The Engagement Support Team provides tailored support for those who are seeking engagement with employment or community / financial support services. This initiative is funded by the Mutual Benefits Program.
The Engagement Support Team incorporates two streams which can work independently or together depending on the needs of the individual: Care Coordination and Career Coaching.
Care Coordination
This service is available to workers when they are approaching a change to wage or medical entitlements, bringing them to an end.
Workers are connected with non-claim related support to assist with treatment, employment, financial and other community services in line with their needs and goals.
This support aims to:
- Provide an empathetic and transparent approach to assist workers with their next steps and planning based on the impact to their personal situation.
- Provide information about and connection to tailored support workers can access outside of workers compensation to help progress towards their return to work and recovery goals.
- Link workers to employment services that can help if they require further support to find employment.
The benefits of Care Coordination include:
- Focused support for workers if they are transitioning off weekly benefits.
- Assistance to connect workers to services and/or other revenue streams prior to their transition from the workers compensation scheme.
Angeli's Story
Angeli had a fall which resulted in multiple facial and upper body injuries during her employment as a care provider. During the course of Angeli’s claim, she developed a secondary gastric erosion injury resulting in iron deficiency.
Two years later, following extensive support to recover from her injury and successfully regain capacity for work – Angeli’s entitlements changed to align with her ability to work and earn in suitable employment.
The intervention provided
The Care Coordination team reached out to Angeli to understand whether she would benefit from assistance in planning her next steps leading up to the change in her entitlements. Through this conversation it was identified that Angeli would benefit from connection to Financial and Wellbeing Support to allow her to continue to focus on her goal of returning to work.
Angeli was assisted with the process of informing Centrelink of her work capacity decision to ensure that her financial details were up to date so that she could receive appropriate benefits.
The outcome achieved
It was identified that Angeli was receiving support from Disability Employment Services via Centrelink – the Care Coordination team encouraged her to establish those employment relationships and as a result was offered multiple job opportunities.
Angeli provided the following feedback:
By the end of the program I was able to feel passionate but much calmer. I feel more confident that I am on the right path now.”
Career Coaching
Career Coaching services are aimed at recognising workers’ existing skills and strengths to find a role that aligns with these. These services are delivered in a flexible manner over the phone. The service is free of charge and does not incur any claims cost, as it is fully funded by the Mutual Benefits Program.
Career Coaching services can be engaged for workers who:
- Have capacity for work
- Need additional support with returning to work
- Require further assistance for job seeking following occupational rehabilitation services
Workers are connected with an experienced Job Coach who provides tailored support and guidance on appropriate vocation/job options, required job seeking tools and connection to the job market. The Job Coach supports in:
- Increasing capacity and doctor liaison to ensure workers are looking for the right roles as guided by their doctor
- Job application skills such as resume updating, interview technique and search skills
- Help facilitate any required training
The benefits of Career Coaching include:
- Assistance to meet return to work goals
- Tailored interventions and support
- Increasing capacity for work and building independent job seeking skills
- Greater work opportunities to allow final independence from the workers compensation Sscheme
Jose's Story
Jose sustained a shoulder injury when he was working as a skylight installer, and he was unable to return to this occupation. Career Coaching services were engaged to support Jose two years after his injury. At the time he had partial capacity to work 32 hours per week and had been actively job seeking in his local area, with no success of gaining suitable employment.
The intervention provided
Jose’s main challenges to finding employment were his limited job seeking skills and his lack of confidence in speaking to potential employers. The focus of Career Coaching was to boost his self-confidence and communication skills. This resulted in an increase in Jose’s confidence and motivation, which was necessary to continue putting in applications for desired roles.
Within the week, Jose was offered an opportunity as a delivery driver with the provision that he would obtain his forklift license. Career Coaching services supported and submitted a training application and gained approval to undertake a fully funded forklift course.
The outcome achieved
Jose started a full-time Delivery Driver role one month later and the Career Coaching services continued to provide ongoing support to him to ensure his success. He completed his forklift course and his employer promoted him to a full-time forklift driver within their warehouse.
As a result of the Career Coaching intervention, Jose improved his self-confidence, obtained an updated resume, secured several interviews within his preferred industry, successfully obtained employment and was able to upgrade his capacity to 40 hours per week.
The intervention provided by Career Coaching services allowed Jose to build his confidence and commence employment in a new industry on a full-time basis.