What the Royal Commission said
The physical and mental wellbeing of the mental health workforce has an impact on the delivery of care.
The Royal Commission recommended measures to improve workforce safety and wellbeing. This included the establishment of a Mental Health Workforce Safety and Wellbeing Committee (the Committee).
The Committee was established in 2022 and is co-chaired by the Department of Health and WorkSafe Victoria.
The Committee helps to:
- identify, monitor and address existing and emerging physical safety and wellbeing risks; and
- develop tailored monitoring approaches for the psychological health and safety of staff in the mental health and wellbeing workforce.
The Royal Commission highlighted numerous systemic issues that contribute to poor work wellbeing. Some issues relate to other recommendations in the final report.
These include:
- burn out
- professional isolation
- reliance on crisis models of care
- limited access to practice supports
- occupational violence and safety
- limited leadership and management support.
What are we doing?
Mental Health Workforce Safety and Wellbeing Committee
The Committee was established in early 2022. The Committee helps to identify ways to improve workforce wellbeing. The Committee also provides advice to the department on implementation strategies.
Workforce wellbeing survey
A workforce wellbeing survey monitors the success of workforce wellbeing initiatives and track improvements over time.
The survey measures ‘what matters’ to members of the workforce. This includes how much their wellbeing is considered and the organisational factors that help them to feel supported and valued.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce Strategy
Victoria’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce Strategy 2021-2024 responds to key recommendations of the Royal Commission.
Supporting the safety, wellbeing and retention of the mental health and wellbeing workforce” is a key priority of the strategy.
Reviewed 09 October 2024