each of those days contained in this newsletter, and acknowledge the efforts of the

PPOANSW Executive volunteers who coordinated each event in consideration to the expressed requests of

our members. Self-care, coaching/mentoring, and support in managing our high risk cohort is particularly

pertinent in our current environment.

Likewise, it is at these times especially, that the importance and value of recognising the good work and

efforts of Community Corrections staff cannot be over-stated, hence the theme of our November

newsletter being The Importance and Relevance of Staff Recognition. Our headline article ‘Recognition

– What, Why and How’ reminds us of how easy it is to embed recognition of our staff into everyday

practice, and I encourage you to read and reflect upon the messages within. There is no need for

trumpets and fanfare (although there are times when that, as well, have a place), however for me,

acknowledgement/recognition of my work, has resonated most when reflected genuinely during

incidental conversations. That resultant flush of personal pride is very powerful and I believe needs to be

facilitated at every opportunity.

Our newsletter also show-cases thoughts from PPOANSW members who have had more formal

recognition of the wonderful work they do. I refer you to comments from the Brian Norman First Year

Officer Award recipient Mallory Siemsen, as well as the self-described “missive” from the Alan Brush

Award for Excellence and PACCOA Tony Hill Award recipient Brett Cousley. Both highlight the value and

importance of staff recognition in its many forms. That said, it would be remiss of me not to remind our

members of the current call for nominations for the PPOA Brian Norman First Year Officer Award, and the

PPOA Alan Brush Award for Excellence to formally acknowledge Community Corrections staff from the

2018 calendar year. Full details on how to nominate are contained in this newsletter, with nominations

closing on 31 December 2018.


page 2

“I like to think

the double

triangles also

represent city

and country

PPO work”

President’s message continued

In the spirit of recognition, I would also like to refer you to the

launch of our new logo!!!!

In May this year, the Executive determined the PPOANSW logo needed a re-fresh, and opened the design up to our members. I am

extremely excited to announce that the winning design was developed by Dubbo SCCO Nicola Kidston who managed to capture

the contemporary look we were seeking, while clearly identifying our Association and acknowledging our roots. Her deep and

meaningful design considerations are contained within this newsletter, and certainly demonstrate why this design was selected to

represent our Association going forward.

Finally, as the PPOANSW Executive year comes to a close, I would like to acknowledge the hard work and commitment of the

Executive Members who volunteer their time to advance the interests and development of Community Corrections staff. In a time

of change, 12 months absolutely flies by, however much has been achieved this year, inclusive of: comprehensive support for our

members in attending the national conference, coordination of the PPOA Awards Night, delivery of development days for both

regional and metropolitan locations, a new logo, and by the end of this month I am excited to announce we will be in a position to

launch our new website (now this IS an occasion for trumpets and fanfare….lol).

It is a privilege to work with this wonderful team, and while there is a lot of hard work, it does bring immense satisfaction. I

encourage all members to consider if they are in a position to contribute in an Executive capacity for your Association. Our

Executive consists of 14 members, and we are always seeking members who are committed to the ongoing development of

Community Corrections staff. Many of our existing members certainly fit that bill, and I encourage you to nominate for the

Executive in time for our upcoming AGM on 29 November 2018 (please find the nomination form in this newsletter). On the

same day, PPOANSW Executive Members will be meeting with our Commissioner Peter Severin and Assistant Commissioner

Community Corrections Rosemary Caruana for our regular check-in. If there are any issues members would like the Executive to

raise on your behalf, please email [email protected] at your earliest.

Congratulations all on a wonderful, productive year, where the development of Community Corrections staff has continued to be

the priority. As the holiday season is around the corner, I wish all a happy and safe Chrissy and New Year, and hope you all get the

opportunity to spend some quality time with your loved ones.

