WorkSafe Victoria’s WorkWell Toolkit is an online resource that helps businesses prevent mental injury from occurring in their workplaces. While tools like this are useful, small to medium sized businesses with under 200 employees, often require more tailored support to identify and address workplace psychosocial hazards. In response to this need, WorkSafe Victoria adapted their Occupational Health and Safety Essentials program model to offer small businesses a mental health focused pilot service.
The participating businesses were provided with up to 8 hours of free, tailored and confidential support from an independent consultant over a four-month period. ISCRR evaluated the pilot on how successful it was at educating employers on psychosocial hazards, and assisting them to identify these hazards in the workplace. The mixed methods approach included surveys and semi-structured interviews.
The evaluation identified that the majority (74%) of businesses interviewed expressed a positive experience with the pilot.
Key findings included:
Overall, the evaluation showed that the WorkWell Essentials pilot was welcomed and well-received by the participating businesses and consultants. However, there were elements identified that could be improved upon.
Key challenges included:
ISCRR provided WorkSafe with a list of considerations for the program. Go to the ISCRR Research Clearinghouse to read the full evaluation report and one-page research summary.