Under the Recruitment and onboarding policy, the department is committed to fair and equitable recruitment and comprehensive onboarding practices in its workplaces by:

• using inclusive and merit-based recruitment practices to ensure fair, ethical and transparent appointments that build employee and public confidence in departmental appointments
• offering a range of promotion and transfer options that provide employees with the opportunity to progress their career
• ensuring that recruitment practices comply with all relevant recruitment legislation, regulations, industrial instruments, codes of practice, standards, procedures and guidelines.

The school support staff recruitment:

• implement and maintain the procedure.

Principals, or their delegate:

• follow this procedure to guide their decision-making in filling temporary and permanent SASS positions within their schools, where applicable.

SASS employees:

• use this procedure as a reference to understand how SASS vacancies are filled and how the end-to-end recruitment process operates.

For funded school learning support officer (SLSO) positions, principals must base their decisions on the continuation of programs and support for existing and future students. The following should be considered when reviewing a funded SLSO vacancy within a school:

• learning needs of individual students
• educational needs of individual students
• delivery of educational programs to support the students’ projected ongoing work for the employee
• ongoing funding (known as integration or program funding) for the establishment of a permanent full-time or part-time SLSO position (note: other program funding may be utilised to supplement or fully fund the SLSO position). Decisions to create a position will be based on information relating to current funding and an understanding that the funding will continue into the future.

This recruitment is subject to a matching process consisting of 3 steps.

Step 1 – Priority match

Employees on the match with nominated, compassionate or resumption of duty status, will be reviewed and an appointment made.

Step 2 – Aboriginal SASS Initiative (previously referred to as ‘Rec 55’ positions)

If the school has been identified under the Aboriginal SASS Initiative (ASI), the vacancy will be forwarded to the Aboriginal Programs team for review and action. The Aboriginal Programs team will make direct contact with the principal to discuss the school's current needs and explain the importance of the ASI. If the initiative is accepted, the Aboriginal Programs team will support the school through the entire recruitment process.

Step 3 – Principal determination

If no priority matches or Aboriginal SASS Initiative candidates are identified, the principal can select which recruitment method is used to fill the position.

Principals will have the following options:

• external advertising and conducting a merit selection process
• activate an eligibility list. Eligibility lists may be used from positions of the same classification advertised at the school where the vacancy exists or from other schools that have advertised the same classification. Refer to the SASS merit selection information for further details
• appoint an eligible long-term temporary employee.

The long term temporary (LTT) employee must have been engaged in temporary employment for a period of at least 12 months in the same classification as the vacancy and have been recommended for either:

• their current employment through a merit selection process for the temporary position via I work for NSW
• an eligibility list from any school through a merit selection process for a position advertised via I work for NSW for the same classification as the vacancy within the last 2 years
• the temporary position by applying via the Staff Noticeboard (internal expression of interest [EOI]), where a merit-based assessment process has been followed to determine the recommended candidate.

Where an LTT employee was initially engaged via a local selection process, which was not advertised via I work for NSW or the Staff Noticeboard, and the employee is not on any other relevant eligibility list, they will not be eligible for conversion. In this circumstance, the principal is required to advertise the permanent position externally, and the LTT employee would need to apply.

Where the LTT employee has been engaged via the Staff Noticeboard EOI, to be eligible for later permanent appointment, the employee must be selected using a merit-based assessment, including at minimum:

• a written application or expression of interest from the candidate, referencing the requirements of the position
• an interview, which includes a discussion of the requirements of the position and the relevant statement of duties
• 2 referee checks.

Principals must retain a record of the Staff Noticeboard EOI process to confirm the eligibility of the LTT employee for a subsequent permanent appointment.

Refer to Supporting tools, resources and related information below for tools and templates.