Cathy Bland

President and Executive Member

In this design the current PPOA

logo is referenced by way of the

double triangles with smaller

triangles inside. This represents

acknowledgement of the past logo

and the history of PPOA. The

organisations title has been

incorporated into the logo to

make it more identifiable; the past

logo was obscure in terms of

identification of the organisation,

although members could probably

see the reference to ‘P&P’ in the

Logo Competition winner

Nicola Kidston, SCCO, Dubbo Community Corrections

About the design

triangular shapes, this was not

enough of a visual clue as to the

organisations meaning to an

outsider. The double triangle also

represents duality; of our ‘dual

roles’ in managing offenders and

also in terms of the two sides of

our work, Probation work and

Parole work. For me, as a SCCO

working for 20 years, primarily in

regional NSW offices, I like to

think the double triangles also

represent city and country PPO

work. The triangles represent that

some aspects are unique to each

area but fundamentally the same

(different coloured triangles in

different shapes). Blue is

incorporated into this logo in

reference to CSNSW colour

scheme. Only the letters PPO are

coloured blue to focus on the

centrality of those words to the

organisation and its purpose,

highlighting who we are.

PPOA Newsletter PPOA Newsletter PPOA Newsletter PPOA Newsletter ---- November 2018November 2018November 2018November 2018


Let’s start with the basics – what is recognition. Recognition:

• reinforces actions and behaviours that an organisation wants to see in their employees

(Schell, 2007);

• makes those you work beside feel valued and appreciated for their work;

• makes others feel important by recognising them and creating an environment that is

supportive towards others’ accomplishments;

• is an effective leadership tool to encourage and motivate others to strive for superior

performance (Leader Tips: Recognition).

There are many benefits to recognition, it:

• is considered the second most popular employee benefit after a pay rise;

• can help retain people (O’Donovan, 2013);

• doesn’t cost anything but can result in greater productivity and loyalty (Wiley &

Kowske, 2012).

Probably the main reason for recognition, however, is that it makes people feel good. It is a very

human quality to want to be recognised and thanked for what they do. “Compensation is a

right: recognition is a gift.” (Wiley & Kowske, 2012)

Being able to recognise others effectively isn’t innate; it is a learned behaviour (Hart, 2012). It

needs to be practiced. In order to be performed and received well, recognition needs to be:

• Timely - Whilst the big award nights can be fun, saying “great job” just after it happens

can sometimes be more effective;

• Specific - Make your comments person and focused on what was done well;

• Frequent - Do it often and regularly;

• Fair, accurate and authentic;

• Helpful - (Wiley & Kowske, 2012).

Recognition doesn’t have to be formal or cost a lot. It can be worked into everyday life; it can

be as simple as:

• a pat on the back;

• acknowledging good work, not just providing feedback when things go wrong;

• recognising work that is done under tight deadlines and the sacrifices that are made in

other aspects of people’s lives during busy times (Wiley & Kowske, 2012).

A helpful resource is the Human Resources home page on the Department’s Intranet page –

under the tab “Recognition and Awards”. It provides useful information about how to recognise

your peers or team members, tips and tools to successfully recognise others, as well as the

formal awards that are available. There are some fun postcards that you can give out!

RECOGNITION–WHAT,WHYandHOW

“Doesn’t cost

anything but

can result in

greater

productivity and loyalty”

page 3 PPOA Newsletter PPOA Newsletter PPOA Newsletter PPOA Newsletter –––– November 2018November 2018November 2018November 2018


PPOA Newsletter – November 2018

In relation to formal Departmental awards I recall getting a number of emails in August and

September calling for nominations for a variety of Staff Excellence Awards. A nomination could

see yourself and the person invited to the annual award ceremony. Specifically there were awards

for teams or individuals regarding:

• Strong commitment to Community

• Business Improvement and Innovation

• Improving Diversity and Accessibility Services

• Services to External Clients

• Services to Internal Clients.

Your association – PPOA - and the national association – PACCOA – also have awards that are given

out at their conferences or awards nights. PACCOA issues the:

• Tony Hill Award for individuals

• John Augustus Award for organisations.

