ANMF OVA audit pilot project
Nurses, midwives and carers should always go home safely at the end of a shift.
ANMF (Vic Branch) conducted a five-month occupational violence and aggression audit pilot project involving Job Reps and Health and Safety Reps at nominated workplaces.
The pilot project took place from August to December 2021.
The Job Reps and HSRs audited their organisation’s progress in implementing the ANMF (Vic Branch) 10-point plan to end violence and aggression: a guide for health services.
The pilot project was focused on ensuring health services took urgent action on preventing and managing occupational violence and aggression. The pilot program took place at Monash Health, Peninsula Health, Forensicare, Ballarat Health Services, Western Health, Northern Health, Austin Health, Goulburn Valley Health, Eastern Health, Melbourne Health, St Vincent’s Hospital, Mildura Base Public Hospital and The Women’s.
Each month the Reps audited two of the 10 occupational violence and aggression (OVA) reduction themes, using a smart phone-based auditing tool. They provided a green, amber or red rating of their employers’ progress measured against our 10-point plan. The data collected informed conversations at OVA committees and other forums, leading to measurable improvements in implementing the plan.
The outcomes of the pilot project were evaluated in early 2022 against the aims of the 10-point plan, with a view to rolling out the auditing project statewide in 2023, including in private acute hospitals, private aged care facilities and smaller health services.
Four goals
Through member involvement our aim was to achieve four things:
- to move from awareness to action on prevention of OVA
- measurable improvement in the 10-point plan’s implementation
- improve awareness and ownership by ANMF members of their 10-point plan
- collect real time data to better inform discussions with employers, and government.
The timeline
ANMF had asked HSRs and Job Reps, at the nominated workplaces, to audit two of the 10 occupational violence and aggression (OVA) reduction themes, each month. Reminder emails and texts were sent out.
Reps audited two of the 10 OVA points, using the audit tool, OHS Help. Reps provided a GREEN, AMBER or RED rating on their employers’ progress.
- August: security and identify risk
- September: include family and report, investigate, act
- October: safe design and educate and train
- November: integrate policies and procedures and provide support
- December: same approach for all and empower staff
- January: evaluate campaign evaluation, Branch and member report
ANMF (Vic Branch) '10-point plan to end violence and aggression: a guide for health services'
ANMF has refreshed its 10-point plan to end violence and aggression: a guide for health services which reps should use as an OVA audit reference guide.
The guide provides 114 practical ways to ensure healthcare workers go home safely at the end of their shift. It has been included in the public sector nurses and midwives and mental health nurses enterprise agreements since 2016.
Referencing this guide will provide participating HSRs and Job Reps with explanatory detail, helpful in assessing their employer’s progress.
Information and protections
Only ANMF has access to the data provided. Reps right to be involved in this pilot project and to provide this information is protected by the enterprise agreement, the Fair Work Act 2009 and the Victorian OHS Act 2004.
If you have any questions, please contact the OHS team via ohs@anmfvic.asn.au.