1. PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL INJURIES A FORUM FOR THE DISABILITY SECTOR August 2009

2. AGENDA  Welcome  Legislative obligations  Research Project overview – Disability Workers and Job stress  Research Project – Strategies to improve management of Psychological Injuries  Preventing Psychological Injury  Employee Assistance Programs  Managing claims for psychological injury – insurer perspective  Way ahead

3. LEGISLATIVE OBLIGATIONS SUE SMITH, Disability Safe Project Manager

4. WHAT IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL INJURY Under Workers Compensation legislation a psychological injury is defined as one which has a physiological effect as opposed to producing a mere emotional impulse, which arose out of or in the course of employment and employment was a substantial contributing factor. Exclusion is in cases where the psychological injury arose wholly or predominantly from the reasonable action of employer in relation to transfer, promotion etc

5. NSW OHS Act 2000 Employer has an obligation to ensure the health, safety and well-being of employees. Employers are required to identify foreseeable hazards that may arise from the conduct of the employer’s undertaking, to assess the risks of those hazards and to eliminate the risks or if not reasonably practicable to do so, to control the risks.

6. Step 1: Identify the hazards What or who is creating the stress? Consider: Culture Demands such as workload Control Relationships Change Role Support from colleagues and management Training Individual factors

7. Step 2: Identify the risks which flow from the hazards Who might be harmed? How?

8. Step 3: Evaluate the risks, eliminate or manage them Consider: Improve communication Provide sufficient resources Policies and procedures dealing with behaviour issues Give staff opportunity to plan their own work Disciplinary and grievance procedures to deal with unacceptable behaviour Genuine consultation before, during and after change Roles discussed and negotiated Induction and professional development opportunities

9. Step 4: Record and review assessment regularly

10. WAY AHEAD Please break into groups of 5 or 6 and discuss any issues which today’s forum has raised or using the policy template discuss what should be included in a Prevention of Violence Policy

11. PROCEDURE INCLUSIONS Training of staff and managers/supervisors Reporting Counselling Disciplinary actions Risk assessments Security systems Critical incident procedures Record keeping

13. THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING TODAY’S FORUM PLEASE COMPLETE THE EVALUATION SHEET AND TRAVEL HOME SAFELY