Mental Health and Wellbeing Procedure

Last updated: July 2019

Mental Health and Wellbeing Procedure1. Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to outline the risk management methodology by which the Department of Education and Training (the Department) identifies potential risks and assists with the establishment of appropriate measures to manage and support mental health and wellbeing of employees in its workplaces.

This procedure is to be read in conjunction with the Mental Health and Wellbeing Guide.

2. Scope

This procedure applies to all Department workplaces, including schools and central and regional offices. Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic) the Department is required to, as far as is reasonably practicable, provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to health, including risks to psychological health.

3. Mental health and wellbeing

Mental health is defined as a state of wellbeing in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with normal stressors of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to the community. Mental health can be explained on a continuum where mental health is at one end, represented by feeling good and functioning well, through to severe symptoms of mental health conditions at the other. Mental health is not fixed or in a static state, and individuals can move back and forth along this scale at different times during their lives.

The Department aims to keep people feeling good and functioning well, reduce the stigma of mental illness in the workplace and support workers to remain at work. The Department recognises the importance of work in restoring mental health and aim to provide a supportive environment for this to occur.

4. Procedure

Mental health has been identified by the Department as a mandated hazard requiring it to be managed in all Department workplaces. It must be included in the workplace OHS Risk Register.

4.1 Identify hazards

The Workplace Manager and/or Management OHS Nominee, in consultation with employees and Health and Safety Representatives, are required to include the following three hazards in the workplace OHS Risk Register:

workplace bullying

occupational violence

student challenging behaviour.

The Workplace Manager and/or Management OHS Nominee after consultation may also identify other mental health and wellbeing hazards or risks that may require managing and they should be recorded in the OHS Risk Register.

Hazards can be divided into psychosocial hazards (organisational or person focused, e.g. work related stress) and physical hazards (environmental, e.g. uneven floor), both of which can contribute job stress and psychological injury. Prolonged or extreme job stress can lead to a

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decline in psychological health and the development of poor mental health and psychological injuries.

The following workplace indicators could point to potential mental health and wellbeing risks and injuries in the workplace:

excessive and/or unusual patterns of sick leave

high staff turnover and/or burnout

withdrawal behaviours (e.g. not participating in work meetings and discussions)

negative behaviours and performance issues (e.g. disrespectful behaviour or misconduct)

presenteeism (e.g. employees attending work while they are unwell and being unproductive)

safety incidents (e.g. personal physical injuries, high number of student safety incidents)

development of exacerbation of mental illness (e.g. anxiety and depression).

4.2 Identify the contributing workplace factors

The Workplace Manager and/or Management OHS Nominee, in consultation with employees and Health and Safety Representatives are to identify and record the contributing workplace factor/s that alone, or in combination, may contribute to a mentally unsafe working environment.

Workplace factors that have the potential to impact on an individual’s mental health and wellbeing may include, but are not limited to the following:

organisational culture

psychological and social support

leadership and expectations

civility and respect

psychological requirements and competencies

growth and development

recognition and reward

involvement and influence

workload management

engagement

work-life balance

psychological protection.

See Mental Health and Wellbeing Guide for guidance on how to address and improve these factors within your workplace.

4.3 Risk assessment process

The Workplace Manager and/or Management OHS Nominee in consultation with employees and Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) should assess the level of risk associated with workplace indicators and the workplace contributing factors, as per Section 4.1 and 4.2 of this Procedure. HSRs should not be provided with staff’s medical information without their consent.

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The assigned level of risk should be recorded in the OHS Risk Register and/or Risk Assessment Template or equivalent.

If the inherent risk level in the OHS Risk Register is rated ‘High’ or ‘Extreme’ a documented risk assessment must be completed in consultation with Management or the Leadership team, using the Risk Assessment Template or equivalent. A risk assessment should also to be conducted when:

there is limited understanding and/or knowledge about individual tasks to be performed and the psychological impact

there is uncertainty about the level of risk associated with activities to be undertaken.

A risk assessment should take into account when:

the circumstances in which employees are exposed to specific work-related risk factor/s

the frequency and duration of exposure to specific work-related risk factor/s (for example, whether risk to health and safety builds up over time or occurs in a single incident)

the likelihood that a mental health injury may occur if there are not adequate controls in place to manage the work-related risk factor/s.

4.4 Record current risk controls

The Workplace Manager and/or Management OHS Nominee should consult the HSR and record the current risk controls in the OHS Risk Register. Where a risk assessment is to be completed, current risk controls should also be recorded in the Risk Assessment Template or equivalent.

4.5 Development of risk controls

The Workplace Manager and/or Management OHS Nominee in consultation with employees and Health and Safety Representatives are to eliminate or reduce the level of risk associated with work-related risk factors that may cause a mental health injury, so far as is reasonably practicable, by considering the workplace factors in Section 4.2 of this Procedure.

Primary prevention has the greatest impact in reducing occupational stress. Risk control should embrace the following factors:

Activities to control the risk should be Department and work-group specific, and be adapted to the needs, cultures, and economic realities of the organisation/work group.

Activities to control the risk should be targeted to workplace factors identified via risk assessment.

Risk-control plans should focus on primary prevention, but also include secondary and tertiary prevention activities.

Risk-control plans should focus on organisational-level interventions, but also include individual-level interventions.

Employee training should form part of a holistic approach to addressing mental health and wellbeing.

See Mental Health and Wellbeing Guide for more detailed examples of controls that can reduce the risk of mental health injury.

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4.6 Monitor and review controls

Due to the complexity of workplace factors that can cause mental health injury, it is important that risks to mental health are managed on an ongoing basis, and regularly reviewed. The Workplace Manager and/or Management OHS Nominee are required to monitor and review the effectiveness of implemented risk controls on a regular basis (e.g. quarterly) in consultation with the HSR.

Review of controls must be ongoing. However, additional reviews are required when:

an incident or near miss is reported

a new potential risk is identified (e.g. through a report on eduSafe).

4.7 Information, instruction and training

The Workplace Manager and/or Management OHS Nominee is responsible for ensuring all employees are informed about the risk controls and treatments in place to manage mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. This can be achieved by:

completing an OHS induction prior to commencing work

promoting and encouraging employees to report hazards (e.g. psychosocial hazards), near misses and incidents

and by providing employees with:

a copy of the OHS Risk Register and completed risk assessments and the opportunity to raise questions and participate in consultative processes

information about likely psychological hazards they may encounter in their work

information about existing Department resources and strategies to reduce the risk of psychological injuries

information about the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and how to access it.

4.8 Incident reporting

The Workplace Manager is to ensure all hazards, incidents and injuries are reported on eduSafe per the Hazard and Incident Reporting and Investigation Procedure.

5 Defined terms

All terms defined by the Department are hyperlinked to the Department's Defined Health and Safety Terms website. Defined roles will appear in bold.

6 Related references:

Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004

Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017

Preventing and managing work-related stress: A guidebook for employers. WorkSafe Victoria. April 2016.

Psychological health and safety in the workplace – Prevention, promotion, and guidance to staged implementation, 2013. National Standard of Canada

VicHealth 2012, Reducing stress in the workplace (An evidence review: summary report), Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, Melbourne, Australia.

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7 Related documentation:

Hazard and Incident Reporting and Investigation Procedure

Mental Health and Wellbeing Guide

OHS Risk Management Procedure

OHS Risk Register

OHS Induction and Training

Risk Assessment Template

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