7.2 Trauma, ACC & Early Intervention

Question 1

What is Trauma

Answer 1

Distressing event or experience that can have an impact on your ability to cope and function

Question 2

Under what circumstances must a supervisor make a referral to their District Wellness Advisor? (12)

Answer 2

1. CRITICAL incidents
2. NOTIFIABLE injury or illness
3. THREAT to employees life on duty
4. DVI
5. DELAYED body recoveries
6. UNNATURAL death
7. NUMEROUS critical incidents in short time
8. Operational incidents involving LOSS OF LIFE TO POLICE
9. Where police INTERVENTIONS FAIL to prevent loss of life or serious injury to others
10. Death or serious injury to CHILD or baby
11. Incidents INVOLVING POLICE EMPLOYEES or family members
12. UNPLEASANT or stressful duties (protracted enquiries, cases where aggravated or unpleasant factors exist)

Question 3

What is your duty of care when look after Health & Wellbeing of employees (3)

Answer 3

• SUPPORT and encourage direct reports to keep wellbeing of staff front of mind (incl scopes or volunteers etc)
• take wellness needs and services into consideration during OPERATIONAL planning
• ensure supervisors completing mandatory REFERRALS per trauma support policy

Question 4

What occurs during the initial assessment once a referral is made to the Wellness Advisor (WA)

Answer 4

WA contacts employee (either phone, email, in person) and provides information on support available.

Where particularly traumatic, or employee needs additional support, WA meets employee and determines further need for specialist support

Question 5

When is referral to psychologist mandatory

Answer 5

• in exceptional circumstances - eg natural disasters, mass homicides
• critical incident - and their actions may have resulted in death or life threatening injury of a person ie: firearms incident, fleeing driver

Question 6

What constitutes exceptional circumstances and what is required under Trauma policy?

Answer 6

Significant exposure to trauma e.g. natural disasters, mass homicides.

Mandatory referral to psychologist required

Question 7

What consititutes critical incident and what is required under Trauma policy?

Answer 7

Their actions may have contributed to the death or life threatening injury of a person. ie use of firearm, fleeing driver crash.

Referral to psychologist for further assessment and/or debrief must occur.

Question 7

In what time frame after a critical incident or exceptional circumstances should the psychologist appointment(s) occur?

Answer 7

1. First appointment no earlier than 72hrs after incident
2. Second appointment within 10 days post incident

Question 8

In regards to rehabilitation and return to work of employees absent because of illness or injury. Best practice rehabilitation relies on what? (7)

Answer 8

1. Early, appropriate contact with employee
2. Medical, social, work needs assessed and recorded at earliest opportunity
3. Rehabilitation meeting involving all parties as soon as possible after injury/incapacity
4. Return to work/rehab plan-operational developed and agreed upon ASAP
5. Regular ongoing meetings, all parties. Return to work/rehab plan-operational updated.
6. Rehab process continues until returns to pre incapacity role or alternative role
7. Specialist medical advice sought where appropriate

Question 9

What must a supervisor do to ensure guidelines around rehab and return to work processes are followed?

Answer 9

Take a lead role in initiating and managing rehab of employees following work absences due to illness or injury

Question 10

What is AEP

Answer 10

ACC’s Accredited Employer Programme

Police are an AEP and are responsible for managing any workplace injuries

Question 11

1. Who is responsible for managing workplace injuries?
2. Who manages injuries resulting from motorvehicle accidents and other complex injuries?

Answer 11

1. Police, contracted out to Howden Care Group
2. ACC

Question 12

What does Howden Care Group do on behalf of Police in relation to managing workplace injuries? (5)

Answer 12

1. LODGES claims
2. determines COVER
3. decides ENTITLEMENTS including weekly compensation
4. manages TREATMENT and rehab
5. manages safe RETURN to work

Question 13

What are the benefits to Police of being an accredited employer? (5)

Answer 13

1. employees needs assessed, appropriate medical treatment in a tailored approach.
2. can offer flexible working environment enabling quicker return to work
3. developed systems that prevent harm and support employees when injured
4. provide support and targeted rehab plans focussing on specific needs of police employees
5. reduced ACC levies, police funds costs associated with all claims made by employees

Question 14

1. When does HCG manage non-work related injuries?
2. Can an employee choose for HCG not to manage a non-work injury?

Answer 14

1. ACC allocates non work injuries to HCG if employee is off work for more than 7 days
2. Yes

Question 15

What is a work related injury? (4)
What about work related stress?

Answer 15

Suffered while at work, including when off site as part of your job.
* accident or series of events at work
* work related gradual process, disease or infection (does not include non-physical stress)
* work related noise induced hearing loss (more than 6%)
* work related mental injury. single significant injury, likely to effect people generally

Question 16

Who is covered at work?

Answer 16

• permanent staff
• fixed term contracts
• casual staff

Question 17

Why are medical certificates important?

