Registration and Networking

Opening remarks from the Chair

• Addressing the rise in psychosocial claims
• Factoring in the time required to work through claims process
• Meeting the demands of increasing legal involvement
• Using innovation and technology to tackle an evolving and challenging environment
• Views on AI’s addition as a psychosocial risk factor
• Policy directions beyond 2026 cross jurisdictions

DR TESSA BAILEY
CEO, the Opus Centre

CELIA ANTONOVSKY
Director, Risk and Safety, GHD

• Impact of more restrictive eligibility reforms on mental health claimants
• Views on IRC proposal to manage workplace bullying and harassment claims before they escalate to formal psychological injury claims
• How effective are reforms expected to be in reducing costs
• Premium changes and claims thresholds
• Impact on how organisations prepare for change
• Building trust with regulators

RACHAEL FORD
Manager Policy and Regulation Workers' Compensation, Suncorp

REPRESENTATIVE SIRA

DR FRANCESCO PAOLUCCI
Scholar and Advisor. Professor of Health Economics and Policy,
University of Newcastle & University of Bologna

10.55 MORNING TEA AND NETWORKING

This presentation will describe a major national study in which the Monash research team has worked collaboratively with people with lived experience of workers compensation claims to:

• Identify and describe policies and practices that adversely impact workers
• Develop solutions that address those challenges
• Test those solutions in computational models of workers compensation systems

PROF ALEX COLLIE
Director Healthy Working Lives Research Group, Division of Health Systems, Services and Policy, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Monash University

Needless disability is the main driver of preventable cost and duration in illness and injury. Rehabilitation frameworks that rely on the medical model for permission setting, such as workers' compensation, are at particular risk. In this session, Dr Prasad will demonstrate how the Qantas Group uses a biopsychosocial approach to complex illness and injury management that positions the worker and their manager as collaborators in return to work. He will explain that by using narrative therapy approaches to retell the story of complex illness or injury through the worker and manager, return to work outcomes are optimized and how this humanistic approach is built on nine rehabilitation factors and five moral safety factors.

DR PETER PRASAD
Head of Workplace Health & Safety, Qantas Group

DAVID BURROUGHS
Chief Mental Health Officer, Westpac

13.10 Lunch and networking

• Reviewing risk management strategies to meet rising challenges
• Meeting risk compliance obligations and standards requirements
• Regular Monitoring and reporting on workplace safety risk

JOANNE BARTLEY
Head of prevention and education, Icare

• Developments in strategic shifts from reactive, transactional processes to proactive, person-centred models
• Focus on early intervention and documentation best practice
• Clearly identifying employer v insurer responsibilities
• Towards seamless end to end claims lifecycle management

PANEL MEMBERS:

CRYSTAL HORNSEY
National Workers Compensation Claims Specialist

JAMES SNEDDON
Snr Manager, Claims Operations EML

OLGA NOWICKA
Manager Claims Workers Compensation, NSW Police Force

In the context of significant legislative reform, the interplay between employment law concepts and workers compensation rights is front of mind.  It is more important than ever for employers to implement rigorous processes for addressing performance and conduct concerns within the workplace, and to collaborate with claims managers to ensure that claims are investigated and determined within tight timeframes.
Natasha and Miriam will speak to best practice management of conduct and performance concerns in the workplace, and how to
approach workers compensation claims, should they arise from that process.

MIRIAM BROWNE
Partner, Turks Legal

NATASHA SIM
Partner, Turks Legal

15.55 AFTERNOON TEA AND NETWORKING

Psychosocial factors are now the dominant force shaping return-to-work outcomes in Australia, yet across the system most practitioners are still responding reactively rather than by design.
This session brings the It Pays to Care evidence base to life for every professional with a stake in recovery outcomes, offering fresh perspectives and practical insights whether you work in compensation, rehabilitation, allied health, legal practice, HR, safety, or policy.
Rachael will unpack how compensation system design, workplace culture, clinical care, and personal factors intersect, and where each profession in the room holds genuine leverage to improve outcomes. Attendees will leave with a clearer picture of what a fairer, more efficient, and a more human injury system looks like, and practical steps to move their own corner of it in that direction.

RACHAEL FORD
Advocacy Lead, It Pays to Care

• Benefits in establishing a multi-disciplinary approach early
• Encouraging open communication between doctors, psychologists, employers, and claims managers
• Addressing both physical and psychological injuries simultaneously
• Interdisciplinary approach that integrates care through shared goals, structured communication
• Clear role definitions
• Best practices including a collocated team with regular team meetings
• Utilising electronic medical records to ensure continuous information exchange

KATE SAVAGE
Manager, People Support and Rehabilitation, Department of Industry, Science and Resources;

Closing remarks from the Chair

17.40 End of Day One

17.45 Networking drinks

• AI use cases
• Human v machine decision making
• Predictive analytics for injury prevention
• How technology is changing the role of the claims manager

DR ANGIE MONTGOMERY
MD and Founder, InCheq