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Relevant Qualifications

Suitsme classifies roles under the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services (SCHaDS) award (the award). The award sets specific pay points within levels 2 and 3 of the award that an employee must be paid at, if they have a specific relevant qualification. 

This document outlines:

  • How Suitsme determines what qualifications are relevant
  • The procedure for determining which staff have a relevant qualification
  • The appeals process through which a staff member can challenge Suitsme’s assessment about a qualification that Suitsme has deemed not relevant.

Determining a relevant qualification

  • Each position within Suitsme has a position description and this is assessed against the award criteria to determine which level within the award the position falls under. 
  • The award dictates a relevant level of qualification (e.g. Diploma) for positions classified as level 2 or 3 within the award.
  • Suitsme may at its sole discretion choose to “classify” a role at the top pay point of the level, for example a position may be classified at level 2.4 or 3.4. In these cases an assessment of relevant qualifications is not required and therefore not completed.
  • Suitsme has been designed as fit for purpose to deliver services under the NDIS. Service scope is narrow and roles are highly specific. 
  • Suitsme uses the Position Description to identify the key knowledge required for the role.
  • Suitsme uses the Australian Qualifications Framework, resources available via https://training.gov.au/ and university websites to determine what content is covered in various qualifications.
  • Qualifications with a high level of overlap to the required key knowledge for the role are deemed relevant. 
  • Suitsme makes reasonable efforts to identify and assess existing qualifications that could be considered relevant.

Overseas qualifications

Overseas qualifications are not considered relevant and are excluded from consideration. This is because Suitsme cannot assess relevance in an Australian qualifications framework context. 

All overseas qualifications must be assessed and translated to Australian equivalent qualifications by the certifying body in order to be considered by Suitsme. The onus is on the individual to complete this recognition process. The following process is available to individuals wanting to complete this process:

  1. Refer to the Australian Government’s Qualifications Recognition, as well as the Western Australian Department of Training & Workplace Development Overseas Qualification Unit website for information and advice on having their overseas qualification recognised in Australia.

Western Australia

Overseas Qualifications Unit, Migration Services, Department of Training and Workforce Development
 Phone:  (08) 9224 6540
 Email:  oqu@dtwd.wa.gov.au  

Determining Staff Qualifications

Suitsme is responsible for the correct classification of employees. To enable Suitsme to fulfil this duty, all prospective employees are asked to provide evidence of all qualifications listed in their resume prior to employment.

As per the Joining Suitsme:

  • The prospective employee is required to provide a copy of the qualification to Suitsme as evidence.
    • Where applicable the translation to Australian equivalent qualification must also be provided.
  • This evidence must be sent to Suitsme via email to hi@suitsme.app.
  • Where all evidence is provided during employee onboarding, the employee will commence with Suitsme at the appropriate increment/pay rate.
    • Where an employee fails to provide evidence prior to employment and subsequently provides evidence of a relevant qualification after commencing with Suitsme, Suitsme will increase the employee’s pay rate from the date they provide this evidence.
  • Where the employee achieves a relevant qualification while already employed by Suitsme, Suitsme will increase the employee’s pay rate from the date they provide evidence of having obtained the qualification.

Appeals

Suitsme acknowledges that:

  1. Course content changes and a qualification deemed not relevant may become relevant if the content changes significantly.
  2. Some staff who hold a not relevant qualification, may have completed elective units that make their qualification relevant.
  3. Suitsme has not considered and assessed every existing qualification.

Therefore it is important that there is a means of appeal for staff who believe they have a relevant qualification. 

Where a employee wishes to appeal a decision about the relevance of qualification they must:

  1. Email Suitsme via hi@suitme.app
  2. Subject of email must be: “Appeal relevance of qualification”
  3. In the email the employee must:
    1. State what qualification they have.
    2. Outline the reasons that they believe their qualification is relevant. 
    3. Attach an academic transcript which shows the units they completed to obtain their qualification.
  4. Upon receiving this email, Suitsme admin will:
    1. Reply to acknowledge receipt of the employee’s email. Let the employee know they will receive a reply within 30 days
    2. Forward this email to executive management. 
  5. Suitsme executive will:
    1. Assess the employee’s claim
    2. Consider whether:
      1. this is a one off situation (for example if the staff member has completed specific electives that make an otherwise not relevant qualification relevant, or 
      2. the Assessment of relevant qualifications document needs to be updated.
    3. Respond to the employee within 30 days.
    4. Record the review process in the Assessment of relevant qualifications document for that role

If an appeal is upheld then:

  1. Suitsme will increase the employee’s pay rate as soon as possible.
  2. Suitsme will back pay the employee the difference between their two rates from the date that the employee provides their qualification. 
  3. Suitsme may update the relevant qualifications list, though this will depend on the specifics associated with the appeal. 

If an appeal is rejected then:

  1. Suitsme will provide the employee with a reason as to why the appeal has been rejected.
  2. Suitsme will offer the employee a 1:1 meeting to discuss the matter further.

Ongoing review of relevant qualifications

Suitsme maintains an Assessment of relevant qualifications for each role. These lists are reviewed biennially for changes against the training.gov website.

As qualifications change, and as new qualifications are created, a process of review is needed to support good governance and compliance requirements.

  • Suitsme management will review the approved Qualifications Rubric biennially for changes against the training.gov website. 
  • The Rubric will be updated accordingly and communicated to staff.
  • Suitsme will review staff qualifications as recorded in the payroll system and apply any required level increases from the date the rubric was updated.