PPOA awards the:

• Allan Brush Award to an outstanding Community Corrections Officer

• Brian Norman Award to an excellent first year officer.

Further details about the awards origins and past winners can be seen on the websites PACCOA:

paccoainc.com and PPOA ppoansw.com.au. It might be an idea to keep in mind, if you are

submitting a nomination for the award with one association, it may be appropriate to submit it for

both!

Recognition can be incorporated into every workplace:

• have a staff award that is presented each month during a staff meeting or at a specific

meeting of its own

• dedicate an agenda item in staff meetings for “have a brag”

• use some of the options in the Recognition and Awards tab.

Remember, people like to be acknowledged. Make a point of saying “thank you” or “good job” on

a regular basis.

Hart, P, 2012. Benefits of employee recognition in the workplace: Reduced risk & raised revenues.

New Equipment Digest, January 2012, 37-38.

O'Donovan, D, 2013. Employee recognition more important than ever. Employee Benefits, Oct 3, 1

Schell, S., “Employee recognition: why incentives work”, Your Workplace, November/December

2007, pp. 18 & 23, viewed 18 September 2018,

page 4


PPOA Newsletter PPOA Newsletter PPOA Newsletter PPOA Newsletter –––– November 2018November 2018November 2018November 2018 page 5

Brett Cousley – Alan Brush Award for Excellence Award recipient 2017

I have been asked to put a few thoughts down in respect to recognition in the workplace.

I have been a CCO for more than half my life now and I have witnessed the rolling changes in culture in relation to this

issue, both at the local level as well as the corporate. In my view, the corporate Excellence Awards have gained

momentum since their inception in the early 2000’s and are viewed as the ‘hard copy’ for that recognition. The NSW

PPO and PACCOA awards are highly regarded and highly revered for the recipients, notably as they emanate from

their peers.

However, it appears to me that the most formative recognition is within the workspace that we share during the work

week, whatever configuration that may be. Since ceasing operational duties, I have had cause to reflect upon the

above described awards and have settled upon the truth (well my truth at least) that we should all share in the

opportunity to acknowledge good work that is undertaken in our business units. Some managers have introduced

recognition as part of their staff meetings, but I believe that incidental feedback from report vetting/case plan

reviews etc holds the most effective and honest manner of appraisal and praise It is human nature to feel great when

we are praised for good work, sound case managements etc and it is my contention that this ‘feeling’ holds the

reservoir of ongoing improvement in us being effective practitioners in the diverse, difficult and challenging roles that

are part of our business.

I have always held the words of poet Maya Angelou in the forefront of my mind when working with both staff and

offenders. The words, whom some accredited to her are these – “At the end of the day, people won't remember what

you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel”. I acknowledge that this has not always led to ‘feel

good’ moments, but at the end of the day, humans are complex and certainly not perfect beings. So, where has this

reflection led? Formal recognition in its many guises is wonderful to receive and is truly an honour. The downside is

that it is usually an annual event and is generally limited in the number of people being acknowledged. We know that

recognition of positive actions leads to a change in behaviour, as we practice that every day with the people on our

caseloads. Surely the provision of recognition to each other in the workplace should be front of mind during

interactions, even if only extended to one person per day. However, that person will hold a better view of the

workplace, their skills and that fact that their work has been favourably noticed and has invited comment. To me, this

‘feeling’ speaks a thousand words.

Recognitionintheworkplace

Testimonialsfrom2017AlanBrushAwardforExcellence

Award&BrianNormanFirstYearOfficerAwardrecipients



Mallory Siemsen – Brian Norman First Year Officer Award recipient

For me personally, receiving the Brian Norman Award in 2017 was an honour. To receive formal recognition

from my peers about my operational techniques gave me a sense of validation that I am working on the

“right track”. The first year of your career within Community Corrections can be equal parts challenging,

overwhelming, rewarding and exciting.

