Police Workplace Injury Claims

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (14:44): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Police questions regarding the processing of workplace injury claims within SAPOL.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: I have recently been advised that the Injury Management Section of the Health, Safety & Welfare Branch of SAPOL has been advised that SAPOL will no longer be self-insured and that from mid-2017 work injury claims will be processed externally. In light of that, I was also interested to read in today's Advertiser an opinion piece by Mr Mark Carroll, President of the Police Association, and I quote from a particular part of that opinion piece regarding probationary constables:

I hope their families and friends will understand and have patience with their inevitable reactions to the stressful, traumatic events that are a necessary part of their service.

I hope they learn to turn to their workmates. I hope they're smart enough to understand that psychological injuries incurred in the line of duty are as honourable as physical injuries. I hope they're smart enough to know when they need help—and courageous enough to ask for it.

Given these remarks and the advice about the Injury Management Section within SAPOL, my questions are:

1. What arrangements will be put in place to cater for injured SAPOL staff who will continue to require case management after the changeover, particularly those suffering from psychological injuries that have occurred in the line of duty?

2. What arrangements have been put in place for the staff who are currently responsible for those duties within the Injury Management Section of the Health, Safety & Welfare Branch of SAPOL?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:47): I thank the Hon. Mr Dawkins for his question. I think the bulk of his question really speaks to a reform that has been led by the Minister for Industrial Relations, of course, who is the Deputy Premier in the other place. Parts of the Hon. Mr Dawkins' question will have to be taken on notice and passed on to him. However, there are parts that I think are more pertinent to my responsibilities, which I'm happy to respond to.

The second part of your question, in terms of what is happening to those employees who are currently within SAPOL who have the responsibility of managing workers compensation claims, I am happy to take on notice. I haven't received any advice or seen any correspondence to suggest that any of those workers face termination or anything along those lines, but I'm happy to double-check that and take it on notice.

I think it is important to understand that the government's view is that this transition, or this change in management of workers compensation claims, to the best of my knowledge, is not expected to have any impact on the service delivery of injured workers, although I understand that others might have an alternative view about that, but certainly that is my understanding of the government's position.

Regarding services that are made available to those members of SAPOL who do face concerns, such as conditions like PTSD, SAPOL provide a range of services that go beyond the ordinary entitlements that an employee would have in terms of return to work. For instance, SAPOL does have an employee assistance section, whose job it is to provide services to those employees who have had to deal with traumatic circumstances; for instance, those employees who have attended roadside crashes—something that has certainly been topical during the course of this week and today—or those SAPOL officers who had to endure and perform incredibly difficult tasks during the course of the event that unfolded throughout metropolitan Adelaide and concluded in Hindley Street early last week.

Those are examples of circumstances that police officers may have to face which would result in them potentially gaining access to the employee assistance section that exists within SAPOL to provide mental health services and other services to those employees who may be struggling. None of that is changing. Certainly, the government takes very seriously its obligations as an employer to provide decent services to those people within the government's employ who might be subject to a workplace injury.