An Introduction to The injured Workers Support Network

A Brief Introduction to
The Injured Workers Support Network
(C) Injured Workers Support Network 2014

Our Aims
✦ To assist and support workers who have
sustained work related injuries & disabilities
✦ To provide and share information and
experiences about the workers compensation
system and the rights of injured & disabled
workers
Injured Workers Support Network

Our Aims
✦ To form networks between injured workers and
other organisations that have similar aims and
objectives
✦ To assist and encourage injured workers to
establish links within their local community health
system, government departments, organisations
and other individual support groups who can assist
injured workers.

Our board
7 board members.
• 1 representative from Unions NSW
• 2 Representatives from affiliated Unions
• 4 Elected representatives from our membership
• Northern region
• Southern region
• Western region
• Sydney region

What is our structure?
Workers Health Centre Director
Injured Workers Support Network BoardWorkers Health Centre Board
Injured Workers
Support
Network
Industrial
Health &
Research
Foundation
Workers
Health
Centre
The Industrial Health & Research Foundation

Who else is involved?
The Workers Health Centre
• The Workers Health Centre provides the bulk of the funding
for the IWSN through their profits.
• The IWSN Coordinator reports directly to the Workers
Health Centre’s director Michelle Burgess.
Unions NSW
• Unions NSW through the Work Health and Safety Officer
provided logistical support to the IWSN

What about the members?
• Our members elect their representatives every two years.
• Each Network Meeting has responsibility over the actions of that
group-
• the Coordinator reports on actions within each region to the
Regional board member and the network meetings within the
group.
• The Coordinator does not attend meetings or negotiations
without at least one memers present (unless there is no
alternative)

What if I have a problem or a
complaint about the Coordinator?
• You can talk to the Director directly to raise any
concerns you may have about the Coordinator.
• You can also speak to a board member.
• If you have a problem with a board member you can
raise that issue with the Boards Chair or with Michelle
Burgess.
• If your problem is with a volunteer. You can raise those
issues with the Coordinator.

Our Guiding Principles
1.The IWSN is a Not-For-Profit organisation offering
information and support for any individual who have become
injured, ill or disabled due to a work place incident.
2.The IWSN extends this support to the families, friends and
supporters of any individuals who have become injured, ill or
disabled due to a work place incident.
3.The health and wellbeing of our members is our highest
priority.

Respect
•The IWSN will not withhold or limit service to anyone on the basis of race, age, gender,
sexual orientation, disability, political persuasion or union association.
•The IWSN celebrates its union heritage and is within the union movement. But is not
union itself.
•The IWSN does not tolerate violence or intimidation in any form towards its members,
volunteers, visitors, guests or employees.
•The IWSN will only associate or accept donations from organisations with like-minded
objectives.
•IWSN meetings cannot be attended by any outside organisation without prior consent.

Support
• All actions of the IWSN will focus on the empowerment of its members.
• The IWSN will maintain its core function of facilitating peer-to-peer support through its
Network meetings, online presence and individual support.
• The IWSN actions will be led and guided by the agreement of the members through
their Network meetings and through representation of members on the board of
directors.
• The IWSN future plans will be guided by the principal of ensuring maximum support
for its members.
• The IWSN will provide training, supervision and ongoing support to all volunteers

Listen
• The IWSN regards all information disclosed by its members to
be confidential. Except: where permission is given and/or where
failure to disclose may result in harm to the member or others or
where forced to do so by a court of law.
• All Network meetings will ensure that each person is listened to
but that no one individual issue is given more importance that
the focus of the group itself.
• No Network meeting will be recorded without the prior consent
of all participants.

Share
• The IWSN through its employees and board will make any decision making
process as transparent as is legally possible without breaching
confidentiality or relevant legislation.
• The IWSN will at all times ensure that members and non-members can
share their opinions freely without edit unless they breach one of the IWSN
Guiding principles or comments policy.
• All network meetings will provide equality of access and time to all members
who wish to participate.
• Network meetings will ensure any actions undertaken by them will be put to
the meeting and voted upon prior to that action taking place.

What we actually do

The Website
A website dedicated to informing injured workers about their
rights, information on community support organisations and
a place where members throughout the State could contact
each other asking for advice and assistance.
www.iwsn.org.au

The Helpline
A helpline where members could seek specific
advice and referrals. and to provide assistance for
more immediate concerns, such as referral to
emergency financial support and emotional
support.
Monday to Friday
12:30 to 4:30

Advocacy
• The IWSN Strives to advocate for the rights of injured workers
through any means possible
• Media
• Government
• Politicians
• Unions
• any opportunity.

Activism
• The IWSN provides opportunities and training for its
members to take part in all aspects of the IWSN and
• The IWSN actively promotes members to take their own
actions.
The issues we face are systemic. The actions we need to take
to change this system are collective.

Member Network Meetings
Member Networks throughout the state where
members could meet and support each other. Also
providing a venue where guest speakers could
address their questions on the system and make
contacts with other support groups within their
local area.

The IWSN Coordinator• The IWSN Coordinator:
• Provides the Administration for the IWSN
• Answers the Hotline
• Updates the Website
• Links the network with other organisations and supporting services
• Provides leadership and mentoring to members and IWSN volunteers
• Ensures opportunities for members to participate and be active in campaigning.
• Provides training to members and network meetings

Network meetings are at the core of the IWSN.
They provide:
• General Support
• Personal Advocacy
• Social Support
• Procedural Support
• Group activism.

General Support
The Injured Workers Support Network links injured
workers and their families to community
organisations who can and do provide support in
any aspect of a members life.

Personal Advocacy
Personal advocacy in this term is the training and
strength the IWSN group provides its members to
take control of their workers compensation
process.

Social Support
The Injured Worker Support Network Meetings
serve a purpose in and of itself. The act of meeting
together has a benefit without reference to any
other aspect of our purpose.

Procedural Support
The Network Meetings provides a place for people
to ask questions about the Workers Compensation
process. Though no-one is expected to be an
expert, It’s hoped that the latest information
provided by the IWSN office will be available or
that the network facilitator will have read it and
have it on hand.

Group Activism
The Injured Workers Support Network takes a
systemic approach to the problems facing our
members. The issue isn’t about the individual, it is
about the workers compensation system itself. A
systemic problem requires a systemic action to
highlight it and encourage change.

The Injured Workers Support Network
Our Local Networks

The basic structure
• Network meetings are held once a month on the same day
at the same time of that month.
• Network meetings run for 2 hours.
• The first hour is for guest speakers or training.
• The second hour is split into two.
– 1st part. Member story & Discussion
– 2nd part. Campaign meeting

How local networks are run
• Members contribute to the organising of the meetings
and the network.
• A Facilitator is appointed to chair the network meeting.
-they must be trained.
• The IWSN head office provides support and advice to local
networks.

The really really
important part

Every
Member’s
POWER
Means
Every
Network’s
Triumph

EMPOWERMENT: To
make (someone) stronger and
more confident, especially in
controlling their life and
claiming their rights.

An Introduction to The injured Workers Support Network

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