Lasting outcomes from the Return to work Conference and Expo 2010

On 26 October, Q-COMP held the Return to work Conference and Expo 2010, our annual event for those on the front line of rehabilitaiton and return to work.

 

The event gave delegates a look at the new ideas and innovations that are shaping our industry and gave them the opportunity to connect with others in the industry.

 

Our Senior Rehabilitation Advisors Jo Harris and Kerry Lugg donned their reporter's hats for the day to bring you the news straight from our expert speakers who presented at the Conference.

 

The Role of Leadership in Managing and Preventing Mental Illness with Dr Peter Cotton

 

Dr Cotton currently holds the position of Director of Psychology Services with Medibank Health Solutions and is a subject matter expert in workplace mental health.

 

On average, 7% of workers will experience an episode of clinical depression in any one year.  Not surprisingly, workers in workplaces with poor morale are more likely to experience a psychological injury and lodge a claim for workers' compensation.

 

Supportive leadership and a good team environment can improve workers' psychological well being and help reduce the costs of psychological injury.

 

Interestingly, Dr Cotton sounded a warning about the rise of 'incivility' in our workplaces: research shows our workplaces are less civil than they were 10 years ago.  He stressed that we need to reverse this trend if we want to encourage healthy workplaces.  He suggested we can shape a more positive team environment by challenging behaviour that is not civil and holding people accountable to a code of conduct.

 

Q-COMP Senior Rehabilitation Advisors see this as a real opportunity to raise awareness by being alert and noticing when someone's behaviour changes. Simply asking "Are you okay?" and really listening to the answer can help. It may be enough to simply talk with the person to offer some moral support or to encourage them to seek help from their GP. You can view Peter's presentation here.

 

The Highs and Lows of Return to work Coordination with Dr Mary Wyatt

We could all relate when Dr Mary Wyatt said that return to work coordination 'requires the patience of Job, the wisdom of Solomon and the straight talking of the terminator'. Mary is the developer of the Return to Work Knowledge Base and is the editor of the Return to Work Matters online network.

 

Dr Wyatt told us that supervisors are the key to a successful return to work and they need to understand their role and responsibilities. Injured workers expect their supervisors to be responsive to their injury concerns, to provide clear and supportive communication and to accommodate their restrictions after an injury and provide suitable work until they recover.

 

One of Mary's key messages was that rehabilitation and return to work coordinators are wonderful! She acknowledged what most of us already know - that it's a challenging, lonely and often misunderstood role.  She presented a contrast of two types of RRTWC - one who is 'doing it all' and one who is 'leading' and showed how the 'leader' could contribute, influence and work with the workplace to influence real change and see better outcomes.

 

Mary also spoke on how to involve and interest CEOs and other supervisors in the return to work process.  To help gain their support, provide them with information about the hidden costs of injury such as recruitment, training for new staff and a drop in morale and productivity leading to poor customer service.

 

Ask the CEO to have a talk with an injured worker to ask:  "What can we do for you?"  and "How are you?"  Help them understand the impact of workplace injury and the importance of good management of injured workers. You can also obtain a workers' compensation scorecard from WorkCover to show your CEO how your organisation compares to others in the same industry.

 

The Spirit of Leadership with Amanda Gore

Amanda Gore had us in fits of laughter with her suggestion that we all get "FARC-ing".  Amanda is the author of four books and numerous videos and has a background in psychology, physical therapy, group dynamics, neurolinguistics and occupational health and is often referred to as the 'people whisperer'.

 

In her high energy presentation, Amanda told us everything we need to know about how FARC-ing can help us live more joyful lives.

 

F is for focus - what we focus on, we create, so we better be focussing on what we want from life.

A is for awareness - Amanda challenged us to be aware of our fears and question them and suggested that we all have fears about humiliation, separation, poverty (spiritual and financial) and the fear of missing out.

R is for repetition - Repeating positive affirmations and experiences helps us learn life lessons.

C is for celebration - We all need to celebrate our successes and have fun!

 

Amanda highlighted the power of gratitude and suggested we all don our "gratitude glasses" and see what we can be grateful for.  Amanda prescribed the use of gratitude glasses each day to improve our mental health.

 

Senior Rehabilitation Advisors Jo and Kerry noticed that everyone left Amanda's session feeling light of heart, grateful for the good things and determined to FARC each day. To find out more about Amanda you can visit her website. www.amandagore.com

 

The Return to work Virtual Event is now live!

If you weren't able to attend the event there's no need to miss out - the Virtual Event is an interactive tool which allows you to visit each of the exhibitors hosting a booth at The Return to work Expo and is a great way to share in the Expo experience.

 

You will also be able to access resources and information from the presentations and workshops delivered at the Return to work Conference and view the remarkable return to work journeys from the winners of the Return to work Awards.

 

Access the Return to work Virtual Event now at qcompconference.com.au.