1. The principal must discuss the vacancy with the employee before submitting on OMSEE to confirm that the employee wishes to be appointed as a permanent employee.
2. The principal will declare the vacancy on OMSEE and enter details of the long-term temporary (LTT) to be considered for the position and where they undertook the merit selection process.
3. SASS Recruitment will review the request and, where it is a centrally identified position, run a match to determine if there are any priority or Aboriginal SASS Initiative matches. If the vacancy is an above centrally identified position, the position may be filled by the option selected under Principals Determination on the OMSEE form.
4. If there are no matches, SASS Recruitment will review the relevant merit selection reports and confirm if the LTT is eligible to be converted.

Where the level of a SAM position is increased, one of the following 2 actions will occur:

• if there is a permanent incumbent, that incumbent is directly appointed to the higher level
• if the position is vacant, the position level will be increased. The principal must adjust the incumbent’s payroll schedule if a temporary employee is in the position.

Where the level of a SAM position is decreased, no SAM will move down a level in 2025. Any SAM whose 2025 outcome is to a lower level will be placed on salary maintenance, and the outcome reported to them on the entitlement report will be maintained rather than reported as a lower classification.

School Support Staff Recruitment will still calculate the school’s actual SAM position level for the purposes of recruitment for vacancies and relieving opportunities:

• the incumbent SAM is maintained at the same level under SAM salary maintenance
• if the position is vacant, the level of the position will be maintained at the decreased level
• if there is a temporary employee in the position, the principal must adjust the incumbent’s payroll schedule in SAP.

Note: if a principal has elected to vary the mix of staff and create a business manager position using the SAM FTE, a decrease in SAM entitlement will have an impact on the SAM funding that is being used to fund and maintain the business manager position at the school. If the principal decides to continue with the business manager position, additional funding will need to be provided from school funds.

A nominated transfer status may be granted due to a school closure or amalgamation or a reduction in student numbers, which subsequently results in the entitlement being reduced. An applicant must submit a nominated transfer application:

• if there is a reduction in FTE and the affected employee would like to remain at their current FTE with the department
• where an employee’s position is deleted and the affected employee holds no other permanent SASS position.

Compassionate transfer requests must meet the requirements for exceptional and compelling circumstances to approve the transfer. Applications will be considered a priority and, if approved, remain active unless the circumstances that led to the application change.

SASS Recruitment reviews and determines the outcome of all compassionate transfer applications. Each case and supporting evidence are reviewed to determine if eligibility requirements and thresholds are met, as well as consulting with key stakeholders such as Health and Safety, Professional and Ethical Standards and the relevant director, educational leadership and executive director.

An approved application on compassionate grounds does not guarantee a transfer, as this is subject to a vacancy being available.

SASS employees on approved leave without pay who have lost right of return to their substantive position are required to submit a resumption of duty application.

SASS employees on approved leave without pay have a right of return to their substantive position for a period of 12 months. After 12 months of continuous leave without pay and having discussions with the principal, an employee may lose right of return to their substantive position but hold right of return to the nearest suitable vacancy to their previous school.

There is no timeframe or guarantee of placement into an alternate position following a resumption of duty being activated as this is subject to a vacancy being available.

Note: on being matched to a new position via a transfer application, the employee is expected to enter on duty to the new position on the agreed date.

The 2 adults in small schools supplementation is a SASS entitlement. Any allocation must be used as either SAM (office based) or school learning support officer (classroom based) hours.

Principals are encouraged to contact SASS Recruitment for advice on how this supplement may be implemented at the school.

• SASS merit selection procedures
• Guidelines for SASS Transfers (staff only)
• Online transfer system
• Determining the Mix of Staff in NSW Public Schools Procedure (DOCX 437 KB)

Long-term temporary expression of interest templates

• Hiring manager checklist (PDF 143 KB)
• Shortlisting template (XLSX 12 KB)
• Behavioural interview (DOCX 40 KB)
• Referee check report (DOCX 41 KB)
• Selection panel report (DOCX 50 KB)

• Crown Employees (School Administrative Support Staff) Award 2019.

EDConnect
1300 32 32 32 (options 3, 2, 2)

SASS recruitment, school workforce
1300 32 32 32 (options 3, 2, 2)