Monday Muses ?????

Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin'  I am not known as a Bob Dylan fan, however the times certainly are changing. And just because I know the size of the challenge that I am walking Craig's Table into Barry Crocker The Impossible Dream.

I well remember the first time that I saw this diagram at The Queen's Theatre in Adelaide, I remember the "discussion" that followed because although the iceberg diagram is correct it only tells a portion of the story that has never truly been told. This diagram may now be considered to be a workers compensation industry artifact, however the outline remains correct and it remains relevant today as it did the first time I saw it.

The discussion "undiscussed" was the direct and indirect cost(s) for the injured worker community. The Injured Worker Focus Group had started work in regards to developing a similar iceberg diagram for the injured worker community. We had had initial discussions around the Direct Costs post workplace injury the challenge we faced though reducing the list of Hidden Costs from multiple pages of "known hidden costs" to just 8 as illustrated in the above diagram was a challenge we were not able to complete. Loss of superannuation payments was on the top 8 list as was loss of career advancement. The one thing we agreed on was that sustaining a workplace injury for far too many people was not a good career move.

The reason I am speaking about this now is that I had a discussion with Yvonne last week. We both agreed that the need for a better way to assist the injured worker community navigate through the workers compensation process.

Yvonne and I discussed the need to provide the injured worker community with tools that enable them to actually be an informed partner in their own workers compensation claim. Tools that provided directions, explanations and answers in a way that was easy to understand and at the same time tools that removed the fear of the unknown. Tools that would assist the injured worker community to have equity and understanding. The return for the various workers compensation systems would result in a reduction in calls just seeking the basic information and (in Craig's Table's experience) a reduction in the amount of legal disputes. Simple information assures everyone that what needs to be done is being done and what needs to be in place is in place. There is a way to contain the required medical information so as the injured worker community is not left needing to remember what can be a lot of medication names and dosages etc.

My conversation with Yvonne was one of those serendipitous moments. I received a phone call not long after speaking with Yvonne to invite me to sit on a Complex Claim Review Panel. The discussion will focus on how to prevent claims from becoming complex; followed by what steps can be/needs be taken to enable a person where the compensation claim has become complex.

The topic for discussion took me back to when I first started with meetings within the injured worker community and all the information the was willingly shared between those who attended and very senior managers from WorkCover SA. One particular meeting will forever stay in my memory, a senior WorkCover SA manager had been in hospital for minor surgery. His assistant had called to say that due to the required home rest he would not be able to attend the meeting. However right on time he walked in and in his normal manner he sat at the back of the room and took notes, he listened to what was being said and he noted the answers he would need to provide.

It was clear to all of us that he was physically uncomfortable however he made no excuse nor did he leave early. Instead he stayed and had supper with the community; he knew all too well that everything that WorkCover SA needed to know was never going to be found within the workers compensation process, the people who paid for the system and the people who relied on the system had a working knowledge that needed to be included and utilized. This particular manager had arrived at the meeting in a taxi, so respected was he that he was driven home by a member of the injured worker community.

The information that came from the community meetings, the input from WorkCover SA the hours of work that the Injured Worker Focus Group put in, the level of trust and respect between WorkCover SA and the 4 separate injured worker groups ensured that as many of the claims that held the potential to turn complex had a support framework placed under and around them. The information packs that were handed out had all manner of contact information and contained ways forward, as much as possible nothing was left out or left to chance.

I am very much looking forward to being a part of this particular Group in order to put forward how Craig's Table has worked in the past to remove the angst and to enable the injured worker community for the best outcome possible for everyone who needs to be involved. The convener of the Panel has reassured me that I will not be the "token" injured worker in the (Zoom) Room. (I have to admit it I do not tolerate being a token anything)

I was listening to the radio last evening when the presenter had a chat with Father Bob Maguire I noted that 5 +1 words that Father Bob put together in order to find a way through covid 19. Care Compassion Concern Communication and Common sense and then he added Cash. I also thought it interesting that Father Bob described his thoughts of what he called "Community Collapse Disorder" The true lack of structure within the injured worker community has concerned me for a very long time. The cash part is also required because even going for coffee with a member of the injured worker community or a provider from the workers compensation system does have a price tag attached to it.

Every week I sit with members of the injured worker community, the issues they speak to me about are the same issues that have been in place for the last 2 decades. I sit with providers to the workers compensation process, their conversation is also along the same lines for the past 2 decades. It is as if the required conversations the elephant in the room is impossible to address.

There is common ground, there is a way forward, none of it is complex (I am far too lazy to do complex). As Father Bob said and as Yvonne and I discussed we need a common sense approach, we need to care and we need to communicate our own concern and listen to the concerns of others we also need to lead with compassion.

All of this plus a few other ideas that Craig's Table has been working on is what I plan on taking the the Review Panel meeting. It really is time to focus on what can be put in place and what framework is required to move out of the current turmoil. All of us in this industry are adults, all of us are capable of having an adult conversations, and all of us have something to contribute. (Willow 1 Willow 2)

Due to covid 19 this year the Comp Laude will be online. I have put a submission forward to do a 6 minute presentation as a part of the People's Choice session. The title (if I am selected to speak) I have given my presentation is "The Loudest Silence" a very compressed journey from the workplace death of my brother till now.

Time to tidy my desk and see what I can put together for dinner.

Yours in service

Rosemary

PS Along with many others by the time I get to Friday of each week I have Zoomed out. However there was one Zoom function that I attended last week that I was more than grateful to have Zoom in place for. A friend I have known for more years than I care to admit to passed away; Lorraine had been living in America for many years, even though it meant a 3am wake up in order to attend the service. Lorraine and Dennis had traveled the world and had danced on every continent except Antarctica. So I leave you this evening with the Waltz of the Angels as it was the song that was chosen to play as those of us who had gathered and elected to stay after the main funeral watched the slide show from many of the dances that had been put together. Even if you are not a fan of country music the story told will have tears forming.