Monday Muses ~ ways forward or is it waves forward?

Vale Prince Phillip Duke of Edinburgh Earl of Merioneth Baron Greenwich 10 June 1921-9 April 2021

A personal note: Many of you know that I have helped to raise several foster children. I am very proud to say 3 of them achieved The Duke of Edinburgh Award.

When I spoke at the Informa Summit I opened with this clip. The reason I did so was to highlight the amount of confusion that enters without invitation into the life of a person at point of impact when they need to lodge a workers compensation claim. There is so much that suddenly starts to happen that all too often confusion sets in and the ensuing blur simply adds to the array of emotions that range from panic to grief added to that is the lack of clear understanding of just how the workers compensation concept works.

I have sat on many advisor committees that have developed guidelines and frameworks that provide the support required to support and enable the information required so that the least amount of time required is taken for the employment injured person to detour through the workers compensation process.

The Collaborative Partnership clearly outlines the size of the challenge we all face each and every day. What astounds me is not the size of the challenge but how little is actually discussed about the true impact on every level for each person involved within the widest cross section of the injured worker community. There are countless intersections simply not spoken about that need to be availed of the light of day. People such as Maree from this ABC article  -anyone who doesn’t think that domestic violence is not within the injured worker community needs to stop and think about what the reality for many members of the injured worker community is actually like. Over many years I have had discussions around the societal expectations of workers compensation systems and of the injured worker community, up to a point I agree that the less touch points required the better, however if societal expectations extend to employers needing to provide leave and support for domestic violence issues then why does that not also flow into the lives of the injured worker community? It would again astound many people to know just how many within the injured worker community require all manner of societal supports that are simply denied to them. Just recently a family applied to a well-known family charity for support with school fees, the application was denied, the family involved listed workers compensation as their main source of income. (Help is provided for families with a CentreLink Healthcare card)

Again; at the Informa Summit I said that each and every employment injured person has both the right and the responsibility to return to open employment. (The only exceptions are those who have sustained a major brain trauma or require hospitalization as an on-going component of their lives.) The one constant conversation over the many years is the conversation about returning to work and how to achieve it. There are endless tomes of information in regards to workers compensation from the vantage of the workers compensation process but scant easily accessible information for the injured worker community. What is astounding is what can and does happen when the smallest fragment of information is put in place.  

At 9:10am this morning I had a “robust” discussion with a provider of services for the workers compensation process, the provider was not in the least bit happy that “the client” (not the person) had gained control and was making decisions that they had previously felt unable to make without needing an emergency appointment with the provider. It seems that Craig’s Table had over-stepped themselves by providing “the client” with a set of tools to enable and to explain” The provider demanded to know where all the information came from etc etc etc- it was to say the least a most interesting discussion. After things calmed down, I explained to the provider that Craig’s Table did not “seek out” the person involved, instead the treating medical provider had requested the tool kit out of concern that the person was being churned; I ended by recommending that if there was an issue in regards to the person being more in control, then the provider needed to have that discussion with the treating medical provider. In truth Craig’s Table had not as much as spoken with the person who was using the tool kit.

Craig’s Table has never been a part of the Angry Ant Brigade ??; it is correct that we push the envelope as far and as hard as needs be however we have always sought to build bridges and build relationships to enable everyone to reach informed decisions and to make informed choices. When the person requiring any of the professional supports that are in place it is simply easier cost and time effective for each member to be aware so that as a team the best of all possible and sustainable outcomes are achieved. As Craig’s Table has demonstrated it is always beneficial to focus on the outcome and to keep the process fluid. And for the workers compensation system it is also financially beneficial. 

All of this once more simply reinforced the need for Injured Worker Well-Being Week (31st May-4th June 2021) All the presenters are combining to provide information for the betterment of the injured worker community which includes the professional providers who sometimes simply need to extend their thought processes outside of their normal contacts. None of Injured Worker Well-Being Week is designed to detract from the important and supportive work that is being done over and above what is required. I can attest to the extra work that is done simply because of the number of calls Craig’s Table receives from providers looking for the extra input and different directions that can should or need to be explored. The conversations are always constructive for each person involved.

Injured Worker Well-Being Week is about finding the balance required and building forward from there. The mixture of information is interesting, there is always room for more information. The belief is that the missing conversations will begin and the workers compensation process and injured worker community will benefit from all of it.

What has been interesting over the last few weeks are the international conversations that have taken place, Doreen Downing and Mary Leone have extended the international conversations on-line. There have also been calls of interest in regards to Injured Worker Well-Being Week from India. I have also written a guest blog for the Allied Health Support Services (thank you to everyone involved)

But wait there is more, yesterday Craig’s Table’s fun committee had a short meeting (yes there is a fun committee) it was decided that to encourage members of the injured worker community to be a part of something that is in place only for them that we would add the first ever Craig’s Table Photo Competition with just 3 categories -ordinary everyday-extraordinary-nature. The competition will be open (this year) to injured workers in Australia. It will open on the 1st May and run through till the 27th May with public voting being the only judging done- the winner of each category will be announced on 1st June International Injured Worker Day.

I will have more details for you next week in regards to the competition portal. Right now, Max from ODIN IT is working on the required on-line pages and links.

Before I move on there are still spaces for presenters and sponsors for Injured Worker Well-Being Week. If you want to know more, please email [email protected]

April is always a hectic month with Easter ANZAC Day 25th April and International Day of Mourning 28th April. Due to covid 19 I was unable to travel to the Deceased Workers Memorial Forest but this year I will be able sit at Craig’s Table sit by my brother’s Memorial Tree and visit the other Memorial Trees for the first time in 17 months. Due to the uncertainty of covid 19 there will not be any official ceremony, this year it will be just those who can come for the Memorial Balloon Release at 12.30pm. And as always BYO tissues, no matter how many times I tell people just how difficult it is to release the balloons they still well-up.

Before I do that my friend and colleague Paul Scanlon is holding a most informative session, complete with a Q&A component TRANSFORM THE LEADER WITHIN I am sure that you will find it both interesting and insightful. 

I shall leave the last 2 short paragraphs to Martin Lindstom from his book Ministry of Common Sense. Page 173. “Still, I prefer to look at our post-pandemic world through an optimistic lens. The changes in how we work, and the new routines most of us have created, if nothing else, an opportunity. To wit, is there a better time in the world to abandon the nonsense of the past, reset our work routines, erase real inefficiencies, and restore common sense to our day-to-day routines? A journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step. It’s high time we took it.”

Now ‘tis almost dinner time, from where I sit I can see the first of the garden solar lights starting their evening display.

Yours in service

Rosemary