Finding good jobs Christine Bloomfield Manager Rehabilitation ACC

Finding good jobs Christine Bloomfield, Manager Rehabilitation, ACC, Anna Berwick, Portfolio Advisor, ACC Alice Dolan, Relationship Manager, Workplace, ACC April 2017

Introduction • Key messages • What gets in the way? • Different perspectives on finding good jobs • Future • Case study • Available support 2 Copyright (c) ACC Author/Unit

Work as a health outcome • Work as a health outcome – the caveats • Health outcomes of people who loose their jobs • Vocational rehabilitation – good jobs • Employers impact health outcomes 3 Copyright (c) ACC Author/Unit

Discussion • How do you explain why work is a health outcome? • What challenges do you face? • How do you address these? - Provider, employer, case owner, others… • Why are good jobs important to the stay at and return to work processes? • How do you judge whether a job is good? • What do you do when the job is not a good one? • Is there anything else you need to help? 4 Copyright (c) ACC Author/Unit

“Good jobs” versus “jobs” • What’s meant by “Good Jobs”? • Why is this important? 5 Copyright (c) ACC Author/Unit

Role of employer – good jobs • Employers have an important role to play in finding good jobs for employees who have lost their job due to injury – unable to return to pre-injury employment • What’s your experience of employers enabling people to find good jobs? • Multiple factors …. 6 Copyright (c) ACC Author/Unit

Conceptual Limitations: Treatment then Rehabilitation True or False? The biomedical model (falsely) predicts treatment → cure → return to activity & work

Most people with injuries or health problems stay active and return to work (or never stop). But, an important minority do not …even when healthcare is successful. FACT - healthcare alone does not address or improve activity and work outcomes… but work outcomes are improved when healthcare is linked to the workplace.

Why do some not recover? They face obstacles to recovery and participation: • psychosocial factors that get in the way of normal recovery and return to work • Employers, injured people, others need help to navigate around the obstacles

Employer participation • Building relationships with the employer is key. • Let them know what their role is in supporting work trials. • Having the discussions early – particularly where accommodations are required in the workplace. 11 Copyright (c) ACC

Employer perceived barriers • Liability. • Experience rating. • Abatement • H& S • Re-injury – new injury 12 Copyright (c) ACC

A legal perspective • Court decisions provide guidance. • Feedback: “make it real for the person with not too many job options”. • Doing these assessments well, i. e. IOA, IMA, makes it a better experience for the person. • IOAs set the scene for the medical assessment which follows. • Work trials aren’t compulsory but good to have. 13 Copyright (c) ACC Author/Unit

A medical view • Medical assessors have to look at all jobs identified in the assessment to see what person is medically able to do – medically sustainable. • Medical assessors have to consider how the person is managing fatigue and any symptoms of pain in relation to all the job types suggested. 14 Copyright (c) ACC

A provider view • Getting people work ready. • Tools to use 15 Copyright (c) ACC

Overview for work trials… • Good jobs are safe, healthy, sustainable, satisfying, rewarding and much more. • They get a practical outcome for the person. • They aren’t compulsory but they are good to have. • There’s an opportunity to use them more. 16 Copyright (c) ACC Author/Unit

Case Study • Serious injury client • Stakeholders working together to make a return to work happen 17 Copyright (c) ACC

Available support • Who: • Case owner • Provider helpline • Business customer • How • Provider helpline – link to Business Customer 18 Copyright (c) ACC

Questions?

Contact us Christine Bloomfield Manager Rehabilitation, Clinical Services Directorate ACC Justice Centre- Level 13 PO Box 242 – Wellington – NZ Phone: (04) 816 7307 Christine. bloomfield@acc. co. nz Anna Berwick Portfolio Advisor, Provider Service Delivery, ACC Justice Centre – Level 11 PO Box 242 – Wellington – NZ Phone: (04) 816 7256 Anna. Berwick@acc. co. nz Alice Dolan Relationship Manager Workplace, Business Customer Relationships ACC Justice Centre – Level 13 PO Box 242 – Wellington – NZ Phone: (04) 816 6317 Alice. Dolan@acc. co. nz 20 Copyright (c) ACC