Background to the case manager competencies
The Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRC Act) provides for the rehabilitation of Commonwealth employees following a work related injury. The legislation is designed to ensure that the employer (as the rehabilitation authority) is responsible and accountable for the safe and early return of their injured employee.
The employer through the delegated case manager is best placed to monitor incidents or absences, intervene early, create opportunities for suitable duties and ensure the employee is appropriately and actively managed to the best possible outcome following a work related injury.
The case manager's role is critical in achieving a reduction in the impact of injury in the workplace. The section 41 guidelines state that the rehabilitation authority should:
"ensure that people with case management responsibilities have the skill, experience and influence to achieve effective return to work outcomes".
To assist rehabilitation authorities to meet this requirement Comcare has developed, in consultation with agencies, guidance material on competencies for case managers.
The objectives of the competencies are to:
- ensure case managers are capable of performing their role and function
- support HR managers in the selection and ongoing skill development of case managers
- maximise the opportunity for the best possible outcomes for injured employees
- guide the content for the Comcare Case Management training
The case manager is normally the focal point within the employing organisation for the achievement of a critically important human resource objective - the reduction of the impact of injury in the workplace.
The functions of a case manager fall broadly into two areas:
- Operational - Providing assistance to individual injured employees, and
- Strategic - Managing broader issues of return to work in the organisation.
An effective case manager not only coordinates various inputs to the RTW process; but also vigorously manages it. They are required to effectively manage workplace relationships and their own personal work priorities and continuing development. The competencies have therefore been designed to reflect operational, strategic and management skills.