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Injury and Rehabilitation Management Policy

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Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This policy documents the University of Canberra’s commitment to effective rehabilitation and claims management. It outlines the principles and responsibilities for work rehabilitation and compliance as the Rehabilitation Authority under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (the SRC Act).

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Section 2 - Scope

(2) This Policy applies to all University employees.

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Section 3 - Principles

(3) The University is committed to:

  1. the principles of the Safe Work Australia National Return to Work Strategy as a focus for the development and continuous improvement to work rehabilitation approaches and systems;
  2. preventing physical and psychological workplace injuries and illnesses by providing a safe and healthy working environment;
  3. creating and sustaining a workplace culture through executive leadership and guidance that encourages safe work practices, reduces the risk of injury, supports injured employees and aligns with organisational values and business objectives;
  4. providing systems that support early reporting of injury, and intervention procedures that enable coordinated and effective work rehabilitation for employees to achieve safe, timely and durable work rehabilitation outcomes;
  5. developing and implementing workplace rehabilitation policies and improvement programs;
  6. defining, documenting and communicating the areas of accountability and responsibility for executive, senior managers, managers/supervisors and employees involved in the rehabilitation and claims management process;
  7. providing employees with relevant information about claims and injury management, including about their rights and obligations;
  8. working with claims management service providers to ensure that claims are determined promptly, and that determinations are communicated in a clear manner and fully compliant with the requirements of the SRC Act;
  9. assisting claims management service providers to manage claims in an equitable, timely and efficient manner, consistent with applicable legislation and self-insurance requirements;
  10. facilitating durable return to work for employees by assisting with safe and early integration back into the workplace, and minimisation of time away from the workplace;
  11. taking all reasonable steps to provide injured employees with suitable duties to enable them to recover at work or return to work in a timely manner;
  12. facilitating participation in an injury or illness workplace rehabilitation management program appropriate to an injured or ill employee’s medical recovery;
  13. engaging appropriately qualified experts, both internally and externally, to assist in the management of claims and injury or illness; and
  14. maintaining confidentiality of personal information in accordance with applicable legislation.

(4) The University will achieve this commitment through the promotion of a positive culture of health and safety leadership and a focus on prevention and early intervention by:

  1. encouraging and supporting innovative and effective rehabilitation and practices;
  2. ensuring compliance with the SRC Act, and associated legislative instruments;
  3. determining, in consultation with employees, their best rehabilitation requirements and outcomes; and
  4. improving the University’s claims and rehabilitation performance.
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Section 4 - Procedure

(5) NIL

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Section 5 - Responsibilities

WHO RESPONSIBILITIES
University of Canberra The rehabilitation authority responsible for managing the rehabilitation and return to work of an employee with a work-related injury or illness, under the SRC Act.
Band 0 Responsible for approval, amendment or revoking policy consistent with legal requirements.
Band 1 Responsible to Council for the overall implementation of this Policy. This includes the allocation of resources for effective implementation, and ensuring employees are aware of their responsibilities through appropriate delegation.
Band 2 Executive and Senior Management have the primary responsibility and accountability for the implementation of University policies at all levels of the organisation and the overarching responsibility for workplace health and safety, injury management and rehabilitation of injured employees within their areas of control.
Managers/supervisors Responsible for the day-to-day implementation and compliance of workplace health and safety, injury management and to support the rehabilitation of employees within their area of control.
Employees Responsible to work collaboratively with the workplace and actively cooperate and participate in the development and implementation of their rehabilitation program, to support their recovery and return to work goals.

All employees have a responsibility to take reasonable care for their own safety and the safety of others and to comply with any reasonable instruction, policy, procedures or guidelines of the University in relation to their workplace rehabilitation
People and Diversity Responsible for the providing support and advice on claims and rehabilitation matters, updating the University on legislative changes and assisting with the development, implementation and monitoring of this Policy and the injury and rehabilitation management system.
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Section 6 - Definitions

TERMS DEFINITIONS
Claims Management Service Providers The University has a self-insurance licensee arrangement with ACT Government and the claim management service provider administers and manages compensable work-related injuries. The administrator ensures the provisions of legislation are met for ill and injured employees with a workers compensation claim.
Early Intervention Prompt and suitable action taken in response to knowledge of any circumstance in the workplace that may impact an employees’ physical or psychological wellbeing. It aims to limit the impact or prevent recurrence of the injury and is applied regardless of whether a claim has or will be made.
Injury/Illness Refers to both compensable and non-compensable injury or illness, irrespective of whether the injury is work-related.
Injury and Rehabilitation Management A coordinated approach to managing the symptoms and impacts of an employee’s injury.
Rehabilitation Authority The University of Canberra, the employer at the time of workplace rehabilitation.
Rehabilitation Program A structured set of activities developed under section 37 of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 to support an employee recover at or to return to work.
Suitable Duties Employment within the University, that has been identified as suitable for the injured employee to safely undertake and is consistent with accepted medical restrictions. It may involve modified or alternative duties, or a graduated return to work. Suitable duties will take into consideration the injured employees’ skills, experience and their suitability for rehabilitation and vocational training.