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‘Disability Safe’ Project Overview

Disability Safe has the following strategic objectives:

  • Enhance the quality of services delivered by funded disability services by embedding a culture of safe work practices across the sector.
  • Development and adoption of a consistent approach to risk management across the sector especially in relation to identified high risk areas of activity.
  • Drive cost efficiencies through development and implementation of sophisticated workers compensation premium, claims and injury management across the sector.

The Disability Safe conceptual framework was described in the Disability Services Occupational Health and Safety Project Report.

Disability Safe is an initiative of the National Disability Services and is supported by the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care.

Project Manager

Ms Sue Smith has been appointed as the Project Manager. Sue has qualifications in Occupational Therapy and Occupational Health and Safety. Sue has worked as an OHS Advisor and RTW Coordinator and has consulted on Occupational Health and Safety to a range of industries including education, aged care and community services. From her skills and knowledge, Sue will deliver

  • ‘One stop’ resource on workplace safety, risk management and workers compensation for the NSW Disability Services sector on a dedicated website
  • Provide research, education, information and referral on workers compensation and claims management
  • Research into how the sector managers its workers compensation and injury management, and areas of high risk
  • Deliver a number of Accredited training programs on ‘Return to Work Coordinator’, Management Training on Workers Compensation and Injury Management, and a number of other Risk Management and OHS Workshops/forums on high risk areas affecting the sector

Sue’s contact details are:

Phone (02) 9256 3121

Fax (02) 9256 3123

Email susan.smith@nds.org.au

Location NDS Sydney Office

Level 18, 1 Castlereagh Street

Sydney NSW 2000  

Disability Safe Logo

The ‘Disability Safe’ logo is bright and dynamic. The yellow triangle which replaces the ‘A’ in safe reflects the equilibrium between safety and the provision of high quality disability services. This will be the logo you will see on all of the material produced by this project.

Development of Sector Capacity and Resources to Support Service Delivery

Existing disability services, OHS resources, together with resources to be developed through the Disability Safe project are located at a Disability Safe website (http://www.disabilitysafe.org.au ). When complete, the site will be a “one-stop” resource on workplace safety, risk management and workers compensation management for the NSW disability services sector. Project staff will identify, develop and promote sound organisational risk management policies and procedures and promote sound risk management practice across the sector.

Workers Compensation and Injury Management Strategies

Unplanned escalation of workers compensation costs constitutes one of the key organisational risks threatening the viability of the non-government disability services sector. Disability service managers frequently report their concerns about the difficulty encountered in controlling workers compensation premium costs and in controlling the cost of workers’ compensation claims. Disability Safe will address this issue by providing coordinated research, education, information and referral on workers compensation and claims management.  An Injury Management Advisor is also available on 92563126 to provide advice/assistance or act as a Shared RTW Coordinator for your organisation in NSW.  Claims Connect is also available to handle any workers compensation claims or premiium queries by calling 1300886560 or email claimsconnect@nds.org.au.

Research

Limited research has been undertaken within the disability services sector to identify the needs and concerns of the industry with relation to workers compensation and injury management. In order to effectively target needs and resources, NDS will conduct further online surveys of NDS members to gather information on relevant issues and coordinate a benchmarking exercise. The project will also identify and give recognition to best practice within the industry on issues such as:

  • reducing loss time injury (LTI) with regards to workers compensation management
  • occupational health and safety management – safe workplace
  • identifying safe work practices.

These ‘best practices’ will be noted on the newly developed website as a one stop resource.

Education Strategy

Educational resources developed by WorkCover and others could assist the industry better manage injury management and return to work. Service provider education and training experiences could include:

  • Management training on workers compensation and risk management.
  • Accredited Return to Work Coordinator training for medium and smaller organisations.
  • Advanced Return to Work Coordinator training to be delivered some months after the initial training for trained Coordinators needing to refine their skills in managing difficult cases.
  • Training workshops/forums in high risk areas in the sector – i.e. Violence, Working in Isolation, Stress and Manual Handling.

Workers Compensation and Injury Management Information Provision and Referral

Workers compensation provides valuable protection to workers and their employers in the event of a workplace-related injury or disease. Through workers compensation, injured workers can receive weekly payments to cover loss of earning capacity, payment of medical expenses and vocational rehabilitation expenses, where necessary, to assist them return to work. Injury management is about ensuring the prompt, safe and durable return to work of an injured worker. It includes:

  • treatment of the injury
  • rehabilitation back to work
  • retraining into a new skill or new job
  • management of the workers compensation claim
  • the employment practices of the employer.

Everyone involved is required to cooperate and participate in injury management, including the employer, injured worker, insurer, treating doctor and all treating practitioners.

The ‘Disability Safe‘ project manager can provide practical information and assistance for organisations through provision of targeted return to work information and where appropriate, referral to professional services to assist organisations manage difficult issues as they arise.

Looking forward to working with you all

Sue Smith

Project Manager

 

“Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility” An initiative of NDS and supported by ADHC.