The purpose of this policy is for CHC to establish, promote and maintain the mental and physical health and wellbeing of college personnel through workplace practices, whilst encouraging responsibility for personal mental health and wellbeing.

CHC recognises that health is more than just the absence of illness and injury. CHC believes that the health and wellbeing of our personnel is essential to organisational success and sustainability.

Restricted to: All CHC staff, contractors, students/interns, volunteers, and visitors (hereafter referred to as personnel).

Excluded:

Objectives:

1.                  To build and maintain a workplace environment and culture that supports mental health, physical health and wellbeing of personnel.

2.                  To increase knowledge and awareness of mental health, physical health and wellbeing issues and behaviours.

3.                  To reduce stigma and prevent discrimination (including bullying and harassment) around mental and physical health concerns.

4.                  To facilitate active participation in a range of initiatives that support and promote mental health, physical health and wellbeing.

1        General

CHC regards the health, safety and wellness of personnel as an ethical, moral and legal responsibility. It is integral to CHC as it is unacceptable for people to be harmed in the course of their time at CHC.

CHC is dedicated to continuous improvement in the prevention of injuries, illness and incidents through an effective health and safety management system and a proactive health, safety and wellness culture.

CHC is committed to:

•              Recognising that providing a supportive and engaging work environment has benefits for individuals, families and wider society, beyond chronic disease risk reduction

•              Recognising that the workplace culture and environment contributes significantly to individual’s ability to make healthy lifestyle choices, including emotional wellbeing

•              Providing a welcoming, safe, healthy and supportive environment in which to work

•              Supporting and encouraging healthy lifestyle choices

•              Recognising the voluntary nature of participation within health and wellbeing related activities

•              Providing access to appropriate health and wellbeing information, resources and activities

CHC will:

•              Continuously improve Workplace Health and Safety systems with the aim of eliminating work-related injury and illness adhering to relevant legislative requirements and providing adequate resources as determined by the nature and scale of CHC’s activities

•              Emphasise that leaders act as advocates and role models of workplace health and wellbeing through their actions, their accountability and commitment to health safety and wellbeing of all personnel

•              Ensure that people are trained and competent, empowering them to take personal responsibility for their own wellbeing and the safety of others

•              Encourage communication, collaboration and dissemination of safety information including the communication of this policy to all staff and students

•              Provide return to work programs that will support sustainable and a timely return to work for injured or ill staff members

•              Ensure that personnel are empowered to actively contribute and provide feedback to this policy and are notified of all changes to this policy

•              Encourage personnel to be more active, eat healthy, and cut hazardous behaviours such as smoking, excessive drinking and drug use.

•              Promote wellbeing through workplace practices and policy

•              Maintain confidentiality in the management of any health-related personnel matters

•              Provide access to chaplaincy/pastoral care and/or counselling services

All personnel are encouraged to:

•              consider this policy while completing work-related duties and at any time while representing CHC

•              support fellow workers in their awareness of this policy

•              support and contribute to CHC’s aim of providing a healthy and supportive environment for all workers.

All personnel have a responsibility to:

•              take reasonable care of their own mental health and wellbeing, including physical health

•              take reasonable care that their actions do not affect the health and safety of other people in the workplace.

•              Actively participate in activities both in and out of the workplace that contribute to, or promote health and wellbeing

•              Follow risk and hazard management processes as advised, apply safe work procedures and report incidents and near misses