Receiving the Brian Norman Award in 2017 has highlighted to me the importance of recognising and

acknowledging the strengths and achievements of other staff. In the busy workplace environment that we

operate within, I think that we often forget to take a moment to highlight the positive attributes in our

colleagues and to take the time to acknowledge the hard work that they are doing. I believe that by having

the award displayed in the office it has offered a continued reminder to me about the importance of positive

re-enforcement as a part of building a strong and positive workplace culture.

If I could offer one take away from this experience it would be to offer your colleagues both formal and

informal recognition for all their hard work as it helps to foster healthy working relationships with the

workplace.



The Sydney PPOA Professional Development Day was hosted at the Henry Deane Building on 19 October

2018. PPOA members and their esteemed guests enjoyed an opening Welcome to Country delivered by the

notorious Uncle Charles Madden (aka “Chicka”), followed by an invigorating series of presentations delivered

by Ellen McCarroll, A/Director Sydney West, Joanna Murray, Principal Solicitor Terrorism & High Risk Offender

Division, Office of General Counsel, NSW Justice and Kim McBurnie, Leadership Development, NSW Justice.

Topics centred on those as identified as interest subjects by PPOA members and staff completing the Survey

Monkey.

• Key presentations included: Working with high risk, violent and sex offenders, terrorist offender

supervision by Community Corrections on post-sentence orders,

• Extended Supervision Orders

• Quality Coaching and Supportive Mentoring presentation involving interactive team work and

discussion.

A sensational morning tea and lunch was provided on the Henry Deane Building first floor balcony and an

opportunity to mingle and network with fellow colleagues ensued. Presenters were thanked for their invaluable contribution with bouquet of flowers. Feedback from participants

was extremely favourable with formal feedback and invitations for future topics to be identified with a closing

Survey Monkey to be forwarded to attendees.

PPOADevelopmentDays2018Wrap-up

Sydney



WaggaWagga

It was a great day at the Wagga Wagga Development, held on 27th

September, the first of a trilogy of

development days held in NSW by PPOANSW. Members and non-members attended from all over the

Riverina, Southern District held at the Carriage House Quality Inn Function Centre provided for a day of

complete focus and intimate learning were treated with an intimate presentation by our own Robert

VanderWall on Providing and Receiving Quality Coaching and Mentoring and Queensland Corrective

Services’ own Alicia Bennett, who delivered a creative presentation on the Pillars of Resilience and

“Flourish” – a concept of self-evaluation in building resilience, also touching on self-assessment and

identifying your personality profile, building to discussions on managing compassion fatigue. The day

finished all too quickly for all participants involved.

The day also encompassed the launch of the PPOANSW new Logo, a professional banner flying at the helm

of the function room, specially designed and developed by the creative nous of one of our clever PPOANSW

members, Nicola Kidston, Dubbo Community Corrections. This set the tone for a renewed and refreshed

approach to professional development business by PPOANSW.

The PPOANSW Development Day Team put together a very professional soiree, and it is hoped we will be

able to hold such an event again soon.

Let’s do it again!! ☺


PPOA Newsletter PPOA Newsletter PPOA Newsletter PPOA Newsletter –––– November 2018November 2018November 2018November 2018 Page 9

Tamworth

Friday 26 October 2018 was a fantastic day for a development day in Tamworth for PPOANSW. We had

thirteen members located far and wide who took time and effort to travel from locations such as Gunnadah,

Armidale, Grafton, Inverell , Kempsey and Tamworth. This included the two executive members who travelled

from Sydney and Nowra.

Alicia Bennett, from Vericomm Education and Training based in Queensland, gave a very informative

presentation on self-care including positive self-talk and resilience in the morning and effective communication

with colleagues in the afternoon. The presentations were well received by all members and all feedback was

positive. Alicia as usual was amazing and PPOA NSW was grateful to have her attend and would welcome her

back for future development days.


