Last week an update was issued to members on the Career Pathway Review process for Health and Social Care Professionals (HSCP).

The first phase of the staff to senior pathway has focused on the implementation of the agreed process for the eight Health and Social Care Professions, namely members working in dietetics, orthoptics, occupational therapy, podiatry, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, social care work, and social work within the HSE and HSE funded services.

Each Health Region was provided with the relevant process documents at the end of 2024. All eligible members should now have been identified in each health region. This includes Social Workers in primary care and all eligible grades outside of primary care across both the HSE and Section 38 organisations.

A joint oversight group has been established to ensure implementation of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) Agreement, which will hold its first meeting on Friday 15th August. The management side nominees to the joint oversight group are Maria Daly, National Employee Relations and Declan Hynes, Regional Director of People, Dublin South East. 

The second phase of the process is now due to begin. Both Fórsa and the HSE have finalised their representatives for phase two. 

The independent chair, Robbie Ryan, will now be asked to convene a series of meetings, which should begin in September, with a view to a final report issuing within 6 months. These meetings will be an important way to ensure that developments since the first round of submissions in 2020 are taken into account. 

National secretary with responsibility for HSCPs, Linda Kelly, urged members to keep themselves informed as phase two unfolds. She also encouraged anyone interested in becoming a workplace rep to come forward.

She said: “By talking to your colleagues and getting organised you can be part of this process. Workplace reps play a vital role linking in with branch committees for up-to-date information and to relay concerns on the ground. The more organised you are, the better and more effective the outcome will be.”

If your colleagues aren’t yet members of the union, talk to them about how easy it is to join online. Visit forsa.ie/join. 

Join a union that wins. Join Fórsa.