Graduate Rural Incentive Scheme Guidelines
NSW Health has set system goals to improve the health of all NSW. These are: Healthier People, Fairer Access; Quality Health Care; and Better Value
NSW Health Department has created the Graduate Rural Incentive Scheme (GRIS) to attract new graduates in dentistry and oral health from Australian universities and the Australian Dental Council examination process to practice in the rural NSW public sector.
GRIS offers a package of support to new dental and oral health graduates, and assists the NSW Health Department and the rural Area Health Services of NSW with the recruitment of dentists and oral health therapists
GRIS is offered to new dental and oral health graduates taking up a permanent, full time appointment in the rural NSW public sector within one year of being registered following graduation
"Rural" is defined using the Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Areas (RRMA) classification and encompasses the following:
| R1: | Large Rural Centres |
| R2: | Small Rural centres |
| R2: | Other Rural areas |
| Rem1: | Remote centres |
| Rem2: | Other remote areas |
This means that new dental and oral health graduates who are employed in the public sector oral health services in the Greater Western AHS, Greater Southern AHS, Hunter and New England, and the North Coast AHS will be eligible for a GRIS package.
GRIS aims to attract new graduates to rural communities only. Within the Hunter New England and South East Sydney Illawarra Area Health Services, there are certain pockets where it would not be appropriate to offer the Graduate Rural Incentive Scheme.
In Hunter New England these are Cessnock City, Lake Macquarie City, Maitland City, Newcastle City and Port Stephens Shire are classified RRMA M2 and are therefore ineligible.
In South East Sydney Illawarra, Kiama Municipality, Shellharbour Municipality and Wollongong City are classified RRMA M2 and are therefore ineligible.
Staff who provide services to these communities are not eligible for the GRIS.
Also note that a GRIS package cannot be paid on a pro rata basis. In other words if a dental officer provided services for 3 out of 5 days a week to communities within Hunter New England or South East Sydney Illawarra that are classified as R1 - R3, he or she would NOT be entitled to three fifths of a GRIS package. Similarly GRIS would not be available to a metropolitan-based dental officer or oral health therapist who provides services to rural communities for few days a week.
The GRIS package is in addition to:
- Conditions of employment that a new graduate may negotiate with the employing Area Health Service - including "good employer" obligations to provide opportunities for professional development and
- The Dental Officer Rural Incentive Scheme (DORIS) - although it is not expected that the full $20,000 available under DORIS would be paid to someone receiving the GRIS.
Each package consists of professional support and $10,000 of financial support.
Professional Support
The Professional Support Program has two main parts:
- An orientation program to familiarise new dental officers and oral health therapists with the practice in the public sector
- Ongoing professional development and mentoring during the first year of practice
Financial Support
The GRIS package covers the first year of employment in the rural public sector and will not be extended beyond that.
The Centre for Oral Health Strategy is providing $10,000 for each package and up to 50% of this may be drawn on during the first year of service to cover continuing education, mentoring and attending conferences of chosen by the GRIS recipient. It may also be used to pay membership fees for professional Associations.
The balance will be paid in a lump sum at the end of the first year following confirmation by the approved supervisor of the completion of satisfactory service.
GRIS recipients are expected to participate in the Professional Support Program described above. The Program is intended to provide "on-the-job" support to new dental officers and oral health therapists in public sector practice not to test their competence. There will therefore be no formal assessment by the Area Health Services or the Department of Health of a new dental officer or oral health therapist's performance on the Professional Support Program. Other processes for assessing professional competence are already in place in the Area Health Services.
For more information on the Professional Support Program, click here
Other details of GRIS
Eligibility Criteria
A GRIS recipient must:
- Be fully registered as a dentist or as an oral health therapist in NSW
- Have graduated with a degree in dentistry or oral health from an Australian or New Zealand university, or from the Australian Dental Council Examination process.
- Have completed 12 months permanent, full time employment as a dental officer or oral health therapist in public sector oral health services to the satisfaction of an approved supervisor.
- Participate in an evaluation of the Graduate Rural Incentive Scheme application and administration process; and
- 5. Participate in any longitudinal studies of the recruitment of oral health professionals to public sector practice by providing a contact address and general employment details to NSW Health Department after two years of employment.
Where benefits attract Fringe Benefits Tax, the FBT will be included as part of the GRIS. Please also note that the Australian Tax Office considers the GRIS assessable income.
What May GRIS Not Be Used For?
Employer Contribution to Superannuation and leave loading are not to be included in the GRIS. Area Health Services have responsibilities as good employers therefore the GRIS funding should not be used as a replacement for employee entitlements that are properly the responsibility of the employing AHS.
A Graduate Rural Incentive Scheme package is allocated to a dental officer or oral health therapist at the start of their permanent, full time employment with a rural Area Health Service. If that employee moves to permanent, full time employment with another rural Area Health Service the package will continue, and the balance of unused funds paid at the end of the year's service.
If, however, a dental officer or oral health therapist who has been awarded a GRIS leaves to take up employment outside of the rural NSW public sector, or ceases to work for the employing AHS on a permanent, full time basis before a year of service is completed, he or she must notify the Centre for Oral Health Strategy within one week of the event.
The GRIS recipient will be required to repay part or all of the GRIS funds that have been used, after consideration of the individual case. Any unused GRIS funds will be forfeited.
How to apply?
After a new graduate has accepted permanent, full time employment as a dental officer and oral health therapist in a rural public-sector oral health service, the manager of the Oral Health Service in the Area should write to the Centre for Oral Health Strategy requesting that a GRIS be set aside for the new dental officer or oral health therapist.
When the Centre for Oral Health Strategy confirms that this has been done, the dental officer or oral health therapist can then claim a proportion of the GRIS package.
The Centre for Oral Health Strategy will arrange for the funds on behalf of the new graduate by the employing Area Health Service. He/she should apply through the Centre for GRIS funds during the year and for the balance at the end of their first year of service.
For a proportion of GRIS during the first year of service, the dental officer and oral health therapist should write to:
Graduate Rural Incentive Scheme
Insert address here
Stating the amount requested and explaining what the funds are to be used for.
For the balance of GRIS package after the first year of service the Dental Officer or oral health therapist should write to the above address and include:
- Documentation from the Area Health Service(s) of one-year's permanent, full time employment as a dental officer or oral health therapist in one or more rural Area Health Services a letter from the current supervisor in the AHS confirming satisfactory service as a dental officer or oral health therapist