Comcare webinars
Our webinars are presented by workplace health and safety experts and guest speakers to help promote and enable safe and healthy work across Comcare’s scheme. If you have any questions about upcoming and previous webinars, contact forums@comcare.gov.au.
Upcoming webinars
The next webinar will be scheduled soon.
Previous webinars
Return to Work webinar
11 March 2025
Leading with empathy: navigating mental health challenges as a supervisor
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This panel discussion equipped supervisors and others supporting employees with practical strategies and tools to effectively address mental health challenges in the workplace. The session explored:
- how to recognise signs of common mental health conditions among employees
- communication strategies for discussing mental health concerns effectively
- best practices for creating a supportive work environment while maintaining productivity
- self-care tools for supervisors and others supporting employees to manage stress and avoid burnout.
Expert panel:
- Shannon Nolan Human Leadership Consulting: consultant and mental health expert
- Alice Hanna Pique Group: sharing successes and challenges in supporting employees
- Jess Price Paradigm Makers: offering a lived experience perspective.
Resources
Psychosocial Health and Safety Forum
7 March 2025
Commonwealth Work Health and Safety (Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work) Code of Practice 2024
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The forum covered:
- an overview of the Commonwealth Work Health and Safety (Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work) Code of Practice 2024
- an update on our Psychosocial Inspection Program
- resources available to help you better understand psychosocial health and safety.
Resources
- Psychosocial Health and Safety Forum presentation slides (PDF, 2.5 MB)
- More information on psychosocial hazards
- Comcare Psychosocial Inspection Program
- Comcare training and learning
- Commonwealth Code of Practice: Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work
Health and Safety Representative Forum
23 October 2024
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The Inaugural Comcare Health and Safety Representative (HSR) Forum provided a regulatory update including the recent changes in safety regulations and how HSRs may be impacted, psychosocial hazards in the workplace and the role of HSRs.
Resources
- Health and Safety Representative Forum presentation slides
(PDF, 2.9 MB) - More information for health and safety representatives (HSRs)
Psychosocial Health and Safety Forum
10 October 2024
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This webinar covered:
- a regulatory update from Comcare and Safe Work Australia
- data-driven strategies to reduce psychosocial risks and improve clinical outcomes
- a case study from the Australian Taxation Office
- neurodiversity at work
- psychosocial hazards and work redesign.
The Forum is designed to build an understanding of psychosocial hazards and risk management approaches. It aims to promote use of validated tools, resources, and share examples of better practice.
Resources
- Psychosocial Health and Safety Forum presentation slides (PDF, 6.2 MB)
- ATO's Psychosocial Journey slide deck
(PDF, 604.7 KB) - ATO Psychosocial Action Plan template
(PDF, 110.9 KB) - Psychosocial program on Comcare LMS
- Psychosocial hazards
- SuperFriend’s Decade of Data Report
- Psychosocial risk assessment tools
2024-25 Regulatory Priorities and WHS Consultation, Cooperation & Coordination
3 July 2024
This webinar covered:
- an update on 2023-2024 Regulatory Priorities and Incident Management Systems inspections
- Comcare's Regulatory Priorities for 2024-2025
- Comcare's upcoming Consultation, Cooperation and Coordination inspection program
This webinar is to inform leaders, work health and safety (WHS) practitioners, Health and Safety Representatives and human resources practitioners, within the Commonwealth WHS jurisdiction.
Resources:
- Download webinar presentation
- Codes of Practice under the WHS Act
- Model Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks | Safe Work Australia
- Office Safety tool - Health and safety representative (HSR)
- eLearn: An Introduction to Health and Safety Representatives (HSR)
- Health and safety representatives (HSRs)
- WHS laws are changing
Understanding your 2024-25 Comcare Premium.
23 May 2024
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The forum covered:
- Liability and the premium pool
- Premium process and key drivers of premiums
- Key observations, trends and initiatives in claims
- And a Q&A
Resources
Psychosocial Health and Safety Forum
15 May 2024
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Presenters from across Comcare were joined by a range of expert speakers from the Australian Public Service Commission, the University of Adelaide, and Services Australia.
The forum covered:
- a Comcare regulatory and resource update
- psychosocial risk assessment in the workplace
- an organisational case study by Services Australia
- a panel discussion on identifying psychosocial hazards and risk assessment.
Resources
Licence fees and cost recovery
27 March 2024
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The webinar covered:
- an overview of the relevant legislation and framework for cost recovery.
- an introduction to licence fees: why Comcare charges them, what impacts them and how they are calculated.
- issuing of fees and timing for payment.
Resources
- Licence fees and cost recovery presentation slides (PDF, 614.1 KB)
- Licence fees and cost recovery's Recovering Costs
Contractor management and regulatory process enhancements
28 February 2024
Watch the session
Webinar: Contractor management and regulatory process enhancements | YouTube
The webinar discussed:
- shared duties and monitoring requirements when engaging contractors
- what to expect when an inspector calls following an incident involving contractors
- an update on recent enhancements in regulatory processes for targeted and effective assessment and prioritisation of regulatory response.