PPOA Newsletter – November 2018 Page 10


page 11 PPOA Newsletter – November 2018

A Call for Nominations! The PPOA Brian Norman First Year Officer Award and Alan Brush Award for Excellence provide the opportunity to recognise the good work done by a fellow officer in contributing to make our community a safer place.

Below is an outline of the two annual awards that PPOA NSW presents. Please take the time to read the below information and contemplate who you could nominate for such an award.

Nominations close 31 December 2018.

Send nominations to [email protected]

Brian Norman First Year Officer Award Brian Norman First Year Officer Award for dedication, excellence and enthusiasm was established at the 2006 Annual General Meeting of the Probation and Parole Officers' Association.

It is designed to provide an avenue for acknowledgment of the excellent efforts of First Year Officers as they strive to meet their competencies whilst making a major contribution to their Office’s best practice in community supervision or parole unit standards.

The Award is open to financial members to nominate a First Year Officer. However, the nominated First Year Officer is not required to be a financial member of the Association. The First Year Officer must have successfully completed their 10 months assessment in 2018.

Nomination for the Award should be made by at least two financial members and take the form of separate written testimonials, explaining how and why the First Year Officer is considered to be deserving of the Award.

Nominations are assessed by a panel of members of the Executive who may seek the advice of others independent of the process. As a matter of course the panel consults with senior management of Community Corrections and the Brush Farm Academy in regards to the Award.

Alan Brush Award for Excellence The Alan Brush Memorial Award for Excellence was established at the 1996 Annual General Meeting of the Probation and Parole Officers' Association in memory of Alan's contributions over many years within the Probation and Parole Service. It is designed to provide an avenue for peer acknowledgment of the excellent efforts of workers in our field of endeavour. The Award is open to financial members to nominate and to be nominated. The criteria for the Award are not prescriptive. The Association's Principles of Practice may be useful as a general guide.

Nomination of a member for the Award should be made by at least two financial members and take the form of separate written testimonials, explaining how and why the member's work is considered to be deserving of the Award.

Nominations will be assessed by a panel of members of the Executive who may seek the advice of others independent of the process. As a matter of course the panel consults with senior management of Community Corrections in regard to the Award.


Probation and Parole Officers’ Association of NSW I nc.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meet ing of the above Association will be

held at Meeting Room 3, Henry Dean Building, 20 Lee Street, Sydney, on 29 November 2018 at 12 noon

The business of the Annual General Meeting will be:

a) To confirm the minutes of the last preceding annual general meeting;

b) To receive from the Executive reports upon the activities of the Association during the last preceding financial year;

c) To elect ordinary members of the Executive to the Association;

d) To receive and consider the financial statement of the Association;

e) To consider any notices on motion and, time permitting, any motions from the floor;

f) To transact such other business as the meeting may determine.

****NOTICES OF MOTION**** Please send motions to [email protected] by close of business on Friday 23 November 2018 ****NOMINATION FOR ELECTION TO THE EXECUTIVE**** Financial Members are invited to nominate for election to the Executive for the 2018-2019 Executive year. Nominations, made on the attached form, should be forwarded to Fiona Kibble, Griffith Community Corrections Office or via [email protected] by close of business on Friday 23 November 2019 Cathy Bland President, PPOA NSW 25 October 2018


Probation and Parole Officers’ Association of NSW I nc

www.ppoansw.com.au

[email protected]

Nomination for Election to Executive of the Association

I, ________________________________________________, a financial member of the above-named

Incorporated Association,

Hereby nominate ______________________________ to be a member of the Executive for the

forthcoming year.

Signed ______________________________ Date / /


Incorporated Association, hereby second the above nomination.

Signed _______________________________ Date / /


Incorporated Association, hereby accept the above nomination

Signed ________________________________ Date / /

Documents

ppoa newsletter · • can help retain people (O’Donovan, 2013); • doesn’t cost anything but can result in greater productivity and loyalty (Wiley & Kowske, 2012). Probably