Answer 17

Police can’t recover any ACC costs associated with claims, treatment and weekly compensation without medical certs

Question 18

Does a new medical cert need to be submitted before the end date of the previous one?

Answer 18

Yes

Question 19

Who can, and who can not, issue a med cert?

Answer 19

CAN - registered medical practitioner (GP, surgeon, specialist)
CAN’T - registered health professional (physio/chiropractor) can’t but can for an ACC claim

Question 20

What health providers can lodge an ACC claim relating to a patient

Answer 20

Registered medical practitioner
Registered health professional

Question 21

What are the supervisor responsibilities under the return to work process? (6)

Answer 21

1. Contact employee within 2 days to offer support and attend to any immediate work rearrangements.
2. If absence likely to be more than 10 days, discuss rehab policy.
3. Complete Incident report in MyPolice
4. Ensure leave request is entered in MyPolice. If employee unable, then it is supervisor responsibility.
5. Expect to receive a copy of ACC45 med cert from employee
6. Ensure med cert attached to any leave requests and that the leave requests continue for as long as employee is unable to work.

Question 22

What must occur if absence is more than 10 days? (6)

Answer 22

1. Commence rehab process
2. Weekly contact with employee. Complete ‘Managers weekly rehab monitoring’ form. Weekly update to Howden Care
3. Ensure med certs up to date and attached to any subsequent leave requests.
4. Arrange meeting with employee to develop return to work plan. All parties must sign return to work plan.
5. Expect contact from Howden Care, to review return to work plan and address medical, vocational and social needs.
6. Maintain regular weekly contact with employee while they are unable to work.

Question 23

What are return to work obligations? (3)

Answer 23

1. If absent for more than 5 days, med cert required. If absent for more than 10 days, med clearance required.
2. Meet employee on day they resume duties.
3. If employee cleared for light duties, have monthly rehab meetings to update return to work plan. HC may be involved to address specific rehab needs

Question 24

Early intervention policy. What are the four phases of the early intervention policy?

Answer 24

1. Identification 2. Analyse 3. Engagement and intervention 4. Feedback and follow up

Question 25

Early intervention is preventative in nature. Is it to be used as part of the disciplinary, performance appraisal or appointment process?

Answer 25

No

Question 26

What is the early intervention process?

Answer 26

It identifies individuals not performing to acceptable and professional standard whose past traits and present behaviour may be indicators of a risk they pose to self and police through future misconduct or unethical behaviour

Question 27

In the identification phase, how can a person be identified for early intervention (4)

Answer 27

1. Self referral to supervisor or early intervention lead 2. Peers to supervisor and then early intervention lead 3. Supervisors to EIL 4. Early intervention database: IAPRO and other police databases and analysis it against predetermined thresholds

Question 28

Under ANALYSIS stage a report is compiled by the National EI Team and goes to the District EIL. Who else is notified?

Answer 28

Relevant DC or NM

Question 29

What occurs during the ENGAGEMENT AND INTERVENTION phase

Answer 29

* District lead contacts supervisor to discuss situation, ascertain if EI is needed and best approach to employee. Main focus of district lead is supporting the supervisor * EIL and/or supervisor meet with employee for informal , private, and frank meeting

Question 30

What type of EI action could occur (3)

Answer 30

Outcomes must be agreed between EIL and supervisor. Possible outcomes: * NFA * training, mentoring, support, confidence building * relationship, anger, financial management counselling

Question 31

Is engagement in EI compulsary?

Answer 31

No. No discipline or disadvantages for not attending. Choosing not to attend will be recorded in IAPRO

Question 32

What occurs in the feedback stage

Answer 32

District lead will follow up with supervisor and employee to ensure agreed support and follow up actions are arranged

Question 33

A. Is EI held on an employee file? B. When can EI information be disclosed outside of an EI meeting? (4)

Answer 33

A. No B. i) Directly related to the EI purpose ii) To prevent a serious threat to public health, life or safety of a person iii) Prejudice to maintenance of law iv) part of any court process

Question 34

EI must not be used as a disciplinary process, EXCEPT where there is a proposal to remove employee from Police and used as part of complete disciplinary history. If EI identifies criminal, disciplinary or performance issues, what occurs?

Answer 34

It is considered unsuitable for EI and must be referred to someone appropriate outside of the EI team.

Question 35

What must you not use Police technology to do (6)

Answer 35

1. Access, use, disclose official or personal info unless used for Police business 2. Use police equipment to infringe copywrite 3. Intentionally download, transmit view objectional, offensive material unless for Police operation 4. Tamper with system or security measures 5. Download or install software without approval 6. Procure software/hardware and IT services on behalf of Police without authorisation

Question 36

1. Can you post on social media as a police employee? 2. What should you be sure of when posting opinions on personal social media accounts?

Answer 36

1. Only if authorised as part of your role 2. Be clear that they are your own and not a Police view on the subject