The Working Well in Wellington project which is funded by WorkSafe WorkWell Mental Health Improvement Fund has now been running for two years. The team have piloted their project with Central Gippsland Health where they co-designed 13 strategies that employers can use to protect the mental wellbeing of shift workers. These were framed by five key organisational protective groupings – Individual bio-psychosocial factors, team and group factors, organisational factors, home/ work conflict and job design.
The team have now moved to working with Saputo Dairy in Maffra and have recently commenced with Fulham Correctional Centre to further test and strengthen these strategies.
The strategies will then be developed into a toolkit, available to all employers, at the conclusion of the project.
Responding to COVID-19
In response to Covid-19, the team developed a series of three handbooks which offer simple, evidence-based strategies for shift workers, their managers and families that can be used to support the mental wellbeing of their shift worker/s. These handbooks were based on the successful launch of CGH handbooks that we have completed a few months prior.
Hard and soft copies of these handbooks are available free of charge. To arrange copies please contact Linda Hunt on 03 51438 868 or linda.hunt@cghs.com.au
Mental Health Policy Audit Tool.
The team have also developed and launched a mental health policy audit tool which is designed to provide the foundation of an organisation’s commitment to creating a mentally healthy workplace by establishing a structure for organisational policies that promote mental wellbeing and are reflected in the five protective factors.
This tool is designed to allow the user to audit the presence and quality of policies and procedures that are considered to be necessary to strengthen effective leadership and governance for mental health in the workplace, as per the WHO Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2020.
The audit tool provides a structure for the foundation of policies and procedures that underpin an empowered and mentally healthy workforce. It can identify gaps in an organisation’s business rules, and is specifically looking at whether the necessary policies are in place to promote and support a mentally healthy workforce.
It can also provide an audit trail that will enhance quality improvement activities.
Contact Linda Hunt on 03 51438 868 or linda.hunt@cghs.com.au if you would like more information on the audit tool.
Roster Risk Assessment Tool
In the meantime, the team were invited by WorkSafe’s WorkWell team to submit a proposal for additional funding of the Roster Risk Assessment Tool (RRAT) which was developed as part Central Gippsland Health’s strategies.
The purpose of the RRAT is to identify ‘risky’ rosters that may cause fatigue to workers. Fatigue can increase the number of adverse events at work and is considered to be a risk to mental wellbeing.
The identification of the risky roster can create the catalyst for conversation between management and staff member to determine why this particular roster was requested or assigned, and what changes can be made to decrease the risk profile.
With the limited evidence base available, it quickly become apparent that we could not find an appropriate algorithm to determine whether one roster is riskier than the other. Therefore, the additional funding with enable us to commence the journey to find the allusive algorithm working with industry specialist. The team has successfully recruited to the positions and look forward to commencing the roster risk assessment tool journey.
If you would like to get in touch with the team, please contact Linda Hunt on 03 51438 868 or linda.hunt@cghs.com.au.