Psychological Safety and Risk Management

6. Controlling the risks

Once a psychosocial hazard has been identified and assessed, controls must be put in place to mitigate the hazard where possible or reduce the level of risk associated as far as reasonably practicable. Controls can be determined by the principal or their delegate and in consultation with affected staff and health and safety representatives (HSR), where elected, and recorded in the school’s OHS risk register.

Effective leadership is crucial for enabling a psychologically safe culture to protect and manage staff mental health. First and foremost, principals, school leaders and their delegates should consider their leadership approach and work to make any necessary improvements. Examples of this include:

• communicating clearly and transparently to keep staff informed
• ensuring they are approachable, so staff feel comfortable to raise concerns
• showing empathy and care when listening to staff
• following up after conversations to ensure staff feel heard and valued
• showing respect and inclusivity to a diverse range of perspectives
• modelling desirable behaviours.

The Psychological safety foundations checklist for schools (DOCX) can support school leaders to identify potential areas for improvement in leadership and management.

The following should also be considered when identifying appropriate controls:

• identify controls in consultation with effected school staff and HSR (where elected)
• tailor controls to the needs, culture, and economic realities of the school
• prioritise controls that eliminate risk, where possible
• controls should be considered at all levels, including staff and management
• training can be considered but should not be the only control implemented.

Controls for common psychosocial hazards in schools include, but are not limited to:

• violence and aggression:
  • promotion of Respectful Behaviours within the School Community Policy across the school community
  • refer to the Work-Related Violence in Schools policy
  • consider assessment of security and workplace design
  • utilise the How leadership and culture can help control the risk of work-related violence guidance
  • consider further ‘students with challenging behaviours’ controls below
• bullying, harassment and discrimination:
  • all staff complete workplace bullying and harassment eLearning modules (available on LearnED)
  • circulate department and school bullying and harassment policies, including the Inclusive Workplaces policy and the Respectful Workplaces policy
  • consider further training and whole-of school approaches, such as Respectful Relationships education
  • refer to the Complaints, Misconduct and Unsatisfactory Performance – Teaching Service policy and seek advice from the Employee Conduct and Integrity Branch
• students with challenging behaviours (where the behaviour is of such severity, duration or frequency that it jeopardises the safety of the person and/or those around them):
  • development, implementation, review and update of behaviour support plans and risk management plans – student behaviour (DOCX), inclusive of student supervision arrangements
  • engage with available supports, including Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion Workforces
  • provide relevant training to staff to prevent and respond to students with challenging behaviours:
    • de-escalation of student behaviour – refer to LearnEd and search module name
    • Behaviour Assessment and Support in Schools (BASIS) – to access the first module (Understanding behaviour and its functions), refer to LearnEd and search module name)
    • Protective Intervention Training
  • use evidence-based classroom management strategies to proactively promote positive behaviour and discourage behaviours of concern (Positive Classroom Management Strategies)
  • provide opportunities for choice and student voice (Student Voice Practice Guide – Amplify)
  • practice self-regulation (the ability to understand and manage our own behaviour)
  • develop positive relationships and get to know your students – their strengths, needs and interests (research points to students with the greatest motivation and engagement in school as being those who experience the lowest levels of conflict with staff)
• poor support:
  • include health, safety and wellbeing as a regular discussion item at team meetings
  • actively promote mental health supports available to staff, such as the Employee Wellbeing Support Services
  • leaders to be trained in psychological awareness, for example, psychological first aid training or mental health awareness training
  • ensuring there are multiple methods for staff to provide feedback
• poor organisational change management:
  • use effective communication methods to deliver information
  • involve staff in decision making.
• high and low job demands:
  • review workload expectations
  • match skills to tasks
  • provide clear direction, time and support tools for staff to complete tasks
  • bridge skill gaps
  • encourage regular discussions for staff feedback
  • providing relief for teachers experiencing challenges in the classroom
• poor workplace relationships:
  • consider engaging conflict resolution support services
  • school leaders role model respectful behaviours
  • all staff complete workplace bullying eLearning module (available on LearnED)
• work-related stress:
  • staff are supported to identify workload management strategies
  • the Employee Wellbeing Support Services are promoted to all staff
  • staff are provided opportunities around training and professional development to support their role.

Refer to the Psychological safety guide for schools (DOCX) for more detailed examples of controls that can reduce the risk of psychological injury, as well as department resources and further support. You can contact the OHS Advisory Service or regional OHS service officers for advice and hands-on support in identifying appropriate controls.