Resources
- Contractor management and regulatory process enhancements presentation slides (PDF, 3.6 MB)
- Contractor management and regulatory process enhancements frequently asked questions (PDF, 1.5 MB)
- Workplace relations information | DEWR
- Contractors and Subcontractors Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (PDF, 1.0 MB)
- Contractor management guidance for PCBUs (PDF, 306.8 KB)
- The WHS Act and Contractors in the Commonwealth factsheet (PDF, 167.5 KB)
- Model Code of Practice: Work health and safety consultation, cooperation and coordination | Safe Work Australia
- Regulatory guides
Why recovery and return to work matters, and what makes a difference
28 November 2023
Presented by Peter Kirwan (Fire and Rescue NSW), Tim Saunders (Telstra), Dr Catherine Kelaher (Department of Defence) and Michael Duke (Comcare).
Watch the session
Webinar: Why recovery and return to work matters, and what makes a difference | YouTube
The webinar discussed:
- Practical insights from an employee with lived experience, employer and medical practitioner.
- How employers can effectively support employees in their recovery and return to work.
- Suggested approaches for early engagement, support and developing psychologically safe workplaces without stigma.
Resources
- Why recovery and return to work matters, and what makes a difference presentation slides (PDF, 2.0 MB)
- Recovery and return to work resources
- Return to Work information sheet (PDF, 702.9 KB)
- Rehabilitation case manager handbook (PDF, 1.7 MB)
- Return to work process for employers
- Intervene early and know the warning signs
- Providing suitable employment
Body stressing, musculoskeletal disorder and Good Work Design
26 October 2023
As part of Safe Work Month 2023, Comcare hosted an informative webinar with Comcare leaders and Professor Jodi Oakman from La Trobe University, discussing body stressing, musculoskeletal disorders and Good Work Design for strategies to create safer and healthier work.
Watch the session
Body stressing, musculoskeletal disorder and Good Work Design webinar | YouTube
Resources
- Body stressing, musculoskeletal disorder and Good Work Design presentation slides (PDF, 25.7 MB)
- Comcare Prevention Strategy
- Good Work Design
- How to life position paper (PDF, 897.0 KB)
- Beyond the Office: Considerations and practical approached for working safely at home
- Office Safety Tool
- Body stressing sources of risk checklist (PDF, 184.4 KB)
Psychosocial Health and Safety Forum
10 October 2023
This forum featured Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman and Comcare CEO Greg Vines discussing mental health challenges in the workplace. It included updates on the regulatory landscape, and approaches to address vicarious trauma and other hazards. An expert panel shared lessons from applied practice.
Watch the session
Psychosocial Health and Safety Forum - 10 October 2024 | YouTube
Resources
- Psychosocial Health and Safety Forum presentation slides (PDF, 4.1 MB)
- National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2020-2022 | ABS
- Supporting mentally healthy workplaces
- People at Work | Homepage to People at Work
- Vicarious trauma | Institute for Safet, Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR)
- The Vicarious Trauma—Organizational Readiness Guide | Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)
- The Vicarious Trauma Prevention and Awareness Project | Preventing Vcarious Trauma
- Compassionate Foundations: Suicide prevention capability suite | APS Academy
- Connections: Core capabilities for workplace peer supporters | APS Academy
- A case for investing in relational leadership skills | APS Academy
- APS Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Unit || Australian Public Service Commission
2023-24 Regulatory Priorities and Incident Management
31 July 2023
This webinar discussed:
- Comcare's Regulatory Priorities for 2023-2024
- Comcare's regulatory approach to Incident Management Systems
- Implementation of best practice incident management and response
Watch the session
Webinar: 2023-24 Regulatory Priorities and Incident Management | Youtube
Resources
- 2023-24 Regulatory Priorities and Incident Management presentation slides (PDF, 3.2 MB)
- Regulatory priorities
- Workplace Health and Safety Act 2011 | Legislation
- Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2023-2033 | Safe Work Australia
- Comcare Prevention Strategy 2022-2025 (PDF, 4.8 MB)
- Psychosocial hazards
- WHS Regulations - Case studies
- Psychosocial regulations
- IPAA Work With Purpose podcast: How to embed psychosocial safety in Australia's workplaces | IPAA
Understanding your 2023-24 premium
22 June 2023
Comcare hosted a session to support organisation’s understanding of its 2023–24 workers’ compensation premium. This session discussed how premiums are calculated and key drivers, scheme trends and the impact of claim outcomes on premiums, and responses to commonly asked questions about premiums.
Watch the session
Information session: Understanding your 2023-24 premium | YouTube
Resources
- Understanding your 2023-24 premium presentation slides (PDF, 3.2 MB)
- Premiums - Your guide (PDF, 2.2 MB)
- Scheme performance - Overview
- Intervene early and know the warning signs
- Work demands - Practical guidance for employers (PDF, 4.5 MB)
- Managing work demands checklist (PDF, 279.7 KB)
- Psychosocial hazards
- Good work design
- Mental health stigma in the workplace
- People at Work | Home page of the People at Work website
- Mental health coaching service (NewAccess workplaces)
- Workplace Research Monthly
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